“I don’t want to do this anymore!” “This is too hard!” “I’m bored! I want to quit!”

These are common statements you might have said last week, a few days ago, or just a few hours ago when you were on the brink of giving up on school homework or an after-school activity/project.

When you tend to quit all the time on your activities or in any endeavor you have started doing (be it something difficult or something boring), you may bring this trait as you grow up to be an adult. Is this the type of person you want to become?

Why not aim to become a ‘Starter Finisher’ instead – someone who regularly and deliberately finishes what he/she has started. Aiming to become a Starter Finisher ensures that you grow up with a habit of following through and become a dependable individual.

So why do you need to instill the value of finishing what you have started? Here are four good and important reasons why:

• It is a sign of good character.

When you say that you will finish what you have started and actually do it, you become a dependable, reliable, and trustworthy person. You are seen as a responsible individual and someone who can stick to his/her goals and achieve them.

• It instills the value of ownership and accountability.

When you become accustomed to finishing what you started, you learn to own your work and become accountable for it. Becoming accountable for your actions allows you to develop a sense of responsibility for everything that happens in the process and makes you less likely to blame others for your hardships.

• You experience the feeling of success.

Quitters never win, and winners never quit. If you follow through on a project or activity and put in effort into finishing it, you feel fulfillment for achieving something –  be it big or small. You also experience how essential it is to achieve success through hard work, perseverance, and diligence.

• You learn how to commit.

By learning how to finish a task, activity, or any project, you also learn the value of commitment. When you learn how to commit, you also learn to keep promises and obligations.

Quitting is not entirely a negative action considering certain situations and circumstances. However, if you make quitting a habit or a way to escape difficulty with schoolwork or even other extra-curricular activities, it doesn’t do you any good. Assess the situation first and ask yourself why you need to do it before deciding to drop everything and quit. You can ask for help from your parents too in coming up with solutions and plans. This shows you that quitting is not the first and only option when you something too difficult or boring.