The short answer, if you’re reading this because you’re considering quitting your job, probably. While there’s no easy answer to “should I quit my job?” here’s what I considered to confidently make this decision. Spoiler alert: quitting my job was one of the BEST decisions I ever made, but for a reason no one ever guesses.
- What reasons are good enough to warrant quitting your job?
- What are the risks and rewards of quitting your job?
- How can you decide confidently without regrets?
What reasons are good enough to warrant quitting your job?
Any and all of them. In the past, I’ve felt like I’ve needed an undeniable reason, or reasons, to justify my decisions.
I would listen to every voice, every piece of evidence, except that feeling in my stomach that never lied to me.
The physical manifestation of anxiety when I placed myself in situations that didn’t suit me. Or conversely a warm feeling of comfort when I felt at home in my surroundings.
In the past, I would listen to everyone else, except myself.
Particularly in terms of quitting a job, I had always heard you need to stay at a job for at least 2 years.
So when I realized my first job out of college wasn’t my “dream job” like I hoped, I initially denied those thoughts and feelings.
I blindly accepted that I must stay at this job for 2 years, so I didn’t bother putting much more thought into it.
But that denial manifested itself in other ways. My close friends could tell I was counting down the days until I could be doing something else.
And let me pause there. My job was fine. I just realized it wasn’t for me. I did not feel miserable at this job, so I didn’t feel like I had a strong enough reason to leave.
I don’t know if anyone else needs to hear this, but you don’t need a reason to make a decision. You can make a decision just because you want to!
What are the risks and rewards of quitting your job?
Even if you know without a doubt you want to quit your job, it’s not that straightforward. In America, our jobs connect to our well-being.
I heard a C-suite leader comment the other day about how he cares for his employees. He feels like he pays for their vacations and their kids’ college educations. Because his company writes them a paycheck.
Oh and let’s not forget about health insurance.
So often we depend on the income and benefits from our employers to function in society. In today’s society, having a job is like the evolved version of hunting and gathering for food.
That’s why it’s important to consider the risks and rewards when answering the question, “Should I quit my job?”
When I decided to quit my first job out of college after a year, so many people commented about my willingness to take a risk.
I consider myself to be a risk averse person. That said, I recognized the biggest risk for myself was not quitting my job but staying.
Why? I had the self-awareness to recognize that the job wasn’t the best fit for me, for reasons I won’t reveal here because my old co-workers read my blog. (Hi friends!)
I first explored other career paths within my current company, as that would’ve been the path of least resistance. However, I discovered there wasn’t a viable option that better suited me in a timeframe that felt right to me.
People told me to be patient. Patience literally means “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset,” according to the Oxford dictionary.
I refuse to wait for someone else to give me permission to live the life I want. The biggest risk of all to me was denying myself a shot at a better career more aligned with my values and goals.
I realized I had everything to gain by finding a new job that would suit me better. But I also had to think about what I could lose.
I decided to stay in this role until I accepted a new offer that was a good fit. That minimized my risk of not having a stable income.
Like I said earlier, my job was fine, so I didn’t feel like I was risking my well-being to stay until I found a new role. I had time to find a new role I wanted.
I didn’t have anyone depending on my income besides myself.
I also had a fully funded emergency fund, so I would’ve been okay for 6 months even if I quit my job without another lined up.
I also knew I could find a new job pretty easily. I had at least 1 recruiter sliding into my LinkedIn DMs every week, all for roles that were a better fit and came with higher compensation.
After considering these factors, I decided worst case scenario, I stay exactly where I was at, in a situationship that didn’t align with my values or goals.
Best case scenario I find a new, higher paying job that better aligned with my goals and values.
To me, not applying for new jobs was the biggest risk because it had the serious consequence of me wasting time in a role that wasn’t for me and not getting me closer to my goals.
Not to mention, if I failed to find a new job, then nothing would change! So there was no risk in trying to find a new job for me.
So when people commented that I took a big risk by leaving after only a year, I reply with the bigger risk, the opportunity cost of staying.
Everyone is going to have a different situation, so here are some other risks and rewards to consider.
Some common risks of quitting your job
- If you quit without a new source of income or a way to pay for your living expenses, this could be stressful. Especially if you have people counting on your income.
- You may find quitting your job doesn’t make you feel the way you imagined it would. For example, if work is the cause of your misery, and you quit but your still unhappy, who else can you hold accountable for that? (Your happiness is always in your own hands.)
Some common risks of staying at your job
- If you’re reading this, you’re probably considering quitting your job for some reason. The longer you wait to do what you want, you risk losing time. Money is infinite, time is not.
- It’s likely you may be earning less than your market rate. To attract news talent, employers tend to offer competitive rates. Internally, employers typically don’t raise their employees salaries as much as the market warrants. Forbes found this effect results in people who stay with a company for longer than 2 years to lose half their lifetime earnings!
Some common rewards of quitting your job
- You find a new way to spend your time that better aligns with your goals and values. Whether it’s a new role or even if you’ve retired or started your own business or pursued a creative hobby.
- You may fast track your career trajectory with higher compensation. At the end of the day, would anyone choose to spend their time working a 9 to 5 without a paycheck? I think not.
- You may feel more at peace and less stressed.
Some common rewards of staying at your job
- It’s easier to stay at your current job. It’s the path of least resistance. It requires you to do nothing differently. Now this doesn’t mean staying at your current role is an easy choice, but just that it’s harder to make a change than to keep things the way that they are.
- Maybe your current role is already amazing. And by amazing I mean good enough. It may not be your dream job but it pays the bills, you have a good work life balance, and you have the energy to spend your time outside of work living your best life.
How can you decide confidently without regrets?
Once I make a decision, I stick with it. I refuse to have regrets. Now that doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind. I certainly do. But I keep moving forward without going backward.
For example, let’s say I quit my job and started a new one. But I don’t like the new one. I actually like my old job more.
In that situation, I probably would not return to my old job, especially since I already revealed it wasn’t right for me. I would begin the job search yet again with the new information I learned.
I trust myself 100% to make strong decisions. Now I’ve made decisions that weren’t by any means optimal, but I give myself grace.
I make the best decisions I can with the information I have at any given time.
When new information arises, I re-evaluate to see if I need to make a new decision.
I’ve proven to myself I can trust myself to make decisions that feel good to me.
Conclusion
So when you ask yourself, “should I quit my job?” I say maybe. Probably, if you are here reading this because you asked Google the question you should ask yourself.
Just the fact that you are entertaining the idea means its a possibility worth considering. Even if you decide to stay with your current role, you’ll have the confidence that you are making the right decision.
#noregrets
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