Half measures are just right

It’s lot easier to burn your ships when you can get the local people to build you some new ones. (painting by Diego Durán, 1579)

It took seven months from the moment I made the decision to close one of my businesses to finally cease all operations.

That would have made for a boring movie, but in real life, these things do take time.

In fact, it’s still not over. This month, I have to send out the W-2s and 1099s.

Would it have been better if I had made it more cinematic? A dramatic speech and a sudden disruption of the status quo?

A better accompaniment to popcorn and Sprite, maybe. But not better for the individuals involved.

As a longtime small business owner, I have nothing but respect for the person who keeps their job for the health benefits while working a “side hustle.” To avoid quitting outright isn’t cowardly — it’s wise.

I have never understood the call to “burn the ships,” a phrase that glorifies the acts of colonizers and murderers like “Cortés the Killer.” Why scuttle a perfectly serviceable vessel just to make a point?

I guess the idea is that we take away our choices so that our only option is to go all in on what’s in front of us. But going all in isn’t always better. It isn’t necessarily more virtuous, more courageous, more admirable. Sometimes, it’s impulsive, short-sighted, and foolish.

As far as I can tell, the people who are trying to get you to quit your job to pursue your passion are the ones who are trying to make money from you when you do. They benefit from a narrative in which the “be your own boss” path is the superior one, and they just happen to be uniquely positioned to help you take it.

It’s not a better path — it’s just different one. And even if you want to take it, there’s no rush. You don’t have to jump from a moving train. You can wait until it comes to a stop, gather your things, and exit calmly out the door with everyone else.

You don’t need to quit your job to pursue your passion, anyway. You can pursue whatever you want in your free time without the pressure to ever make a dime from it. You don’t have to tarnish your beloved hobbies by “monetizing” them unless that’s the game you want to play. Again, commerce is not the better path — it’s just different.

Once you let go of thinking that your life has to take a major turn for you to be fulfilled and happy, it’s easier to find little pockets of fulfillment and happiness in the life you already have. You can enjoy a job that you’re not deeply passionate about. You can pursue art or self-development projects that have meaning to you even if they never become full time gigs. And you can work incrementally toward a goal without making a suspenseful leap into the unknown.

I’ve only heard the phrase “half measures” used to criticize someone who is not doing enough. But often, half measures are just right. Going all the way is not always the thing to do. Sometimes, we just need to make a tiny bit of progress toward our desired outcome. And then, a little more tomorrow if we feel up to it.