I was listening to the 48 Days to the Work You Love Podcast yesterday and heard a brief interview with one of my favorite authors, Seth Godin (if you don't know who he is just google "Seth"). Seth was talking about his new book "the dip." It sounded interesting so I dropped by my local Borders bookstore and read it cover to cover (its only 80 pages). It was so good that I purchased every copy they had in the store.
Its the only book I've ever seen on the subject of quitting...its about knowing when to quit and when to stick. Seth talks about what he calls "the dip." The dip is that period of time that is really difficult in any endeavor. The dip in writing used to be getting a book published. Now thanks to the internet and self-publishing anyone with a few bucks can publish a book. The dip is now getting people to actually read the book. The dip in snowboarding is those first three days of learning. You know, the days that you spend face down in the snow after catching an edge. Once your through the snowboarding dip it becomes lots of fun, but most people never get there.
There are other dips that are actually cul-de-sacs. Cul-de-sac is french for dead-end. The sooner you realize that your in a dead-end the sooner you can quit and find something you can be the best in the world at. For more from this priceless little volume check out the dip blog.
