'On the face of it, Mastering the Art of Quitting sets forth what seems a contrarian proposition: that knowing how and when to quit isn't just a vital skill for living the most satisfying life
but one that actually needs to be consciously learned and cultivated and is a necessary balance to our propensity to hang in and hang on, no matter what. Based in the most recent science, this
book offers relief and a plan for all those people stuck in the discouraging loop of personal or professional dissatisfaction who can't summon up the skill or the mindset to figure out how to
fix it. It tackles all the habits of mind--our tendencies to overanalyze, ruminate, get caught up in 'what ifs,' and generally put a too-positive spin on things--which we believe show we're
'thinking things through' when all we're doing is setting up roadblocks to moving on. Mastering the Art of Quitting gives us permission to stop what we're doing so that we can start over. In a
culture which sees quitting as a last resort, Mastering the Art of Quitting explains why being able to quit is an essential element in every success story and, equally, how not being able to
quit explains why some people find themselves thwarted, stuck, or in hot pursuit of the unattainable. Our belief in the overriding value of persistence doesn't make us stronger; it simply
decreases our emotional and mental flexibility when we're faced with challenges. Mastering the Art of Quitting helps us look at our unconscious preferences for the status quo and aversion to
loss and gives us the tools to replace them with conscious ways of thinking that are more in sync with our own needs and wants. It explains why quitting done right can be an act of
self-assertion, a source of potential empowerment, and a doorway to new possibilities'--
