When we are in the process of trying to reach a goal, it is not always obvious if we have reached a point where we should quit or if we have just reached a temporary roadblock. It may also not be obvious if we are succeeding at what we have set out to do, especially if we are not seeing a lot of results yet. Here are some indicators to look for.

When Should You Quit?
Although there is a saying that says “Never quit,” there are times when it makes sense to quit due to reasons such as financial issues, changes in the market, time constraints, or other priorities.

Sometimes, you need to step back and evaluate your processes to see if you could be doing something better or more efficiently. For example, if you are trying to make sales and having little success, you might ask yourself if you are selling the right product to the right audience or if you need to develop a better sales system.

It may also be that you are working on the wrong problem or too small of a problem. Working on bigger problems produces bigger results.

Coaching Focus
“I was working with a restaurant client to expand their business into two locations. During one of our meetings, I suggested they expand to three, instead of two.

They could not imagine having three restaurants; their reality would not stretch that far. I certainly could see them expanding to three restaurants in the next five years, but they could not. For them, that idea did not have a strong enough thread of reality.

Your mind will not let you commit to something bigger than what you can achieve. I have seen this happen with numerous people when I try to stretch them beyond their comfort zone. Most people will edit it down to something they can get their mind around.”

How do You Know When You Are Succeeding?
Success is accomplishing the intention you had set for yourself. There are indicators that you are making progress on your road to success. 

One of the ways to know that you are succeeding is that you have created an abundance of opportunities, more than you can handle. You are in the position to choose the best ones for you. You choose better clients, employees, and customers.

Another indicator that you are succeeding is an inspiration. Inspiration arises when you believe you can accomplish your intention and you can clearly imagine the success happening for you. This helps to motivate you to take inspired actions.

During a project, there comes a point where you have seen enough evidence of success that you can see that it will unfold. This is what I call the rollover point in the project. When you pass that point, success is pretty much a given.

A coach can help you to assess when it is a good time to quit and when you are succeeding.