Have you ever committed yourself to a project or a goal, and then changed your mind? Have you ever thought, “Maybe I bit off more than I can chew. This is going to take more time, more energy, more of me than I expected”? And then anxiety steps in. And regret. And we have two choices at this point: double-down on our commitment to that project or goal or walk away and admit that we weren’t prepared to give our best effort. That’s not an easy choice to make, is it?

Back in 2019, history professors in the U.K. translated a letter from the 14th century about a nun named Joan of Leeds who faked her own death to get out of her commitment to the church. William Melton, the Archbishop of York, wrote the letter in 1318 that describes Joan, with the help of accomplices, escaping the convent. The a…