As you finish the final section of The Dip (56-100), please comment on three of the five questions/responses below. Then leave feedback to five comments from your peers.
Questions/Responses:
* Of the conditions Godin provides on page 59 when it's okay to quit, what one have you experienced? Explain.
* How does quitting differ from failing?
* What are the three questions to ask yourself before quitting? Which one do you think is the most important? Explain.
* What is Godin's point with the column "You're Astonishing"?
* What do you think of his line, "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try"? Is this a good thing? Explain.
Quitting is a decision you make based on the choices available to you. It's deciding what things you want to stop doing so that you can continue doing something else. Failure is when you have given up and there is no options left. It means that your dreams are over.
ReplyDeleteThe three questions to ask yourself before quitting are:
1) Am I Panicking?
2) Who am I trying to influence?
3)What sort of measurable progress am I making?
I think the most important question is "What sort of measurable progress am I making?" If you aren't improving at what you do, it may be a good time to quit. It may have become a cup-de-sac because nothing is changing or happening. Progress is always important when you want to succeed because you must always be moving forward.
Godin's point with the column "You're Astonishing" is that everyone has great talents that they should use to their full potential. Why should you settle to be mediocre at something when you can be great at something else? Everyone should use their talents and skills to be the best in the world. This requires you to get through the dip and succeed in knowing how to be the best in the world. This may require you to quit certain things and focus on others. Use your talents to your best abilities!
I wouldn't be too bleak about failure, I would argue that it's more of a learning tool. The guy from the TED Talk didn't roll over and die after he had failed to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Failure is about getting up, brushing yourself off, and guarding your weaker spots even better :)
DeleteI agree with your comments on the section of "You're Astonishing." You should want to be the best in the world, and use your skills to the best of your abilities!
DeleteI like what you said about "You're Astonishing." No one should settle for mediocre when they can be best in the world.
DeleteIt bothers me when people are satisfied at where they are at in terms of being either really good or just average.
DeleteI agree that if you aren't making any measurable progress, you should think about quitting or trying harder.
DeleteI don't know if I agree that failing means your dreams are over. If an author has a dream of getting their book published, but they keep failing, quitting would still be the wrong choice. Eventually, if they keep at it, their book will get published.
DeleteYou have some really good points! I like what you said about being astonishing. We all need to use our full potential. The only thing I kinda disagree with is failure doesn't mean your dreams are over. It's a great learning tool and can benefit you later. :)
DeleteI agree with the question you chose to ask yourself before quitting. How are you supposed to succeed, if you aren't improving?
DeleteNo one should settle for mediocre when they can be best in the world. Why would you want to be mediocre when you can be the best. Agree
DeleteI agree with you that the most important one is the third one because if you are not making progress then you aren't really doing anything.
DeleteI have experienced a cul-de-sac when I was working at Pennington Square. It had the appearance of the dip. It seemed that if I worked hard and stood out, I'd get a raise or a promotion
ReplyDeleteQuitting is different from failing in that Quitting can be planned and precise. Failure can be expected but never known. Quitting is usually done in prep of something bigger and better. Failure is what comes after trying something and it doesn't work out quite right. Both are good for you though. Quitting helps you see something better. Failing helps you see what you need to work on.
We are astonishing in that we have the potential to be the best in the world. The trap we fall into is convincing ourselves that we have too much on our plate. In telling ourselves that, we are put into a cul-de-sac. It doesn't matter how much work we get done. If we don't press on for more challenges, we will be stuck in the loop of mediocrity.
I agree with both quitting and failing are good for you. I do believe you can learn from both of them. Which will help you be successful.
DeleteEveryone gets so mad about failing but you learn so much from it if you don't get all stubborn about it.
DeleteI agree that quitting is planned, you think about it and decide it. Failing is an unknown, which is scary, but happens all the time.
DeleteI can relate to your experience at Pennington Square. My experience at K-Mart taught me that only idiots work there, so I got out.
DeleteI like what you said about failing being something to be expected but unknown. Quitting and Failing can help us later in life because they are the best learning experiences
DeleteI agree with you on the quitting and failing part of your response. Failing can not be planned only expected.
DeleteQuitting and failing are two totally different things. You can be a strategic quitter and make decision on the progress you are making, or you can fail. Failing is when you give up on something. It's like you are at the bottom of the Dip and you are tired and just want to give up. *This is kinda off topic. . . But I think it is neat how there are different way of view failing and quitting. Adam Kreek, seeks failure. Where Seth Godin says the failure is you give up. I think the way Adam Kreek wants to fail is cool. He pushes himself to the max until he physically can't go anymore. Where Godin says failure means your dream is over. Once Adam Kreek reaches failure, he doesn't give up, he pushes himself more to be successful! I just thought it was interesting how they both talk about being successful, but they have two different opinions/strategies for getting to the top.*
ReplyDeleteThe three questions to ask yourself before quitting are:
1. Am I panicking?
2. Who am I trying to influence?
3. What sort of measurable progress am I making?
The most important one for me "What sort of measurable progress am I making?" This one is key, I think. If you are making good progress and are leaning into the Dip, your probably on the right track. But if you aren't being successful, then it is time to decide to quit. This question is the easiest one to decide if you are in a Cal-De-Sac, Cliff, or a Dip. Then, once you clarify what you are in decide when to quit.
I think his line, "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try" is interesting. I think if something does scare you a little it might push you enough to be successful. If you try it you never know. You could lean into the Dip and reach the top and be the best. I think it's a good thing to be scared once in awhile, as long as it's the right type of scared. If it's right, go ahead look ahead and see if it will be a long term goal, if you can. Then lean hard into and see what the outcome is!
That is kind of neat how you compare Godin's view of failure to Kreeks view. Godin thinks that failure means the dream is completely over, but when Adam Kreek reaches failure it pushes him to be more successful. I think that the definition of failure should totally depend on what you are doing because it can be a good thing or a bad thing.
DeleteI think if you want to be a balance person, you should find a hybrid version of Kreek's and Godin's philosophies. Both of them are kind of extreme views.
DeleteI agree that you should do things that scare you and being scared might push you to work harder and do better in that area.
DeleteI aslo thought that it was a good thing if something scares you because it pushes you out of you comfort zone and it's defiantly a good thing to explore.
DeleteI also believe that you have to be making progress on something in order to stick with it. If I see no progress happening in the future, I try to get out as fast as I can.
DeleteI agree that if something scares you, it might be a good idea to try because not everyone is excited to go the next step.
DeleteIf you aren't making progress on something, I wouldn't stick with it. If I see no progress happening in the future, I try to get out so I can save myself time and money where I could be putting into something promising.
DeleteI agree if you aren't making progress what are you really doing.
DeleteIt is ok to quite when you come across a cliff or a cup-de-sace. I have experienced a cup-de-sac during volleyball. Four three years I new that I was not going anywhere with volleyball and I knew there was better things I could be doing with my time that I enjoyed more. However, I just kept going around in a circle debating quitting. Finally I got out of the cul-de-sac my senior year, and decided to quit.
ReplyDeleteThe three questions we should ask ourselves before quitting are 1. Am I panicking? 2. Who am I trying to influence? 3. What sort of measurable progress am I making?
I think the most important question to ask yourself is "Who am I trying to influence?" I believe this can be looked at how Seth talks about it, being an individual or a market. An individual being harder, and you need to realize that it might just not be possible to influence this individual. I can also look at this as who are you trying to influence by quitting or not quitting. If you are going to quit something you should do it for yourself, no one else. You shouldn't stay with something just because your parents want you too, and the same goes for quitting. You must be trying to please/influence yourself.
I love the line "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try." My dad always has told me since I was young, "Try and do one thing everyday that scares you." I believe if you go into something, knowing the dip is going to be hard, and you embrace it and lean into, you will be more proud once you finish it since you were scared in the beginning. Facing your fears is how you make them no longer a fear, but instead something you accomplished.
I love your connection with volleyball being a cul-de-sac. It's true, I have mixed emotions whether or not it is a cul-de-sac for me!
