November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

The Quitting Way

(Page 4 of 4)

September/October 1996
Evan Harris 
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Some quitters do their best work taking to their beds. Marcel Proust is a good example. He took paper and pen with him and wrote Remembrance of Things Past.

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Many quitters experience a kind of exhilaration, known as quitting euphoria, once they've made their move. Unfortunately, this eventually fades, and some have a hard time adjusting to the depression and feelings of worthlessness that inevitably follow. Combating postquit ennui takes some creativity. One neat trick is to tell everyone you know that you've quit. If everyone you know already knows this, tell them again. Another trick is to think about quitting something else. For the sake of clarity, think about quitting something you like and have no intention of quitting. If you're madly in love, think about leaving; if you live in a beautiful house, think about moving; if you're reading a great book, think about putting it down. Thinking about quitting will remind you of how motivating the beginning stages of the quitting process are--and will eventually spur you on to quit again.

Sometimes, though, the best antidote for the postquitting blues is to get to the root of the problem: Quit the pursuit of happiness altogether. This is one of the more head-bound quits, and it can be something of a turnoff for the quitter accustomed to dramatic farewells. Quitting the pursuit of happiness (love, romance, fame, fortune, the glamorous life) essentially means quitting the belief that things will get better. It demands that you live in your allotted time with the hand that you've been dealt. The situation won't necessarily improve and time may not heal all wounds. There are no guarantees. Quitting is its own reward.

Part of cover story, September/October 1996.

Evan Harris is the author of The Quit (Fireside/Simon and Schuster), from which this article is adapted.

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