Book Review: The Dip, by Seth Godin

I read this book last Tuesday night, the day after making the decision to continue pursuing the diet and fitness regimen after struggling with how to move forward with it for three days.

Little did I know, this book had the answer that I would discover through that process.

Overview: The Dip, by Seth Godin

In short, The Dip proclaims itself as a book that will teach you “When to Quit (and When to Stick)”.

In his masterfully poignant style (quick and to the point…I read it in one sitting), he addresses the question we all have when the going gets tough: Do we keep forging along, or is it time to give up? His argument is that, despite the “never give up” values in society, quitting can actually be a good thing.

Let me correct that; Knowing when to quit is a great skill, as is knowing when to forge ahead.

Noting Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More, he gives proof that the market leaders consistently outperform the competition by orders of magnitude. Being the market leader, is a must.

He goes on to show you how to recognize when the time is right for quitting and when the time is right to forge along.

For me, this was both timely and relevant, given my internal struggle with how to move forward with the current Four Week challenge. This book couldn’t have done a better job at reinforcing my decision to stick with my plan.

The Real Message of The Dip

But, I don’t think that the real message about The Dip is about when to keep going and when to quit.

Too often, we decide to quit. This is why there are market leaders with such great upsides, because the rest have given up.

Instead, I think that what Seth is really getting at is this:

There is significant upside in being able to see the long-term value of our efforts. By basing our decisions and actions on the long-term potential, rather than the short-term difficulties, we are able to move more effectively toward our goals.

This is the single greatest value of goal setting. When we practice being real with our expectations and understanding of our abilities, we immediately become significantly more effective.

This wasn’t a book about how to quit.

Its lesson lies in how to succeed.

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