I Quit at Mile 3 of My Own Marathon

The first marathon is the decision to change. The second is the one that actually counts. Most CEOs quit at mile 3.

I installed a daily huddle in one of my businesses years ago.

It worked. Then I killed it. Slowly. Without meaning to.

Every morning, 9am, 15 minutes. Quick numbers. Quick blockers. Who needs help with what. Faster decisions. Fewer fires. Less drift between teams.

Then I stopped showing up.

Not all at once. First it was a Tuesday I had to miss. Then a few days the week I was travelling. Then weeks at a time.

The huddle still happened. People still showed up.

Until they didn’t.

By the time I noticed, the energy had drained out of it. Conversations had gone shallow. The blockers stopped getting raised. Then the meeting itself stopped getting taken seriously.

And restarting it was harder than starting it the first time.

A few people quit during the relaunch. They weren’t high performers. They were the ones who’d been hiding behind weekly meetings. Daily made them visible. Visible made them uncomfortable. Uncomfortable made them leave.

That was the real cost. Lost momentum. A painful restart. People drifting out who I should have moved on years earlier.

All because I stopped showing up to a 15-minute meeting.

THIS IS WHAT QUITTING AT MILE 3 LOOKS LIKE

Today I run a different business. Daily huddle, every morning, no exceptions.

I see my old pattern in clients all the time.

They sign up for coaching, or an Outgrow programme, or any other meaningful change. They show up to the first session ready. They show up to the second one a bit tired. By the third or fourth, they’re looking for the exit.

The work didn’t get harder.

They just realised this isn’t a spa. It’s a gym.

Some came expecting a spa. They wanted to feel calm, validated, looked after. They didn’t want to lift anything heavy. They quit.

Some came thinking they were already fit. Then they showed up to a CrossFit class on day one and pulled something. They quit.

The ones who stay? They accept they’re going to be uncomfortable. They do the boring reps. They settle for singles and doubles instead of swinging for sixes every week.

Those are the people who grow 30, 40, 50, 100% over two or three years.

The quitters tell themselves the system didn’t work.

The system worked. They stopped running.

WHAT GETS YOU PAST MILE 3

Patience to follow the process when you can’t see results yet.

Persistence to keep showing up when it’s uncomfortable.

Perseverance to start again the day after you got it wrong.

Endurance to outlast every competitor who quits before you.

That’s the whole game.

The leaders who win aren’t the ones who started with the best plan. They’re the ones who stayed in the gym after they got sore.

I quit at mile 3 once.

I won’t do it again.

What did you start three months ago that you’re already letting drift?

Tell me.

Sid

Sid Jashnani

CEO, Outgrow LLC

Outgrow Certified Advisor (opens in a new tab)| sidjashnani.com

Two upcoming webinars

For business owners — May 11, 11am Central / 5pm BST. is hosting a live Outgrow webinar. Real client stories, the full system, and what 15-30% organic growth looks like in practice. Register here → (opens in a new tab)

For coaches, consultants, and advisors — May 18, 11am Central / 5pm BST. A separate webinar covering the Outgrow Certified Advisor opportunity. Register here → (opens in a new tab)