DeleteI think a lot of people can find sports ending up as a cul-de-sac. A lot of people think quitting a sport your senior year is a bad idea, but I'd disagree. If it's not helping you, why stay in it?
DeleteDefiantly agree with the volleyball cul-de-sac because there hasn't been a day I have really looked forward to going and I don't find a benefit for me with staying in it.
DeleteI was in a cul-de-sac with Basketball in 7th grade, I was young, but I remembered feeling no real connection too it. That's my definition of a cul-de-sac, going through the motions with no real feelings towards it.
DeleteI totally agree with you on how you were pointing out that if you are going to quit something, you should quit it for yourself. A lot of times if you are doing something just because someone else want's you to, it won't be enjoyable for you. If its not something that makes you happy than you shouldn't do it.
DeleteI think quitting volleyball was probably the right choice. That's the same reason I quit basketball.
DeleteIf you try to influence someone constantly and they never notice how would you deal with that dip. I feel you should take care of your own interests first.
DeleteI had the same type of cul- de- sac experience with hockey. I am happy I realized it as well.
DeleteI have quit because the dip at the wasn’t worth the reward a few times, like when I quit projects that have little value to me. Why go through so much work for little to no reward? Quitting these projects allowed me more time to work on school work and other things that would yield a better reward.
ReplyDeleteQuitting is a decision that you have made that is based on choices are available to you. If what you are doing is coming to a dead end, than quitting is a smart choice. Failing means your dream is over, that you have given up. Failing means you have exhausted all your resources from quitting too often.
Three questions you ask yourself before quitting is am I panicking, who am I trying to influence, and what sort of measurable progress am I making? I think the most important is am I panicking because most people quit before they think through their problem. They don’t think of the good that it will do them in the future before they quit.
Panicking would be a key factor when you are trying to make a decision. If you are panicking you would think as clear and could make the wrong choice.
DeleteI would go as far to say that you can be in multiple dips at once. When you get into those, it feels like you are really overwhelmed. Thats when it is time to look at the dips and determine which ones are worth sticking out.
DeleteIts interesting that you think panicking is the most important question to ask yourself. However, I do agree in a way. It is easy to just jump right into quitting without thinking about it.
DeleteI also look at what reward you would get from something to decide if it worth it. Why keep going when you get nothing in return?
DeleteI agree that quitting before you get yourself into something with a dead end is a good idea. This way you will not have to waste a lot of your time in something that is going nowhere.
DeleteQuitting something with little value or worth to you can be risky sometimes. Make sure you look at how it effects you in the long run, because maybe it is valued by someone else that you accomplish it or will help you with things in the future.
DeleteI agree, I think the most important question to ask yourself is if you're panicking.
DeleteQuit - to stop, cease, or discontinue. Fail - to fall short of success or accomplishment. When you quit, it’s purposeful. Quitting is your choice. Failure, on the other hand, is out of your control. Judges, scores, teachers, or even the mass market can make you fail. Contrary to popular belief, quitting and failing are both good things in moderation. Quit smart and fail happily.
ReplyDeleteThree questions to ask yourself before quitting:
Am I panicking?
Who am I trying to influence?
What sort of measurable progress am I making?
The most important question is the first; am I panicking? If the answer is yes, don’t quit. If the answer is no, then ask yourself the other two. It’s a lot faster than asking yourself the others just to end with the fact that you are panicking, so you can’t quit.
“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try” is my favorite quote. You’re already aware that it’ll be difficult, but it’s also worth it. You’re prepared to lean into the dip. It’s the best piece of advice for anyone who’s worried about trying something new. Either it’ll be a story about how you completely failed (which can be the best stories), or it’ll open up doors to something better.
"Quit smart and fail happily." I agree with this. The worst feeling in the world is failing at something. Why not look on the bright side of it instead of getting down on yourself. By failing, you now have a new goal for yourself.
DeleteI love your descriptions of quitting and failing. I think failing is most upsetting because it is out of our control. But, it is how we react to failing and how much effort we put in that makes it a good or a bad thing. "Quit smart and fail happy", I like that quote.
