The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) | Seth Godin

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) | Seth Godin | This Book Doesn't Deserve Negative Reviews...

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The Dip: A Little ...

	The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) Seth Godin Portfolio Hardcover, 2007 - 96 pages average customer review:based on 121 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The old saying is wrong?winners do quit, and quitters do win.

Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point?really hard, and not much fun at all.

And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle. Maybe you?re in a Dip?a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing. But maybe it?s really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.

According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.

Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt?until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can become number one in your niche, you?ll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security.

Losers, on the other hand, fall into two basic traps. Either they fail to stick out the Dip?they get to the moment of truth and then give up?or they never even find the right Dip to conquer.

Whether you?re a graphic designer, a sales rep, an athlete, or an aspiring CEO, this fun little book will help you figure out if you?re in a Dip that?s worthy of your time, effort, and talents. If you are, The Dip will inspire you to hang tough. If not, it will help you find the courage to quit?so you can be number one at something else.

Seth Godin doesn?t claim to have all the answers. But he will teach you how to ask the right questions.

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When the going gets tough - read the Dip

You will get better at anything you attempt if you put in the effort. After a while you will need to put in more and more effort for less and less gain. If you stick to your guns you will emerge as one of the few experts at whatever it is you chose to do. If you don't stick to your guns you should quit fast before you put in too much effort for the gain you will get before quitting.

That is pretty much the entire message of the book. However, it is delivered in typical Seth Godin style with witty pithy observations and some astute criteria that will help the reader to decide when to invest the effort and when to cut their losses and run. In addition to `the dip' of its title the book also describes two other curves that sum up most of my life's experience: the cul-de-sac where you just can't make progress no matter how much effort you put in, and the cliff, where effort is rewarded until sudden catastrophe strikes.

Anyone who has attempted to break into the world of the professional non-executive director will be familiar with the dip. At first it is all so easy, you work, you get qualified, you start to gain experience and then WHAM, the dip happens. This is where your hard-won experience and qualifications just aren't enough to get you that important first paid directorship. This is where people start to say `stick with it for two years and if it hasn't happened by then you should give up'. Seth says that is rot and I believe him. If you are going to give up, give up now before you waste any more effort. If, like me, you are determined to succeed, then love that dip. It is the dip that will eventually separate you from your competitors when you come out the other side and they quit trying right where the dip gets steepest.

The dip analogy works for everything from losing weight to becoming a champion golfer. The discussion of how to tell if you are approaching a dip, a cul-de-sac or a cliff edge is a bit lacking in specific differentiators. Even so; this is a helpful and practical book that gave me plenty of `Ah Ha' moments.

There is a shocking error on page 19, where Seth talks about the `unchecked' decision-making power of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. But, apart from thus insulting about three thousand fortune 500 company directors, this book makes non stop sense.

Did I like `The Purple Cow' more? Yes. That was a cute and sweet little book. This book is useful; more of a workhorse than `the cow'. It is a well observed analysis that I shall probably return to again and again. I know I will enjoy re-reading it and will find something new to apply it to every time I return to its pages.

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This Book Doesn't Deserve Negative Reviews...

...Simply because the title should give anyone an idea of who the book was written for.

If you already know when to quit or when to stick, then don't get this book.

If you're already successful and are happy with your career path, then don't get this book.

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However, if you're like me who's faced with so many opportunities but have a tough time deciding which to pursue, or if you're stuck in a job and can't figure out if it's really good for you in the long-term, or if you find yourself constantly sacrificing the fulfillment of your Big Dream, then The Dip is a short wake-up call that packs a punch.

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Arguably, Seth Godin may have just rehashed what has been said before, but I've always believed that the joke is in the telling. There are many career development books out there that more or less say the same thing, but we go for that one author who uses the right words to make things sound fresh.

And to me, Godin delivers.

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The obvious needs saying

I'm normally averse to those business advice books that state the obvious in far too many words. This isn't one of those books.

True, Godin tackles some allegedly self-evident insights on quitting (or not). But they're only self-evident when you take the time to think about them. Which we don't.

And only self-evident if you are "brave" enough to confront them and accept that just maybe you should be quitting more often. Most of us aren't that brave.

Godin writes eloquently and inspirationally. Reading the book means you finally face up to the obvious. And his words have a magical way of encouraging practical action. I know I sat down the day after reading the Dip and took some necessary decisions I'd been pushing aside for years.

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A Must Read!

I'm not normally one for books of this nature: short, quirky books that have easy to understand steps to great success all wrapped in cute little analogies. Godin somehow does it right. Whether you are stuck in a rut or itching to start something new, this book provides advice that helps condition your mind so that you end up succeeding. Otherwise you might as well quit.
Buy it, read it, and revisit it every year when you need a boost to your career or hobby.

Well written book, but not insightful

The book is quick and easy read, but doesn't really say much. It is much more lucrative to be the "cream of the crop" than a middler, no matter which profession you pick. Seth argues for careful deliberation when seeking out opportunities, and a willingness to change course. Quitting should be a rational decision, even planned ahead of time if possible. Overall, he argues that to best utilize your potential, you should seek out a job you will be challenged on, can grow in, and can be the best in the world. Once you've done that, stick it out without being disheartened by the time it takes to become an expert a.k.a. "the dip", because that's just what it takes, and its worth it.

I'm usually a big fan of Seth's work, and agree with the content of the book, it just wasn't very insightful or enlightening for me.

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