Streets with only one way in and out can be aggravating but no where near as bothersome as the dead end project, job or relationship. Calling it a blind alley, impasse, or the slightly better sounding cul de sac - doesn’t change things. Especially when you translate cul de sac: a vessel or tube with only one opening. Literally the bottom of a sack. With lots of anatomical connotations. Not a good place to be, even in French.
Time spent on dead ends is wasted time. It’s easier to back out sooner rather than later. As sunk costs mount, the will to abort the failing mission declines. “I’ve expended lots of time, money, thought, sweat… and it’s all for naught if I quit.” How about good time, money, thought, and sweat after bad? Maybe that’s how we should be thinking.
In Seth Godin’s book, The Dip: The Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) his lesson is clear. When you’re in the hard part, the valley between the exciting start and the long road to mastery, either lean into it or get the heck out. Thoughtfully calculated quitting makes you a winner. When you’re at the bottom of a sack- you might just be left holding the bag.
No parking on a dead end street!