Is it Time to Leave Your Job?
Life, to me, is a collection of seasons.
If you don’t understand this, you can stay in seasons too long or try to leave them too early.
What we learn and what we do decide the length of each season
Not growing means the season lasts longer; rapid growth means you’re ready for what’s next.
There is no better example of this than when to leave a job. You may have gotten comfortable. Maybe you’ve made friends and lasting relationships. But you start to wonder is it time to go.
Sometimes knowing when to exit a situation isn’t as clear cut as we would like it to be
How do you know when it is time to leave a job?
Here are the signs I’ve experienced over the years:
You Aren’t Challenged — As human beings, we need challenges to grow, it doesn’t mean life has to be hard all the time, but too much ease lulls our abilities to sleep. If you are less challenged consistently, that’s a sign you may need to move to another position.
You Don’t Feel Energized — There’s a saying that energy doesn’t lie, and I believe it’s true. When you can’t muster the necessary motivation to perform specific tasks at work, it’s time to start planning an exit.
You aren’t sufficiently compensated or appreciated for your work— if the amount of work you do far outpaces your rewards, then you need to consider a change. You could always ask for raise, but begin considering your options if it falls on deaf ears.
You dream of being somewhere else — If you constantly daydream about being in another situation, that’s your mind telling you it’s time to leave. Our daydreams come from our subconscious minds. Subconsciously, you desire to be elsewhere and do something different. Don’t ignore that voice.
After reading this, you may be leaning toward moving out of your current position.
But how you leave is essential, too. Here is how I would exit a position the right way:
1. Make a decision — Don’t waffle on this; if you’ve gathered enough data to make a decision (and more often than not, you have), then make it and don’t look back.
2. Tie up loose ends — We need closure. Every beginning has an ending. If things are pending before you leave, do all you can to finish them. Don’t dump a mess on the next person; try to leave the job better than you found it. Even if it wasn’t the best situation, tying up loose ends is not about your employer or supervisor; it’s about you and what you want to put out into the world.
3. Keep it classy — There’s no need to disparage anyone. If you were an employer, how would you want an employee acting in a toxic manner on their way out the door? No. If the job overworked you and caused undue stress, I’m certainly not excusing them, but it’s about you. Keep it classy for two weeks, and even after you leave, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything
I’m not telling you 100% that you should leave or not, but hopefully, I gave you some food for thought.
