Can Quitting Make You a Better Man?

Can Quitting Make You a Better Man?


EXPOSE  |  Love is Blind

“Doctors and scientists recommend that folks consume no more than about 300-400 mg of caffeine a day. I didn’t know it, but I was averaging over a 1,000 mg a day.” – Brett McKay

EXPLORE  |  Sometimes You’ve Gotta Quit to Win

And in this case, true love could land you in the hospital.    If you’re seeing some changes in your behavior that are giving you concern, and you’re a caffeine fiend, it may be time to… stop coffee.  Wow.  It took me 20 minutes to type those last two words.  Stop coffee?!

Even though there has been great effort and costs (thanks Starbucks) associated with my developing into the capable coffee connoisseur that I am, quitting, at least temporarily, may prove necessary.  We’ll get to that in a minute.

As I read Brett’s article, I began to dwell on the old adage that “Winners never quit.  Quitters never win.”  Or do they?  It would seem that quitting is a legitimate option for winners.  In fact, I would submit that the wise know when to start, stay, and stop.

Being wise is a way of life.  And because even the subtle things in our lives can be the villain (i.e. coffee), the process of becoming wise is about applying basic forensics.  Examine the evidence.  Make the right decision based on the evidence.  Before we get to Brett’s findings on coffee, just a quick word on the forensics of ‘quitting to win’:

Notice it yourself.  Well, are you winning or losing?  Is the effort you’re exerting bringing about the desired results?   In business terms, what is the return on investment?  With most things in life, we will need to access the ‘law of diminishing returns.’  Do you need to stop?  Hopefully, it is something that you can see yourself.

Definitely notice if others are talking to you about it.  Sometimes we are either unable, or unwilling, to see something in our lives that we need to address.  If so, someone approaching you about it is a tell-tale sign that it may be time to stop, or at least make course corrections.  Do you have that someone or “someones” in your life that can, and will, speak into your life as you need them to?

EXECUTE  |  The Upside to Quitting Coffee

As we apply forensics to our daily love affair with caffeine, Brett highlights the upside to quitting coffee:

– Decreased depression and anxiety
– Less irritability
– Clearer skin
– Lower blood pressure
– More money (i.e. say goodbye to Starbucks)
– Greater antifragility (read his article linked below, it has a link to this concept; but suffice it to say that you’re not just resilient, but that you bounce back stronger and better.)
– Better sleep
– Caffeine will actually work when you really need it

I found it almost impossible to argue his points.  It’s always the ones we love that hurt us the most, right?  Can quitting make you a better man?  Absolutely.  And thanks to Kenny and his catchy hit song for making this piece of advice so memorable:

“Know when to hold ’em… know when to fold ’em…” – Kenny Rogers


Further reading:
how I quit caffeine and became a better man

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