The worst time to decide whether to quit is when you are emotionally invested. To make rational choices, define specific, measurable conditions at the outset of a project or job that will automatically trigger a decision to walk away if they are met or missed.
The right time to quit a project or job is before failure is 100% certain. This means you will still see a path to success, making the decision feel uncomfortably early. Waiting for absolute certainty guarantees you have waited too long and wasted resources.
Traditional push/pull factors, like job dissatisfaction or better opportunities, only explain about 50% of why people quit. The other half is triggered by "jolts"—specific, jarring events inside or outside of work that force employees to abruptly re-evaluate their relationship with their job.
Contrary to the belief that quitting is a setback, walking away from a dead-end situation is a strategic move. It stops the drain of valuable resources (time, money, energy) and allows you to reinvest them in opportunities with a higher potential for success, getting you to your goals faster.
A spike in quitting is often followed by a spike in regret due to the "Honeymoon Hangover Effect." The initial excitement of a new role fades, and employees realize the new job has its own problems and that they could have potentially fixed issues in their previous role before leaving.
To overcome personal biases when facing a tough decision, seek an outside perspective from a trusted "quitting coach." Critically, you must explicitly give them permission to tell you the hard truth. Without it, they will likely default to cheerleading to spare your feelings, defeating the purpose.