I spent my whole morning doing a deep clean of my kitchen while my children begged me to play with them. That was 4 hours of my life wasted that I would never get back. It was totally not worth it for the sake of a 1.5 kg beef bone marrow.
Here’s the story:
To make my first batch of beef broth, I bought a bone marrow online without seeing it because it was slightly cheaper than beef bones (mistake #1). When I got it, I realized the 1.5 kg bone was way too big to fit into my slow cooker.
I then proceeded to saw at it with a regular knife (mistake #2). When this didn’t work, I started hacking into it (mistake #3). Unfortunately, I could see that I was making progress. I was managing to chip into the middle of the bone bit by bit. Bone chips, a bit of blood (not mine) and meat pieces were flying all over the place.
Half way through the bone, I realized that I was making too much of a mess and it was way too much work. But typical of someone with a one-track mind, I felt a desperate need to finish what I had started (mistake #4).
In the end, I did manage to hack through the bone. However, I made the biggest mess ever, and totally destroyed my knife.
All of this would have been avoided if I had stop to think at multiple points from the start of the journey to the end. I could have stopped so many times before it was too late but I didn’t.
This is the most recent example of me not knowing when to give up. There are countless other situations where I would have been better off for giving up earlier.
Sometimes giving up is a good thing
Giving up on something can be a difficult thing to do, but sometimes it is the best decision you can make. When you are stuck in a situation that is not going anywhere, it is time to give up and move on.
It can be hard to walk away from something that you have put so much time and effort into, but sometimes it is the only way to find happiness.
We are inundated with messages to never give up. Some other very damaging messages include:
- where there is a will, there is a way
- only the weak give up
- try, try and try again
But only crazy people do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.
Sometimes, knowing when to call it quits is just as important as forging on.
When should you consider giving up?
In today’s society, it is often viewed as a negative thing to give up. Whether it is giving up on a goal, a relationship, or an idea, people are often told that they need to keep trying no matter what. However, there are times when giving up is actually the best thing that someone can do. For example, giving up junk food is never bad. In some cases, it can be the only way to move on.
These are some reasons you should consider giving up:
- When something is not working anymore
- When it doesn’t make you happy anymore
- When you can think of a better use of your time and energy that might be more beneficial for the future
- When you’ve given it many good tries and still fail
- When you know your focus should be on something else.
Benefits of giving up
Giving up on something is not always a bad thing. In fact, it can be the best decision you ever make. Here are five reasons why giving up might be the best thing you can do:
1. You’ll save yourself time and energy.
2. You’ll avoid disappointment.
3. You’ll be less stressed.
4. You’ll have more time for other things.
5. You’ll be happier.
When not to give up
To be clear, I am not advocating for giving up the moment there is any sign of adversity. You are not a wuss. If you haven’t given it a good go and know that you have tried your best and still couldn’t make it work, you shouldn’t give up yet.
This is especially so when what you’re working on is important to you, like your career, or your marriage.
Giving up is not failing
Giving up is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it can be the best thing you ever do. When you give up, you are admitting that something is too difficult or that you are not capable of doing it. You are also admitting that you need help. This can be a very hard thing to do, but it can also be very freeing.
When you give up, you are releasing yourself from the burden of trying to do something that is impossible.
Giving up can mean a lot of things but it doesn’t mean you have failed.
To wrap up
Giving up on something you have been working hard on can be difficult to do, but sometimes it is the best thing for you. When you feel like you have given everything you have and it is not enough, it is time to give up.
You need to focus on yourself and what makes you happy. This does not mean that you have failed, it means that you are human and sometimes things do not go the way we plan.
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