Whole article attached. Question here:
How do you know when it's time to finally quit? Whether it's gaming, a personal project, perhaps a relationship (WOO GOOD ON YA _refugee_), or otherwise?
When it stops being fun, when it becomes something you put too much effort into whatever it is for the reward, and for me personally when I start to feel too defined by something that means it's time to quit. The latter is a problem where I sometimes become too consumed by one sport, hobby, or other and eventually feel it has become too much of my being. It's time to quit when the absence of what you're quitting is preferred to the continued presence of it.
Funny, I have the opposite problem. I feel like I'm not consumed enough by anything. It's not that it stops being fun, I just, find something else interesting (Squirrel!). I feel like I need to pick one hobby and actually master it.I sometimes become too consumed
Knowing when to quit anything is like questioning when to end a relationship. If you are even THINKING about the idea of quitting, it means you probably should. I've quit video games, I've quit pot, I've quit Reddit, I've quit social media, and many other things. When there is no value, and I start wasting time on something, the moment I ask myself; "Why am I wasting my time on this?" is generally the clear sign from the universe that it's actually time to quit whatever that thing is. Every time I've listened to that, and quit that thing, it's worked out great for me. If you aren't getting and reward or pleasure from it any more, it's definitely time to quit no matter what the excuses or justifications your brain will try to throw up in defense.
I think you have to ask what you value in the activity, and decide whether or not that value is being met. If it isn't, can you do something to change the way you interact with the activity, or the way the activity interacts with you? In relationships, if you value emotional connections, you'd be displeased by not having your emotional needs met. That doesn't mean you should give up right way, because if you really value what you're doing, you'll try to see if things could improve based on whatever relevant factors there are--maybe you have a conversation with your significant other, or you try to put more effort towards being romantic. That's the example most relevant to my life right now, but if you aren't enjoying something, ask yourself the question, "Could this be better?" If the answer is no, then it's time to think about moving on.
This something I've been considering lately too in terms of my music. My instinctual answer is 'never.' As a kid, my parents lamented the fact that I seemed to quit everything. One example that sticks in my mind is that I was good at football (soccer), and often went to the local academy to play/train, but I quit that for reasons unbeknown to me now. My parents finally put their foot down when I tried to quit Drums after 3/4 years, and essentially said that I was not allowed to. In hindsight that is exactly what I needed as it has now evolved into something that encompassed my entire life. However, I am left wondering about the implications of those days on my values now. Music is the only thing that I have a foothold in and that I'm am actually somewhat good at. It is the only thing that, in terms of my direction in life, I have never quit. As a result, I feel quite a lot of pressure to succeed. My parents have supported me endlessly, I am in a masters in composition at a good university, and everything around me suggests I have some potential. Yet, I am often in a limbo where I feel like quitting but at the same time the values my parents have instilled fight back. Honestly, I'm don't think I'll ever quit. The other day kleinbl00 wrote: "Luck is being in the right place in the right time. Skill is dwelling in the right place as long as possible." That really struck a chord with me. I don't think I'll ever feel as if i've spent enough time dwelling in the 'right place' to be able to affirmatively call it quits without a experiencing a sense that the puzzle was not yet complete. Now in terms of games, I agree with the sentiment of your blog post entirely. I usually play a game on it's hardest setting, but as soon as I stop enjoying myself, or I feel removed from the game because of its difficulty/inanity, I have no hesitation in setting it to a lesser difficulty or looking up a walk-through. Unless they've got the mechanics just right like, say, 'Super Meat Boy', which is frustratingly difficult yet endlessly playable, I have no interested in angering myself simply for the honour of saying I completed it on 'hard'.
One day we're going to stream an entire playthrough of Shadow of the Colossus together. You'll have the controller and I'm gonna berate you from the sidelines. People will donate and take bets as to whether we'll finish the game before going at each other's throats. Proceeds can go to Child's Play.
Ugh. I don't know how many times I've encountered that. Touch mage in Oblivion? Seriously now. I'm an Explorer-sub-Achiever. So for me, it's about accomplishing everything. I'll grind against a hard boss or an ridiculous minigame, not for the fun of it, but for the completion. To see that useless trinket or extra cutscene. The completion is the fun. It means I'm less hesitant to put it on Easy. But it also means the trinket often isn't awarded on Easy. As for quitting…usually when I decide something is impossible. When Achieving in games it's pretty rare, though there is a breaking point where I'll look up how do to something. Which is a kind of quitting; deciding it's impossible for how smart I am. Heh. In meatspace, it's things like being turned down in an interview. At that point, it's impossible. Applying to the same company again or whining for another chance isn't going to accomplish anything. So…I move on. While we're ranting: Megaman in Smash? Come on! His Event, Yellow Devils? I don't know how anyone can use Megaman. He's worse than Olimar was in the Wii. But I got the reward. A few days ago. Without looking it up. Got the Ray Gun Arm Cannon. Which I will never use. -_-do not give your final boss the ability to regenerate more health than you have time to counter against