This week I watched the Netflix docuseries “The Last Dance.” The series chronicles Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls six NBA championships in the eight year timespan of 1991-1998, emphasizing the final championship in 1998 which ended with Michael Jordan’s retirement. Though the disbandment of the team which caused Michaels retirement was outside of his control, we have to admit that there is a certain charm to leaving at the top of your game. It fits our society’s old adage of “Quit while you’re ahead.” Our idiom that implies that there is a risk to pursuing further reward. So, leaving outside circumstances aside, what risk would Michael and the Bulls have faced playing another season? The risk comes from the passage of time, the aging of their muscles and motivation. The risk that an inevitable decline in performance would tarnish their reputation. However, just as time manifests a decline it also filters out the highlights. The proof? It is in this same Michael Jordan story. The world doesn’t remember Jordan any differently after he came out of that second retirement to play a few comparatively worse seasons with the Washington Wizards. So don’t fall into the trap of the moment. Especially in this age of technology, the social media-fueled public with goldfish attention spans may bemoan your momentary failures. But that same goldfish attention span is the reason that 20 years from now they will only remember your greatness. There’s no glory in quitting while you’re ahead. There’s only less time spent doing what you love.
Zachary Holloway 