Sure, sometimes it’s important to stick with something even though the pay off is still some ways off. We call that delayed gratification or commitment. But did you ever stick with something that’s going south because you already invested so much? A lemon of a car? A bad date? How do you know when you’re bailing and how do you know when you’re showing dedication or loyalty? There’s a bit of an art to letting go. As with most things it takes some practice before you get better.
One thing to keep in mind is to do an assessment of your values and goals. Goals without your values can become meaningless. And goals without a plan become ideals or fantasy. If you step back once in a while to plan for what you want in life, it’s easier to spot when you have derailed and it is sometimes better to let go to get back on track. Sticking with a bad decision that does not reflect what is meaningful to you won’t get you to your destination. Sometimes perfectionist thinking can keep us set in our ways. One tool to help you stick with your meaningful goals is a daily planner. Many people use daily planners for their work. Think how handy it would be to keep track of those mid to long term goals.
