I was watching a Netflix series the other week—I won’t name it, but it had “Apple” in the title and was about a con woman—when I realized that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. The storyline was somehow full of plot holes, even though it was based on real life. The acting was hammy, but not in a fun way. I’d already invested four hours, though, so I was reluctant to admit defeat. But there were two more hours to go. Oh, whatever, I thought, slamming the laptop shut and rubbing my eyes. Life is too short to be watching crap TV.

I’ve been doing this a lot lately: Noticing when I’m actively not enjoying something and then ducking out, even though I’ve already “invested” time and brain power. I did it two episodes from the end of Dying for Sex—that Michelle Williams drama that started off punchy and then became so miserable I had to watch through my fingers. I also did it with You, the first two seasons of which I thought were fun before it descended into pure Riverdale-style loopiness. I used to power through, at least until all narratives were tied up, but now I just feel like…nah. What about the narratives of my own life? Shouldn’t I be investing in them instead?

When I laud the idea of quitting a shitty TV show, I don’t want this to be confused with giving up before a series has even gotten started. When we’re so used to immediate gratification, I think there can be a tendency to treat TV like junk food—quick, dopamine-laden bites before moving on to the next. But some of my favorite culture of all time has been that with which I’ve persevered: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Industry, Succession… even Daisy Jones & The Six, which started off feeling like absolute trash before slowly transforming into the greatest anti-love story of the 20th century (I’m only slightly exaggerating). Still, I think we can use our intuition here. If something feels like a slog—a proper slog—it probably is a slog. There’s no prize to be won in hammering away for no reason.

I think this philosophy—quitting stuff that doesn’t bring you joy, regardless of what you were hoping for—can be applied to other areas of your life, too. It’s not just about TV shows, although that’s a good place to start. The other week, I left a party after approximately 40 minutes because I realized I didn’t want to be there. I’ve left restaurants because I don’t like the look of the menu, even though I’ve walked in and sat down and accepted water. I’ve donated books that I keep picking up and putting down until I’m halfway through and still bored. Again, there’s often power and pay-off in perseverance. I don’t believe in quitting without giving something a chance. But there’s no shame in walking away from an attention-sucker during the third act so that you can direct your attention elsewhere.