Should I keep pushing or rethink the approach?

Situation

• You have been pushing forward with a clear sense of effort
• Progress exists, but it is slow or ambiguous
• You are unsure whether persistence is the answer
• Rethinking feels like admitting failure
• Continuing feels safer than questioning direction

This situation appears when commitment replaces evaluation.

Verdict

VERDICT: SWITCH

Do not keep pushing blindly. Do not abandon the effort outright.

Re-evaluation is required before continuing.

Why this verdict

• Persistence is being used in place of assessment
• The current approach has not been clearly validated
• Continuing without review increases sunk cost

Effort without review delays necessary decisions.

What happens if you continue

• You will invest more before knowing if the path is viable
• Emotional attachment will increase with time spent
• Changing direction later will feel more costly

This often results in overcommitment to a weak approach.

A safer next step

Pause forward motion briefly.

Rethink the approach deliberately: - Define what success would look like at a small scale - Test whether the approach can produce that signal - Decide based on evidence, not momentum

Rethinking early is safer than persisting blindly.