No matter how far down the wrong path you are, turn back.

It’s a reminder of the sunk cost fallacy. We think that because we’ve invested time or money into something, we have to stick with it.

That mistake shows up in training all the time. Someone keeps going to classes they don’t enjoy, or stays at a school that isn’t a good fit, just because they’ve already put years into it. They don’t want to waste what they’ve done, even if it means wasting more.

But the sunk cost fallacy works the other way too. People quit, then feel like a quitter. They think too much time has passed, or that because they stopped once, they can’t start again. That’s just as false.

Coming back after a break is hard. Your timing is off, you’ve forgotten techniques, and the people you started with have moved ahead. It feels like starting over. But starting over is better than never starting again.

You can always turn back.