Knowing When to Stop is Key to Enjoying Things
I'll just go straight to the point and say that, yes, it sounds counterproductive to enjoy things when you stop doing them, but please bear with me.
Let's say you're watching a series, you're getting invested in the story and then have to stop midway through. It could be for any reason, really, and it may feel like you're stopping just at the best moment, but let's look at it in another way.
When you stop that series, you're letting your mind digest what it just saw in it, along with that you're getting some time to maybe do something else, like talk with people a bit or rest, getting a breath of fresh air.
These may be very insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but its actually something very important, as it lets your mind acquire a new perspective on things.
You don't believe me yet? Let's go through other examples then.
Say you're drawing something, you spend a lot of time on it, and yet, as more and more time passes, it feels like you cannot achieve as much progress on it anymore, like you're stuck on it. Do you keep trying to push on it and maybe hope it pans out in the end? Or do you take a break from it and then come back to it later?
The latter option might seem like it'll take the longest out of the 2, but it really doesn't, because of the break you take from that piece, you'll come back with a fresh pair of eyes to it and be able to pinpoint what wasn't working out faster rather than just, keep pushing through it hoping that something might change.
That moment where you need to stop might seem horrible at first, but it's the best option one can take to achieve things faster. If you keep trying to draw even while it isn't working out, you'll feel more and more stressed, you will feel like you're getting nowhere, which will make you feel even worse, it's a never-ending cycle that will keep on going if you don't put a stop to it. But once you do that, and then later on come back to it, you will be back in full swing to try more things.
Another example, you're playing a videogame, you spent hours on it and then reach a boss which is too hard to defeat, you try everything you can but you keep failing, time and time again. You spend even more hours trying to beat the boss but nothing seems to work out, to the point that it isn't being fun anymore. Do you keep trying because this time it might be the one, or do you stop for now so you can figure out a plan to defeat the boss?
Games can be fun if they're challenging, I won't deny that, but there's a point where you need to take a break from it before it stops being fun, and that break can be the difference between finding a game fun, or tainting your experience with it, making it feel like a slog that you need to finish.
Up until now I've mentioned some activities and hobbies as examples, but this also applies to other things too, if you for example hang out with some people, but then it stops being a fun pass time for you, it's honestly better to just stop it for now rather than keep going out of obligation, same with friendships that are starting to turn sour.
This was originally intended to be focused on videogames and how taking a break could make them more enjoyable than just forcing yourself to be on it all day, even if you needed to justify what you paid for it, but the more I spent thinking about the idea, the more I realized it applies to almost everything in life. You don't need to do something all the time if you don't find it fun, and you don't need to justify anything to anyone, you need to think about yourself sometimes, and not just about external things.
Those moments where you need to stop might seem either insignificant or hard to do depending on what is it, but it's what can make something more enjoyable in the long run, you'll have more positive moments than negatives just because you put a stop for it, may it be for the time being or as a whole, and I feel like that's something that's being lost nowadays, to stop something when it's not working out for us anymore.
Anyways, if you excuse me I need to start placing Stop signs everywhere in the city, that way people can also take a break on the streets.
- AnubiArts, achieved something, I don't know what, just something.