By now you probably know my story.  Falling into superwoman mode of being a working mum which led to me burning out.  Over my two year recovery from burnout out I learnt some powerful and, sometimes, painful lessons.  One of those lessons was this – knowing the difference between grit and quit.

If you’re here in the Wisdom For Working Mums community the chances are the difference between these two is important for you too.  You’re likely to be conscientious – you take your responsibilities seriously and it’s important for you to do things well.

You likely have a lot on your plate (show me a working mum that doesn’t!) and want to do it all well.  You’re the type of person that if someone wants something doing they come to you.  You’re dependable.  You’re proactive.  You take control.

All of these qualities have probably served you really well in your career.  Your grit and perseverance have likely contributed to your success. But my guess is that, like me, these qualities might be getting in your way of truly thriving as a working mum.

Because grit alone can mean that you can end up working relentlessly towards a goal, that for whatever reason, is no longer serving you.   It’s what contributed to me trying to do it all, even though my body was clearly telling me it was too much.  

So despite motivational quotes such as “winners never quit and quitters never win” I’ve learned that to truly win in life as a working mum building our ability to quit is just as important as building our ability to grit.

Knowing when to draw the line.

Knowing when to say no

Knowing when to walk away

Knowing when to say enough

Knowing when to say this no longer matters

Knowing when to something is no longer serving you

Knowing when to say not now

Because grit alone can get you stuck.  Stuck in unhealthy patterns.  Stuck in pursuing activities and goals that aren’t truly important or no longer serve you. Stuck on the road to burnout.  Learning when to quit can be smart, strategic, courageous and freeing.

To truly thrive as a working mum we have to learn when to grit and when to quit.

If you need help in working through what’s worth your grit and what you need to quit, get in touch to book a laser coaching session.  I’ve got some powerful questions to help you decide.