> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.jaimecalaf.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Quit Until It Fits
- URL: https://www.jaimecalaf.com/quit-until-it-fits/
- Published: 2026-10-06T11:30:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-06T11:30:50.000Z
- Description: Never quit is bad advice. The skill is knowing what to quit and when, and giving yourself enough at-bats to find what fits.
- Author: Jaime Calaf
- Tags: Fatherhood, decision-making, reading, range, quitting

In *Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World*, David Epstein writes about West Point graduates who leave the Army as soon as their five years of required service are up, and about the cadets who quit in their first few weeks, during what's called Beast Barracks.

Two lessons stuck with me. First: when you're young and inexperienced, it makes sense to take high-risk jobs, because they teach you fastest whether a path fits you. Second: *never quit* is stupid advice. Quitting is how you find the best match. Van Gogh is the case in point. He was an art dealer, a teacher, a bookstore clerk, and a failed preacher before he turned to art, and he became one of the most influential artists in history.

He has a point. Quitting shit all the time isn't a bad idea. The trick is knowing what to quit and when, and that's harder to figure out about yourself. You start out knowing you're testing whether a project or a life course is right for you. The outcome, like most of life, is undefined. Sometimes you shoot for the stars, land on the Moon, and find out the Moon isn't so bad. Other times you quit, or never try, and it becomes a lifelong regret.

Sometimes it's luck: the right place, the right time, the right decision. Sometimes you stumble into the right room, or you turn out to be a late bloomer.

Knowing what to pursue and when is an art, and a test of bravery. You often start something out of principle or social pressure. The hard part is knowing when that no longer applies, when to quit and pivot to chase your dreams.

So give yourself as many at-bats as possible. How you take them depends on your personality. Maybe you're like Van Gogh, moving from one pursuit to the next and throwing yourself into wherever life takes you, whatever your family, your circumstances, or society think. Not everyone is built that way.

Sometimes it comes down to trusting your gut and getting the timing right.

As a father, I try to teach my kids more than the basics of applying themselves to the task at hand. I encourage them to explore as many subjects and activities as they can and find out what calls to them. As they grow and their interests change, they'll discover what truly resonates—maybe one thing, maybe a dozen. That'll be up to them.

It's what I tell my son every day before I drop him off at school: *Do your best and…*

He looks at me, smiles, rolls his eyes, and says, "It's embarrassing." But he never leaves me hanging.

“And forget the rest, Dad."

Thanks, Tony Horton.