I met a friend for dinner last week and she told me she had broken off her engagement. “What? Why?” was my initial reaction.
“Because it’s too much work and I feel emotionally exhausted just trying to get this relationship to flow smoothly,” she said.
She went on to say how relaxed she had felt since making the decision to call it off.
We hear similar stories all the time. Friendships fall apart or a once happy couple become estranged. And it is no different in the entrepreneurial world, where partnerships break down all the time.
We can also find ourselves stuck with a project we cannot wait to deliver to get it over with or a client who exhausts us to the point we no longer want to work with them.
When I first started my entrepreneurial journey, I firmly believed in perseverance and I still do. I’ve always had things my way because I’ve refused to budge until I got exactly what I wanted.
While this approach can work in many cases, standing your ground is not always the right thing to do. It can be emotionally and mentally draining and it is far better to direct that energy towards working on something you enjoy.
Over time, I’ve realised that learning when to say no, and when to stop working on something that does not excite me, is just as important as perseverance, if not more so. It freed up my time and mental space to focus on the things I truly enjoyed doing.
So how do you know when to quit?
Just like my friend above, if you feel you are forcing yourself to get up to work on that project; forcing yourself to leave the house and do some research or even forcing yourself to feel excited about the day ahead, then that is your cue to stop. That is not to say one should be irresponsible and quit then and there. Instead, make a mental note to yourself not to take on a project of that nature in the future.
My first year as an entrepreneur was extremely experimental. I worked with clients across the spectrum and through that discovered what I liked and disliked, and what kind of clients and projects I enjoyed working on.
One of the perks of becoming an entrepreneur and managing your own business is to work on things that excite you; another is the freedom to choose who you work with. Was that not one of the reasons you established your business in the first place?
Some might argue: “Well you need to make some profit at the end of the day, so you will always have to work on projects that you don’t like”.
While that may be true, you need to evaluate your business. Is this how you want to work? Your passion will translate into the service you provide.
If you do not enjoy doing something, eventually it will fall apart.
You may be nodding your head now agreeing with me, but before quitting that project or losing that client, do the following:
• Sit down and identify the reasons behind your feelings. Could it be solved with something as simple as installing new software or hiring new staff?
• Try something different. If you've tried one method for some time and it is not working, adopt a new approach. You might be surprised how differently things turn out when you change your way of doing things.
• Remember why you started. What made you establish your business? What projects did you enjoy working on most? Keep that in mind the next time you are taking on clients and agreeing to work on projects. Do what makes you happy.
• Last but not least, before deciding on anything, take a small break. Perhaps some time out is all that you need.
But when all else fails, then that is your cue to slow down and quit.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai.
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