While millions of people worldwide are leaving their jobs, for many of us, quitting is not such a simple decision, and there are some things to consider before actually going through with it.
Even if you can catch yourself thinking “I should just quit”, there are a number of things to understand before you go through this change, as quitting out of anger, probably will not serve you the best.
Give yourself some time to think this through and here are some areas you might want to consider:
1. Understand your why
Start with understanding your reasons for quitting and try to be as honest as possible to identify those reasons to see whether it is you, them, or both.
Questions such as these could help clarify it:
- Is there something that can be changed without you having to quit?
- Are the issues temporary or permanent?
- Are you quitting because of your relationship with your manager?
- Is it because you don’t feel like a fit anymore?
- Are you learning anything new?
Whatever you need to identify to get to the bottom of why you don’t see yourself working with that company anymore, ask yourself and see if you can still see the purpose of showing up to work there.
In other words, would quitting mean that you are running away from something or that you are moving towards something better?
2. Face your fears
Now imagine that you have already resigned – How does your life look like? Has it changed for better or for worse? Run a risk assessment and try to imagine the worst possible scenario of what happens next. Consider things such as – Will you have to move, will you have to find another job immediately, will you have to share accommodation, do you have finances to support it?
And be honest with yourself about how you stand on these matters and what are you willing to compromise if you would have to. See if you can come up with solutions that you are OK with, like sharing accommodation with someone, adjusting your lifestyle in a way, and if you are still willing to go ahead with resignation then also analyse the next point.
3. Get clear on your next step
By this I mean get clear on what you want to do next: Does quitting that job mean that you are getting out of corporate life as a whole, or you are just leaving that company? Are you changing your career? Do you want to try yourself as an entrepreneur, take a break maybe? Whatever it is, get clear on your direction because that will drive your intentions and daily motivation once you wake up having no job.
Consider if this decision is better for you long term.
I have seen so many situations where people don’t think through what they want and just jump to another job instead, and usually what they find out is that there are all sorts of other challenges they have to face, so it all leads to knowing your drivers.
4. Know what motivates you
A lot of self-introspection is required to go through changes and transitions and knowing what motivates you will certainly help to make the right decision. Are you quitting out of purely financial reasons or is there more to it?
Understand your values, priorities, patterns, interests, your drivers, as your self-understanding is about knowing what motivates you and what actions are the right ones for you.
5. What about your gut feeling
Finally, don’t ignore your emotions and feelings as they are your guidance and can help you make more effective decisions.
You will know when you are ready and when it is the time to make this decision to quit a job. Learn to understand your emotions and once you become one with that decision, you will have no doubts about it.
Emotional awareness is far more than knowing where you are and how you are feeling, it is one of the main components of emotional intelligence and is necessary for your emotional regulation and your behaviors.
If you have advice you would like to share, or you would like to share your thoughts and experiences, please do so in the comments below.
Author: Ana Toroman, Talent Development Consultant
Being a part of training and development education programs across companies in the Middle East, I help people develop their potential through learning key social skills for career building, with a particular interest in emotional resilience in the workplace. Having started my career in HR and education and working as a Corporate Trainer & a Coach in Dubai, I work on self-development strategies for both teams and individuals. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn here or follow me on Instagram on HR and Wellbeing page here