Grit is a powerful attribute to have. If you can fight through adversity, that can be amazing. Many times, though, learning to simply quit can be a better option, as it’ll free up your time to tackle something else rather than being mired in a losing effort. As Annie Duke says in her popular book “Quit“:
“Contrary to popular belief, winners quit a lot. That’s how they win.”
Annie is well-known as a professional poker player, and the ability to quit is huge in that game. Statistically, she says it works like this:
“And pros are just better at that choice, playing a mere 15% to 25% of the two-card starting combinations they are dealt in Texas Hold’em. Compare that to an amateur, who will stick with their starting cards over half the time.”
Of course, knowledge is key to making that happen. I’ve played Hold’em a few times in my life, but not much. Knowing that I need to fold more often is great, but I don’t have the skill to know when that should be. The more knowledgeable you are in an area, the better you’ll be able to make decisions on when to quit.
If you’ve not read it yet, Annie’s book is awesome and I encourage you to check it out.
