The Dip: Why Quitting Is Good For You

The Dip

Business Week once called Seth Godin “the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age.” His e-book, Unleashing the Idea Virus is the most downloaded e-book of all time.

Seth Godin is undoubtedly the best in the world at what he does.

But if I have no interest in marketing or entrepreneurship, why should I care?

Because he’s the best in the world at what he does, and he’s written a book called the Dip, about being the best in the world at whatever you do.

In a Nutshell

His rules are simple.

The Dip — that wall of challenges where most people quit or decided on mediocrity instead — creates scarcity (Only the best push past the Dip. If everyone could easily pass the Dip, there would be no scarcity, and therefore, no best in the world)

Know when to quit (do you have enough resources – time, passion, talent, persistance – to become the best in the world in a given area? If not, stop wasting your time and quit now)

Know when to stick (if being the CEO of a Fortune 500 – the 30 years of grunt work, evening MBA classes and ass kiss—er, networking is worth it to you, then never quit. And look for ways to innovate and make your chosen dip shorter and more fun)

Do all this, and you can become the best in the world (whatever your world is defined as).

Very simple, and you might even say: “Yeah, that’s pretty obvious Mike.” So if you know it, then why are you not the best in the world at what you do?

Read the book. Or at the very least read Seth’s blog.

Some Dips that I’ve (thankfully) quit

Writing: I’ve talked about this one before. In reality, a much more solitary and lonely pursuit than is deemed worth it – by me, of course. The age of the magazine might be over soon — It’s a bloggers world out there now.

Youth Development: After seven months of living with and teaching our great country’s budding, future leaders, I’ve concluded… we’re all doomed. Just kidding. But it has been eye opening in that what I once thought could be my calling, is decidedly not. What does that mean for my hopes of attaining my “dream job?”  It means teaching in Korea (for money only) is looking better by the minute. And I need to find a new Dip.

More than any time in my life, I’m clearer on what my dip isn’t. Hint: it doesn’t involve a cubicle.

Seth Godin’s book has helped me to think about what my dip might be. I’ve got some deciding to do. More on that at a later date.

So. What’s your dip?

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