Knowing When to Call It a Day: On Being a "Quitter"

Usually, I post a video every Thursday. Sometimes it's Mat Matters, sometimes it's Malebox, but there's always a video. 

Not this week. 

You know why? Because I just didn't get to it. 

I know. I'm always telling my consulting clients that if you want to start a "successful" blog, you've got to make it a priority, you've got to be regular, you've got to stick to your schedule and plan ahead--so that your readers can count on you and know what to expect on a daily and weekly basis.

That being said, I think it's also important to realize that you're only human and that you can only do so much. Sometimes, it's better to call it a day, put down the computer, and take a walk instead of recording a video when you're exhausted, uninspired, and sick of listening to yourself talk.

Interestingly enough, I've been thinking a lot about this concept of "knowing when to quit" lately; In many ways, I think it's just as important a skill to master as learning when to take the leap or when to step outside of your comfort zone.

Here's what has spurred my musing on this concept: As many of you know, my husband, Ben, has basically lived CrossFit for the past 5 years or so. He has always been an athlete and loves competing,  so it wasn't surprising when, shortly after becoming a "CrossFitter," he began competing in local competitions. 

But, what started as a fun way to stay in shape slowly became his life, his obsession, what defined him, what dictated his schedule and his moods, and over time, his years, months, weeks, and days began to revolve around training for competitions and improving his scores.

In preparation for this year's Open (the worldwide CrossFit competition that leads up the the CrossFit Games), Ben was working out twice a day for months. If he set a PR, he'd be in an amazing mood. If he didn't, or if his daily workout didn't go as planned, he'd get down on himself. Then he started developing some serious shoulder pain that was really limiting his movements. The relationship had become unhealthy. 

On top of all of this CrossFit drama, Ben and I had just moved to a new place, he'd started a new job (one that takes up MUCH more time + energy), and we'd gotten a dog. We'd undergone some serious changes, but throughout all of this, Ben kept training as hard has ever. He was overwhelmed and stretched thin, but he was holding on. 

 Then, one Wednesday, about one week into the CrossFit Open (which is a 6-week competition) he came home and said he was going to quit. Not CrossFit--he could never go back to just "working out"--but competing in CrossFit. Putting unnecessary pressure on himself and going crazy over it when it should be fun. 

And guess what? Just like that, he's much happier, much less stressed, in much less pain, and much more rested. He's still working out, he's still CrossFitting, he's still spending time watching CrossFit videos, but all of the pressure is gone. He's like a new person and it's SO nice to have him back. 

We talk so much about not being a "quitter" in our society, that I think we can forget that sometimes we need to quit. And not just obvious, unhealthy things like smoking or drinking too much, but things that might even appear healthy or productive from the outside. 

Maybe it's calling it quits on a relationship that is no longer making you happy, or a job that you thought you'd love (but you actually hate!), or friendship that's taking too much energy, or even a hobby that is no longer enjoyable. Maybe it just means calling it quits for the day, closing the laptop, and going on a walk (or going to yoga!). 

Sometimes, quitting can be the answer.

So no, I'm not quitting Mat Matters or giving up posting videos on Thursdays, I just decided that this week, I would call it a day. I said to myself, "You know what? I just can't fit it in. Going on a long walk in the sunshine with my dog would be better for me than taping a video inside today." 

And that's what I did. 

I hope you understand, and I hope that the lack of a video today can inspire YOU to call it a day and do something that will feed your soul. Remember, being a "quitter" isn't always a bad thing! 

I'll leave you with one final thought, courtesy of Osayi Osar-Emokpae:

“Quitting is not giving up, it's choosing to focus your attention on something more important. Quitting is not losing confidence, it's realizing that there are more valuable ways you can spend your time. Quitting is not making excuses, it's learning to be more productive, efficient and effective instead. Quitting is letting go of things (or people) that are sucking the life out of you so you can do more things that will bring you strength.” 

PS. Happy first day of Spring! I snapped the pic above yesterday--can you believe it!? Flowers are starting to peek out of the ground here on the Cape!