I always thought that starting was the hardest.
Whether it's chasing your dreams or losing weight, many people never even begin.
But as I started optimizing my life, I realized that sustaining (continual action) is where the work begins.
Many people start working out, but how many continue for a year straight? I'm guessing less than 50%.
But now, as I've done this email for nearly two years, I realize something else might be harder: Ending it.
Knowing when to start is challenging, but knowing when to quit and pivot is even more difficult. And more crucial.
To make this tangible, let's use relationships:
- Falling in love is effortless.
- Staying in love is a constant challenge.
- But knowing if/when to leave is the ultimate quandary.
Too many people have kept relationships alive that they should have killed years ago. The challenge with love is not in starting but in knowing when to hang up the shoes and find a better love.
The same is true for most professional athletes. Think about Tom Brady. He's done enough to go down as the best ever. But he came back for another season.
How does one know when to end it? And when to continue pushing forward?
Sadly, this question has been on my mind for the last few months.
And I believe I've found my answer. But before sharing that, let me share my thought process using a notional example of running as one ages.
When thinking about when to quit running and start a new exercise routine, I always start with the Job I am trying to get Done by doing it. So for running, it would be to stay healthy and reach 100.
So then, with that in mind, I would run a cost v. benefit analysis for running to help me get that job done. While this usually is subjective, it can be objective too. For example, I could use key health metrics to see if running is still providing increases for my health.
I then brainstorm other ways to achieve the Job I want to get Done (i.e., stay healthy) and run a cost v. benefit analysis to see if running is the best option.
Essentially, I quit something when it no longer helps me get my Job Done or if my Job changes.
All that to say, I'm done writing this daily email—I'm hanging my shoes up.
It served my Job to be Done well (i.e., leveled up my writing and gained insights for audience building). But now, my Job to be Done with content has changed. Changed to what? I'm still figuring that out.
But I know I'm doing an injustice to you and me by continuing when it's time to end the show.
I wish the show lasted longer. But trust me, there's a new show starting soon.
And I hope to see you in attendance.
Until then, I'll continue sending you a daily email until I have gone through my writing repository. Then, I will send the final email to this list of 34 beautiful people.
It's been a fun ride. Thank you for being here.
🧠 + ❤️ // JO
P.S. Do you have any thoughts on finishing things? Am I wrong here?