A few thoughts on the idea of “quitting while you’re behind”.
Growing up, I always had to stick with subjects and activities I hated, because what I was good at was always more important than what I liked. I was taught, once I get good at something, I’ll learn to like it - so I’d better get good.
From this, I invented a rule: I don’t get to dislike something until I’m “above” it, somehow. If you had proven yourself, it was such a power move to decide it wasn’t worth your time. But before I proved myself, it didn’t matter what I wanted. Successful people quit while they’re ahead, and only failures quit while they’re behind.
Ever faithful to my rule, I spent a lot of time trying to prove myself in a lot of things. Some of them I never liked, and some of them I fell out of love with, but each time I chastised myself for noticing and turned my attention, forcibly, back to trying to deliver. I refused to quit; I hadn’t earned the right to.
Of course that wouldn’t last. Every time, life got in the way and put me to an end. I was miserable, which I took to be a direct result of my failure. I refused to consider that maybe I was miserable because I wasn’t about those things to begin with.
I had a change of heart recently. I revisited some of those old experiences and my reaction surprised me: not the “why was I so bad at this” that I usually go down, but “phew, good thing I’m not doing that any more.” Forbidden thoughts!
For the first time in my life, maybe quitting while you’re behind is okay. What I’m good at and what I like might be on truly equal footing. It feels so indulgent to treat myself this way. I haven’t always had the privilege of doing so. It’s new, and it’s kind of uncomfortable, but I gotta admit, it’s pretty nice.