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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Dip summary
A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
21 mins
Brief summary
The Dip by Seth Godin explains why quitting when it comes to a dead-end may be a good decision. It teaches how to identify The Dip and either push through or quit to focus on other opportunities.
Table of Contents
The Dip
Summary of 8 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 8
Whatever your aim, you will experience a Dip, or a period of struggle.
Let’s say you want to master figure skating. Learning how to gracefully glide across the ice, and even skate backward, can happen pretty quickly. But learning how to land a perfect quadruple jump will take a great deal of time and strenuous effort before you can perfect it. This is the time when you’re struggling – deep in the Dip.
The same experience can happen when you’re bringing a new business to life. At first it’ll be smooth sailing as you fall in love with your exciting and innovative ideas. But then there’s the inevitable mountains of paperwork to overcome and figuring out how to solve the many problems that will arise during the early stages. Chances are, it’ll be years before the Dip is over and you’re comfortably running a successful business.
Sometimes the Dip can be purposefully built-in to a process as a way of finding out who the most dedicated and hardworking people are.
Imagine you’re a student in the US, thinking of going to medical school. One of your mandatory classes in the first year will be Organic Chemistry – a fiendishly difficult subject that will eat up a great deal of your study time. While Organic Chemistry isn’t the most important class in the curriculum, it creates a Dip that causes many students to throw in the towel early on.
A lot of people entertain the idea of becoming a doctor, so creating a Dip early on is an easy way for universities to reduce the class size to only the most dedicated students.
A similar strategy is used in the hiring processes of companies around the world. In order to whittle down the applicant pool to only the best talents, many job applications require an excessive amount of documentation and include multiple rounds of stressful interviews.
The good news is, by recognizing these Dips for what they are, you can find comfort in the knowledge that they’re supposed to be difficult and that it will get easier if you just stick with it.
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What is The Dip about?
The Dip (2007) is about the common struggle we all face when we undertake an ambitious project or embark on a new career. As author Seth Godin points out, we can greatly increase our chances of success by preparing for the inevitable dip into difficult and trying times. By making tough choices, avoiding distractions and setting priorities, you can be well-equipped to persevere and come out stronger than you were before.
The Dip Review
The Dip (2007) by Seth Godin is a captivating book that explores the concept of strategic quitting and knowing when to push through challenges or walk away. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Packed with practical wisdom, it provides a roadmap for success by teaching readers how to identify and navigate through the inevitable periods of stagnation.
- Godin's no-nonsense approach and straight-to-the-point writing style is refreshing, making the book a quick and easy read without sacrificing depth or impact.
- With its thought-provoking insights and real-life examples, the book challenges conventional wisdom and encourages readers to evaluate their goals and priorities in a new light.
Best quote from The Dip
Its easy to be a CEO. Whats hard is getting there. Theres a huge Dip along the way.
—Seth Godin
Who should read The Dip?
- Entrepreneurs
- Ambitious people
- People who have trouble finishing projects
Categories with The Dip
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The Dip FAQs
What is the main message of The Dip?
The main message of The Dip is about knowing when to quit and when to stick to achieve success.
How long does it take to read The Dip?
The reading time for The Dip varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just a few minutes.
Is The Dip a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Dip is worth reading because it helps you understand the importance of strategic quitting and being excellent at one thing.
Who is the author of The Dip?
The author of The Dip is Seth Godin.
What to read after The Dip?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Dip, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin
- All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin
- This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
- So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
- Tribes by Seth Godin
- Linchpin by Seth Godin
- The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
- Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
- How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes