The rule that struck a cord with me was "Finish what you started." Basically the point of this rule to break was that sometimes we need to walk away and come back to something later with a fresh perspective. We aren't quitting, just taking a break. The article says that sometimes "...stubbornly persisting can drain you of time and energy you could put to better use." So this is the rule I need to remember to break more easily while researching.
There are often times when no matter what avenue I travel down, the ancestor or information I am looking for just isn't there. Yet I will plug away for hours. By the end of it, I am exhausted and feel a bit defeated. If I practice walking away sooner, and returning later with a better sense of determination, I will feel better about the process and might be more successful in my search.
At what point do you call it temporarily quits??