The old saying is wrong-winners do quit, and quitters do win.
Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point-really hard, and not much fun at all.
And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle. Maybe you’re in a Dip-a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing. But maybe it’s really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.
According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.
Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt-until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can become number one in your niche, you’ll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security.
Losers, on the other hand, fall into two basic traps. Either they fail to stick out the Dip-they get to the moment of truth and then give up-or they never even find the right Dip to conquer.
Whether you’re a graphic designer, a sales rep, an athlete, or an aspiring CEO, this fun little book will help you figure out if you’re in a Dip that’s worthy of your time, effort, and talents. If you are, The Dip will inspire you to hang tough. If not, it will help you find the courage to quit-so you can be number one at something else.
Seth Godin doesn’t claim to have all the answers. But he will teach you how to ask the right questions.
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I wish I had this book 40 years ago. I am passing the book around to spread the word. I think it is helpful to all ages but especially young people.
This book was recommended to me by a guy I know who saw me struggling with my sales career. I do direct sales outside on the street, and the factors against me are huge (rejection, bad weather, crowds, energy levels, police, etc.).
Now, I read this book and I realized it was way too short and too simple to be practical for my needs. In this book, I’m basically being encouraged to think about quitting ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING that I’m not NUMBER ONE at and that I can’t be NUMBER ONE at. That’s fine, but where do I discover whether to quit or stay? This book gave me ZERO examples, but plenty of technical diagrams. And for someone like me, who has no idea who this author even is, I don’t even know what he’s NUMBER ONE at and I have no idea why I should narrow myself into a tiny niche just so I can be #1.
It sounds like it was written by a geek who wanted to think of something original just to make money. So instead of saying what all the other self help books write, that I should stay FOCUSED AND PERSISTENT on my goals, here I’m being told to QUIT on everything but my goals.
I do give some credit to this book, and he’s why. I have read from the self help literature that advocates for a NEVER QUIT attitude, and again and again in my career, I’ve been rejected from HR departments, job interviews, etc. When I took up sales, I was quitting everything I had done in my past career, and I was happy that I did. I definitely was in a cul-de-sac, and now I know I am where I should be. I’ve gone through the anxiety/learning stages, and I think the Dip I’m in now is well-worth it.
People love or hate Seth Godin. People who like him find him inspirational and/or great at giving you a different perspective on things. People who dislike him find him short on specifics. Seth Godin is not a “how-to” author, he’s not trying to 12 step you to your goals. He’s trying to give you a different perspective, something new to think about.
I found The Dip to be very helpful when I was at a crossroads on some career and financial decisions. The Dip did not show me what to do. It just gave me the very helpful bigger picture perspective that if you feel you are at a cul-de-sac well, you probably are, but it’s hard to see when you’re there. Several people have pointed out that Godin’s advice is obvious, and yes it is, but the way he distills the information was helpful and timely for me.
In summary, if you are at a crossroads and are looking for a different perspective, or maybe just the equivalent of conversational relief, pick up The Dip. It’s a gem of a little book. It won’t change your world but it will help you rethink it, and that will lead to the change you need.
They say that quitters never win. Well, that’s true, a lot of the time. But often there is profound wisdom in knowing WHEN to abandon an endeavor and move on to something else, versus staying the course. This book gives you the tools you need to evaluate situations and circumstances where quitting may be the best thing to do. Move through the “dip” or quit? The choice is up to you!
Many have complained that this book states the obvious, but there are so many obvious things in the world that sometimes you can lose focus and forget what’s obvious because you don’t think about it. For example, if you’ve been toiling away for years and getting accolades and bonuses, you might think that it’s all great, but if you haven’t moved up the corporate ladder, then is that job–or employer–really all it’s cracked up to be? Probably not.
Godin’s book is a nice, thin read about one small yet important subject. He advises that one should be mindful of one’s position in the workplace, distinguishing between actual dead-end jobs (burger flipper, insurance-policy writer) and good jobs where you become accustomed to “phoning it in” (engineering, perhaps), going nowhere in the corporate chain and thus painting yourself into a dead end. Why did someone who does the same thing as you become the go-to guy or girl? Perhaps because they pushed through the “dip” AND knew what assignments to quit or to not accept to begin with.
Worth a look, plus you’ll have a feeling of reading accomplishment after you polish off this off in a night or two.