If you enter Navy Seals training, there’s a 75% chance you’ll quit.
When you can’t do another pull-up, when you can’t run another mile, when you can’t hold your breath underwater any longer, all you need to do is walk up to the big brass bell in the centre of the camp, ring it 3 times, put your helmet on the ground, and you’re done.
The bell is a symbol of freedom. It represents a return to civilian life. It’s a reminder you’re only 3 rings away from a warm drink and being able to put your feet up.
However, this is not a post about pushing through the pain and refusing to ring the bell.
On the contrary, I wish we had brass bells in the “real world”.
How often do we see projects, ideas, and plans peter out? How often do ideas lose their spark, and people lose their ambition?
Instead of a slow burn, we’d be better off with brass bells—to cut our losses quickly, admit it wasn’t for us, and move on.