Quitting is something that needs to be taught.

I used to have an oilfield service company. In 1991, the Alberta petroleum industry went bust — and I thought I could “John-Wayne” my way back to better times. My business had a bank balance of $50,000, and I spent it all trying to keep the business afloat for the next year.

A few years later, I was taking a marketing course. In the course was a section of when to quit a particular business unit. My 1991 business fit eight out of 10 criteria to fold.