It’s been a while – and for those of you still listening you don’t need to remind me of that – but I felt compelled to summarize a conversation that I had with a friend about a pretty popular topic. What is the difference between failing and quitting?
In a runner’s life it’s pretty common to fail, but quitting is pretty taboo. However, for a new runner the difference can seem nuanced. Rest assured it really isn’t. The differences are myriad.
Failure is simply setting down a path in search of a goal fully committed to following it to it’s end only to find out that it doesn’t lead to where you wanted to be.
Quitting is following a similar course but giving up along the way, before the realization that you are on the wrong path is apparent.
The difference between failure and quitting is in the commitment. Failing is hard, takes a lot of work, yields a lot of experience and insight and while not fun, leaves you a better person. Quitting on the other hand just means that you don’t have what it takes to follow anything through.
Failures are often watershed moments in many people’s lives. A defining moment that they never forget and draw upon to fuel further success. Quitters are generally cast aside, forgotten and left to their own devices. There is only a slight difference between the two. Which are you?
