Last spring, I enrolled in a meditation teacher training program.

Last spring, I enrolled in a meditation teacher training program.

It’s 2 1/2 years long.

Material is taught through pre-recorded online classes.

My intent was not to become a meditation teacher.

I joined to access a structured program to deepen my meditation practice.

But within the first few sessions, something felt off.

The pre-recorded video lessons were boring.

It felt like homework.

I fell behind.

I thought, was this a mistake?

Should I quit?

I struggled with the idea of quitting.

Society tells us that perseverance means success.

Quitting means failure, cowardice, and laziness.

I wondered, was it just the wrong time for me?

I’m busy.

I’m running a startup.

I have my family.

Yet there are full-time working parents getting MBAs.

I wondered, was it the recorded format of the course?

Yet during the pandemic, students got through virtual learning.

I kept telling myself, “I’m not a quitter.”

After more waffling, I asked myself 4 key questions:

1. Why did I pursue this in the first place?

2. Why do I feel the need to quit?

3. Have I done everything I can to make this work for me?

4. What do I have to gain by quitting?

The goal was to get structure, not become a meditation teacher.

But I found the effort to get structure wasn’t worth the reward.

I had given the program 3 months.

A fair trial.

But I felt I could utilize the time and money to pursue other more energizing interests.

So I quit.

There’s a quote, “When you think about quitting, remember why you started.”

The quote reminds us to consider our end goal when things get tough.

To persevere.

But to me, the quote also means something else.

When you think about why you started and find priorities changed, give yourself permission to quit.

Quitting isn’t always failing.

It can be choosing to focus on something else.

You’ve got to know when to hold them.

And when to fold them.