DeleteI agree that quitting is a choice and failure is out of your control. quitting has purpose to it and failure is something that is controlled by people and your environment.
DeleteI agree, if something scares you, it's probably a good idea to try it.
DeleteI disagree with the fact if something scares you try it. Although I do agree panicking is the biggest question to ask yourself.
DeleteThe worst feeling in the world is failing at something. I agree with this "Quit smart and fail happily." Instead of moping around complaining, you have a goal in mind and can strive for it
DeleteWhat do you think of his line, "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try"? Is this a good thing? Explain.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good thing to explore and take risks but you have to realize if it worth working extremely hard to achieve the goal. If it does scare you that probably means good results will come if you do reach the end, but you have to see if it is good for your live in long term.
Of the conditions Godin provides on page 59 when it's okay to quit, what one have you experienced? Explain.
Quitting choir was definitely one of the best decisions I have made because it was taking up so much time and even money for something I didn't have any fun with. I was committed to choir and the only reason I was really in it was because my friends were and I had been in it for 4 years.
What are the three questions to ask yourself before quitting? Which one do you think is the most important? Explain.
The three questions to ask yourself before quitting are:
1) Am I Panicking?
2) Who am I trying to influence?
3)What sort of measurable progress am I making?
Number three is the most important because if I am getting nowhere and making no progress what is the point. It would be a never ending cul-de-sac of same old same old. I am not improving, not having fun, and getting nothing in return that beneficial.
I believe that "what sort of measurable progress am I making?" is the most important question as well. If you are not making any progress, why keep doing it?
DeleteI did the same thing with choir. I quit and it was a good decision. It was taking up so much time and now I have more time for my other events that have a higher priority. I just saw it as a cal-de-sac for me.
DeleteGetting out of a cup-de-sac is very important! You can be using your time to do better things.
DeleteDoing things that scare you really is a good thing. But you do have to be willing to put in the hard work and effort to get the results you are seeking. I agree when you say you have to know if it will be worth it.
DeleteI agree with with your scared of something quote. I feel that if it does scare you it probably is a lot of work and maybe that is why it scares you in the first place. This more than likely could be a negative.
DeleteYou lose so much time in a cul- de- sac. Time is a thing that should not be wasted.
DeleteFailing helps you realize your limits in what you are doing. Quitting doesn’t let you find out what your limit is. If you quit something in the dip, you will kick yourself for not sticking it out and finishing. Doing something and failing is different. If you fail before you finish something, at least you can say that you gave it your all and you just came up short.
ReplyDelete1. Am I panicking?
2. Who am I trying to influence?
3. What sort of measurable progress am I making?
I believe that the third question is the most important thing to ask yourself before you quit. If you want to succeed in something, but you never make any progress, it is not going to work out. Making no progress in something is a waste of time. Find something that you can progress and create goals in.
Godin’s point with the column “You’re Astonishing” is to tell people that they could be the best in the world, but they settle for mediocre because they have spread their greatness throughout multiple things. I believe you need to be great at more than one thing in order to be successful. If you drop everything and focus on one specific thing, you will become too obsessed with it.
I really agree with what you say about quitting vs. failing. Godin makes good points, but it leaves me a bit torn between when to quit and when to stick it out and fail.
DeleteI agree that failure lets you know what your limits are. It allows you to learn your limits instead of quitting before knowing what you can do
DeleteWhen you say that you need to be great at more than one thing, I agree. When it comes to being successful, you need to have mastered more than just one subject or skill.
DeleteI somewhat agree with your question to ask before quitting. Although I feel it is better to see if you are making a rash decision before seeing how things are working.
DeleteI agree with your quitting/failing paragraph. I think that if you quit something while your in the dip you have failed becuase you have put so much of yourself into something you will get nothing out of.
DeleteI disagree that number 3 is the most important question you ask yourself, I think number 2 and then 1 come before it. You should worry about yourself first, and then worry about if you are quitting for the right reasons or just panicking.
