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Don’t Be Afraid to Cut Your Losses
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Tip
Too often, we hold on to things even after they’ve run their course. Think about that relationship you couldn’t give up on or the job you stayed in despite a boss who made you miserable. These five strategies can help you figure out when it’s time to throw in the towel.
- Reframe your thinking. Instead of focusing on what you’ll lose, think about what you gain if you stop putting time and energy into the lost cause.
- Identify what's in your control. Getting clear on what you have agency over and what you don’t will help you make a quality decision about whether to call it quits or persevere.
- Expand your identity. Avoid the trap of insisting that you’re “not a quitter.” Sometimes putting an end to something is a sign of wisdom and strategic thinking.
- Seek other perspectives. Rather than relying solely on your own thinking and instincts, consult with friends, colleagues, and mentors to get a different point of view.
- Have self-compassion. When something promising doesn’t turn out the way we imagined, we can be overly self-critical. Instead of ruminating over what went wrong, focus on what you can learn from this situation, and do better next time.
Translations
🇨🇳 不要害怕减少你的损失
很多时候，即使事情已经结束了，我们也会紧紧抓住不放。想想那些你无法放弃的关系，或者即使你的老板让你痛苦，你仍然坚持的工作。以下五个策略可以帮助你明白什么时候该认输了。
- 重新构思你的想法。 不要只关注你会失去什么，想想如果你停止把时间和精力投入到失败的事业中，你会得到什么。
- 确定你能控制什么。弄清楚什么是你可以完成的，什么是你不能完成的，这将帮助你做出一个有质量的决定，是放弃还是坚持。
- 扩大你的身份。不要坚持说你“不是一个轻易放弃的人”。有时候，结束某事是智慧和战略思考的标志。
- 寻求其他视角。不要仅仅依靠自己的想法和直觉，向朋友、同事和导师咨询，以获得不同的观点。
- 自我同情。当有希望的事情没有如我们想象的那样发生时，我们可能会过度自我批评。与其反复思考哪里出了问题，不如专注于你能从现在的情况中学到什么，并在下次做得更好。
