I Quit! The Life-Affirming Joy of Giving Up

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Pub Date 26 Apr 2021 | Archive Date 31 Oct 2021

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Description

Quitting carries a lot of stigma and shame in society, with connotations of “failure” or “not being able to stick it out” prevailing. Sayings such as “Quitters never win” have tricked us into believing that maintaining the status quo is always the “right” thing to do…or is the less risky choice. In fact, in life it’s a risk if you do AND it’s a risk if you don’t. Quitting is a choice…but so is not quitting.

This book is a collection of stories of everyday, real people and how they summoned the courage to quit things in their lives. Stories include quitting: jobs and careers, people and relationships, habits, aspirations, and identities. Every story shows an individual battling but ultimately triumphing over expectations – their own and others’ – to quit what was no longer serving them and make greater progress toward what they want in life.

Topics that come up in the book include:

- Perfectionism

- Failure

- Cultural and family expectations

- Personal values

- Self-knowledge and awareness

- Courage

- Regrets (or lack thereof)

- Preferred “ways” to quit

This book will make you entirely rethink how you view quitting – and quitters. It will encourage you to reexamine your own quitting experiences through a new paradigm. It may even inspire you to make that next big, positive change for yourself.

Quitting carries a lot of stigma and shame in society, with connotations of “failure” or “not being able to stick it out” prevailing. Sayings such as “Quitters never win” have tricked us into...


Advance Praise

“One of the biggest differences between good and great is knowing when and how to quit...this book is filled with memorable stories and meaningful insights to guide you toward thinking more deeply about the question.” — Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and host of the TED podcast WorkLife


“Behal writes with wit and compassion about the sheer joy and wisdom of quitting. But here I also found a whip-smart chronicle of our life and times - our Silicon Valley highs and our racial justice lows, our understanding of gender and love and our misunderstandings of identity and belonging. I thought I was entering a book about (happy) quitters and I emerged with a deeper appreciation for life itself. Read this and you will laugh, cry, quit, thrive.” — Sonora Jha, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism at Seattle University and author of Foreign and How to Raise a Feminist Son: Motherhood, Masculinity, and the Making of My Family.


“In this refreshing reversal of the pseudo-inspiring, 'never-give-up!' literary genre, Behal turns the idea of giving up on its head. A must-read for real people in life transitions as well as those who are looking to be inspired by stories of real life hero-quitters.” — Julia Wuench, Founder of The Authenticity Guide, Business Insider's Most Innovative Coach of 2020


“We are constantly hearing praise for completion. Accomplishments that were checked off, aspirations that were achieved. While these are certainly worth celebrating, the things we didn’t do don’t see enough of the spotlight. Saying no, changing course and leaving behind endeavors, goals and relationships that don’t serve us are often the unsung heroes of success. That’s why I love Coonoor Behal’s appreciation for intentional endings in her book, I Quit! Through real stories and poignant insights, Behal gives quitting a new, well-deserved claim to fame.” — Rebekah Bastian, CEO & co-founder of OwnTrail & author of Blaze Your Own Trail


“Given reinvention has become the norm, this timely book serves as inspiration to those who want to proactively reinvent themselves. Through a collection of diverse stories, Coonoor Behal shakes up the negative connotation around ‘quitting’ while empowering the reader to embrace failure as part of the personal growth process.” — Saleema Vellani, CEO of Ripple Impact & Author of Innovation Starts With I


“One of the biggest differences between good and great is knowing when and how to quit...this book is filled with memorable stories and meaningful insights to guide you toward thinking more deeply...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781636769486
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Average rating from 7 members


Featured Reviews

I eagerly tore through this the moment I was granted access. I've definitely struggled to quit things and that had been responsible for success and great struggle.

I immediately liked that there are stories of people who quit different things. You are encouraged to pick and choose I think the author missed a trick by not including an 'I quit Islam' given all the issues these days with radical Islam.

I also was disappointed that no guidance on quitting was given. Yes, people quit things due to individual reasons. But without a doubt there are common themes which at least could have been pulled out.

However, having said this the books greatest contribution is reading stories that validate your own choices to quit. This alone makes it a worthwhile read

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I Quit! is a collection of stories about people who have quit anything from their jobs to aspirations to people in their life. In a society that promotes the opposite, this book looks at the positives of quitting – and how making these difficult decisions lead to better outcomes in the long run.

When I came across this book on NetGalley, I was immediately intrigued. Quitting is something that’s often considered a bad choice, which makes that decision so much harder even when it’s logical to do so. Having recently made my own big quit, I was curious to hear the quitting stories of others and how those choices impacted them.

This book is certainly motivating for anyone who’s in the midst of a difficult decision. The stories are well-structured, each including a questionnaire about reflections on their decisions and what their lives would be like had they refused to quit. The author also includes her own reflections and commentary on each story, and while these were weaved in in ways sometimes that made it difficult to differentiate the speaker, I did like her insights.

If you’re looking for an inspiring read, I Quit! provides a lot of true motivating stories that readers can certainly relate to.

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