Sometimes we are feeling like we have enough of some activity. But some part of us doesn’t wanna let it go.
We stay in the same place until we are exhausted as hell (or even until we die). Sounds familiar?
The question is: how can we change this behavior?
People have difficulties changing places/things/or whatever. I don’t recommend changing everything you can. Of course, you should stick to some of your habits, friendships, relationship but that is a different story.
Sometimes you just need to give up a bad habit, get rid of toxic people around and cut something else from your life. But in this article, I’m going to focus on times when you don’t get as much value for sitting in the same place, doing the same things and it is time to move on. There are greater things to do.
Do We Actually Stay For Too Long Anytime?
I bet anyone can confirm that.
Take for example something like a party. You go to the club and after 2 hours you feel bored as hell. And what you do? You stay because otherwise, it would feel like you wasted time coming there. But sometimes it is necessary to make that mistake. We do not always know what proper action is. And we need to find out about it along the way. But still, you are able to correct that mistake.
What about playing video games? Maybe you were caught playing too much? After 1 hour of playing video games or watching youtube videos, you got a brain fog. And you could also feel guilty about it you are not productive and not pushing your life forward.
Also working too much. You might lose some focus and become unproductive. Sometimes you should take a break or switch between tasks, do some research.
Why Do We Stay Too Long?
Because we lose control. Sometimes we don’t have the energy to change our state. There are a lot of reasons.
- Sometimes we know we should change direction but we lack power.
- We forgot about our priorities. We fall into a trap of instant gratification. Sometimes we are afraid of the unknown and stay with the monster we know.
- There are also times when we think we might make someone sad that we are leaving too soon.
- We want to stick to some behavior because quitting might feel like we lost the game at some point.
My Example
I was learning Mechanical Engineering for 3 years during the Bachelor of Engineering course. Even though I knew it was not my thing, I do not regret I stayed there because I learned a lot of important lessons along the way.
But at one moment I knew that was it. I needed to change my major for the master course so that I could feel that I was developing.
So I change it to Management and Production Engineering. It turned out to be the best decision of my life. I went to classes regularly with passion. And I was one of the best students there.
Takeaways:
- Sometimes it is crucial to leave the boat before it sinks.
- You might perform better in the different area so you do not need to stay in the same place if you don’t shine there.
How to Evaluate is it Worth it?
First, you need to know how much your hour is worth to you. Probably more than you think. The math here is going to be tough. When we choose what to do we look at alternatives.
Look at your ROI. If you haven’t finished your main and second priorities for the day then it’s time to come back to your duties.
However, if you completed them, then there’s maybe another activity that may give you more benefits. Just don’t be obsessed over productivity, you still need some time to relax. But don’t overdo it either.
Also, your intuition should guide you. When you are doing wrong you can feel it.
Solution
Take a step back and decide. Just keep in mind that you do not have to finish that book, finish that movie, stay 4 more hours in a stupid meeting.
Take a try to change this activity into the great adventure full of value. And if you fail, simply quit and get feedback.
Remember that not everything is the way we thought about it. So, in reality, some project/business idea/meeting might turn into a waste of time.
But remember, you need to do everything in your power to prevent this from happening. Work hard, make corrections, or make a joke in the meeting, try to listen to other people. And more often than not you will find it meaningful.
Sometimes it’s time to say: “that’s enough!”. When you feel like it’s time to go, do it. Don’t overthink. When you tried to do everything you could to make that activity better and it’s still not enough, go and leave.
There are no golden rules to behave in this kind of situation so just keep in mind this idea and you will make most of your time.
Nice!