Many people sign up for something, because they want to experience or try something new, and they think “Ah, this is boring,” and they just quit. These people are making a big mistake. Most people simply think one thought, like “this is boring” or “I don’t like this person or thing,” and they make a decision based on that one thought. In the end, however, some people think “I shouldn’t have done that,” or “That was a bad decision,” and they want to go back, except most of the time they can’t. Therefore, it is important to rethink your options before quitting to avoid regret.

Connor Cheung, a 7th Grade student at McCullough, says “It’s important not to quit, because if you quit, you will not accomplish what you wanted to accomplish in the end.” In fact, over 70% of kids quit sports before the age of 13! The reasons for quitting can be uncontrollable, like moving, but many kids think that they just aren’t good enough, that they’re not having fun, or that they just don’t want to continue. Connor actually has a story of when he quit and regretted his decision. “I used to do Tae Kwon Do for a couple years, but then I quit Tae Kwon Do because it was kind of boring. I kind of regret it now because I know that I’m not gonna improve anymore,” Connor said. Unfortunately, the same case happens with many kids everywhere. As Connor mentioned, improving is a big part of it. If you quit something, you will not get any better. It is especially important for something like swimming or martial arts classes, like Tae Kwon Do, which are important life skills for maneuverability in water and self defense.

There are many factors to weigh into when deciding whether or not to quit. One factor to include is regret. Will you regret it after quitting? How would your team or group feel about your decision? If you think that you will regret your decision or that other people will be upset about your decision, don’t quit. You can still improve and continue to enjoy what you’re doing. Another important reason not to quit is, as mentioned before, you can still improve your skill. If you quit, you won’t get any better, and you may feel sad, or you may just miss out on an important skill. As Connor said, he quit Tae Kwon Do and then regretted it because he knew that wasn’t able to improve anymore. If you are considering quitting, think about how you would be able to continue to learn and improve if you continued. Lastly, you can try to convince yourself to continue. “You have to have a positive mindset. If you walk into somewhere thinking that it’s gonna be stupid without actually trying it, then you probably won’t enjoy it as much,” Connor said. For example, if you walk onto the football field at the beginning of practice, and think, oh no, another boring practice, you will feel more discouraged to continue. That’s why you must walk in thinking, this is going to be a fun, exciting practice. If you change your mindset and think positively, it may change your opinion about quitting.

Quitting is a thing that everyone goes through, but it’s important to consider a few things before you quit. If you think of a few simple things before you make your final decision, you just may change your mind about dropping out.