ReplyDeleteQuitting this assignment would be beneficial to me at this time. I can see that I am not going to be able to posh through this dip and be successful. If I were to quit this assignment right now I would be able to focus on editing my mini research paper and my hundred other lists that are running through my head at this moment. After reading the questions that I was suppose to respond to I just couldn't do it. Yes, it was a very simple and straight forward assignment but today there was just too much on my plate for me to do another specific assignment. Not doing this assignment helped me get a little of my frustration out and now I feel motivated to do more because I am not exhausted like I would have been if I had pushed through the dip of this assignment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this, I shouldn't have done my assignment either!
DeleteI really agree with this because I could have been putting all my effort into other important things, but now I am half-assing all of them from being so overwhelmed. Even though I probably don't have as much on my plate as you!
DeleteI agree. Prioritizing has become majorly important, especially now. There are so many other things I feel I could get done if I just skipped some assignments and put my focus elsewhere
DeleteI find this statement false. This assignment was just a minor dip. Struggling to the top because we had the dip paper and other things to work on but you needed to persevere to get a grade.
DeleteI love this! I definitely agree that not doing this assignment could have saved me time to do other much bigger things, and also clear my plate a little!
DeleteHow is quitting different from failing? - Failing means that your dream is over. This is what happens when you give up, when there are no other options, or when you quit so often that you use up all of your time and resources. Quitting is a great way to avoid failing.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the three questions you ask yourself before quitting? Which one do you think is most important? -
1. Am I panicking?
2. Who am I trying to influence?
3. What sort of measurable progress am I making?
--I think number one is the most important. After having a bad day at practice, are you just going to quit? Or, are you going to stick it out and see what the next practice brings?
What Godin's point with the column "You're Astonishing"? - I think he's just trying to say that we are all amazing. And if we put our minds to something, and don't give up, we have a good shot at becoming the best in the world. Don't just settle for being mediocre.
I agree that am I panicking is the most important question. People can panic over little things, like a bad day at practice, and they will want to quit.
DeleteOI don't really agree that failing means you dream is over. It's more of a learning tool. You can always try again or learn from it and improve your dream. Quitting though is a great way to try and avoid failure.
DeleteI have experienced a Cul-de-Sac during basketball, and for a long time I just stuck to it hoping things would get better. I had my up and my downs. The ups were what kept me going for so long. I had realized the upside out being in basketball was never going to outweigh the downside. And once I realized that I was never going to be the best I dreamed about being, I had to get off of the Cul-De-Sac as soon as I could because I was just wasting time. In this experience, quitting at that point was the best decision I had ever made.
ReplyDeleteQuitting is decision that you have given yourself. Quitting is seeing ahead of a failure. So quitting can be considered a smart option. Failing differs from quitting because you have no other option. The only option you have is to give up and get right back up. Quitting avoids failure, while failure is giving up.
I find the quote, "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try" very accurate. Attempting something that scares you will drive you to work harder. If it scares you, there's a chance that it scares someone else too. Making it through the "scary" experience while others are too scared to even try, creates scarcity and less competition. There may be a chance that you will fail, but its smart to use failure as a learning experience.
I can relate to sticking with something and hoping it would get better. Often my pride gets in the way and I don't want to be thought of as a quitter but if it's a waste of time, quitting is smart.
Deletel love the line "quitting is seeing ahead of failure." That explains it so well! When you quit you are much smarter because otherwise you are just forcing yourself to go through with something that you will more than likely fail at.
DeleteI have quit when the project I am working on had a Dip that wasn't worth the reward in the end. I quit choir my sophomore year for a variety of reasons. I didn't really have time for it and it is a huge commitment. I didn't have any passion for it and knew I could put my efforts towards something else I had more passion for. The Dip that I would have had to go through to earn the trip to New York my senior year seemed too big and I quit before I encountered the Dip. I am so glad I did too.
ReplyDeleteQuitting and Failing are very different. Quitting is what you do, you have the choice to quit before or when things get hard. Failing means you didn't quit but you didn't succeed either. Quitting is a decision you make, Failing isn't something you decide to do, it just happens.
The line, "If it scares you it might be a good thing to try" is a good line to live by in all that you do. Goals you make for yourself should be scary because that means you have to work for it. Fear pushes people to do things they didn't know they could. The reward in the end will also feel more beneficial because you had to work really hard for it. Making it through a scary situation produces scarcity because most people quit when they get scared. Therefore less competition and it makes you stronger.
Godin Says to quit often and that is okay. He says a person should quit whenever the encounter that they are on a dead end path. A cliff or a dip that doesn't have a reward in the end is also an ideal time to quit. Quit things that aren't going anywhere if you want to stick out the right ones. Choir was one of these moments for me. I felt it was a dead end and I didn't enjoy all the extra time. I quit and have more free time for other classes.
ReplyDelete"If you realize you're at a dead compared with what you could be investing in, quitting is not only a reasonable choice, it's a smart one." That is the closest to strategic quitting. Failing means that your dreams are over. You give up, when there are no other options, or when you quit so often that you've used up all your resources.
Three questions to ask before quitting.
1.Am I panicking?
2. Who am I trying to influence
3. WHat sort of measurable progress am I making?
Am I panicking is the best advice that fits to me. I feel I see it the most with sports. People quit in sports in a short term mind set. They Feel they aren't going to play this year because they didn't play last year. Why would they want to waste their time by sitting on the bench? The practices are too hard with no reward for me so they pick up and just quit. These kind of quitters need to gain a long term goal in mind and seek it out. Quit the "if it hurts" I should immediately quit mind set.
I agree with your reason for quitting choir. If you feel what you are doing is a waste of time, quit and focus on what is important for you. Instead of wasting the time doing things you could care less about put it into something you are great at.
DeleteLast year I took AP American history, but I quit after a quarter of it. I just didn't think that all the time and effort that I would have had to put into the class would be worth it for me. A college credit is possible in the class, but I would have likely failed the test and put a lot of time in for nothing. I think it was a good choice for me to quit when I did rather than waiting and wasting a lot of my time and effort.
ReplyDeleteWhen you quit something, you quit before you get into it. Quit before the dip. But, when you fail you decide not to quit and wait till it gets hard, and by that time it is to late to quit and you simply fail. You failed to quit at the right time and you failed to make it through the hard time of the dip. So the key is to quit before the dip and things will be much better.
The three questions to ask yourself before quitting are:
1. Am I panicking?
2. Who am I trying to influence?
3. What sort of measurable progress am I making?
The most important to me is "What sort of measurable process am I making?" If You are not making any process whats the point? You know that you are going to be stuck in a cup de sac if the answer to that question is no. That is when you have to get out, or you'll be stuck at the dead end.
By "You're Astonishing" Godin means your unique and talented. Everyone has their own set of talents that they can do great things with. Do everything you can with your talents and don't waste them. Don't let yourself settle to be average or mediocre.
I think if you're scared of something it is good because it is going to be a challege. you will work hard because you are scared of it, and that alone can make you one of the best. Your scared something won't work or turn out right, so you focus no it and come up with every option to fix it. I think being scared of something can make you obsess about what your scared of, and thats how you can become great.
One of the conditions on page 59 when it is okay to quit is when the dip is not worth the reward. If you are working for something and it really doesn't help you any. I had this experience with hockey. I was okay at hockey, but if I made it to the varsity level I would have been a bench warmer. I didn't think that it was worth all that time and energy to stay in hockey. Most of my friends are in hockey so I decided to come back as a manager and I did not regret it. I still love hockey but I will just play for fun now not on an actual team.
ReplyDeleteTo quit means that you are in control of when it happens and where. You have the decision. To fail means that maybe someone else told you you can't play or you are done. Quitting is better because then you have the power to do it yourself. You can have your dignity still in place and your pride.
Three questions you ask yourself before quitting are:
Am I panicking?
Who am I trying to influence?
What sort of measurable progress am I making?
I think the most important one is what sort of measurable progress am I making. If you are not showing any improvement then you need to try harder or you need to quit. It is not a bad thing to quit but if you don't make and you don't quit you might fail. The people who are the best keep improving every day. You need to as well. Apple is the best at what it does and it improves everything all the time. iPad to iPad 2. iPhone to iPhone 5s. They all keep changing.