3 Things to Consider Before Quitting Your Job

These days there are a lot of people unsatisfied with their line of work. It’s not uncommon to feel a soul-sucking feeling as you head in to work at something that just isn’t rewarding for you.

Is this what you were meant to do with your life? Is this all that there is? Just do this day-in-and-day-out and live for those magical 48 hours we call the weekend?

Thoughts like this can lead to feelings of creeping dread as you stare down a depressing path that you may just end up calling “the rest of your life.”

But things don’t have to necessarily be this way. There are quite a few people who have quit their jobs and found meaningful employment or started their own businesses.

However, before you take the plunge and hand your letter of resignation to your boss, it is important to think things out a bit.

First, ask yourself if this is a chronic problem or if this is just something you’re feeling in the heat of the moment after getting chewed out at a recent meeting. If this is a long term problem that has haunted you for a long time, on the other hand, then perhaps this is something you might want to do.

Second, understand the situation better. What specifically don’t you like about your job? Is it the fact that you aren’t in control of certain things? Is it that you don’t feel respected for what you do? Is it that what you do isn’t aligned with your strengths?

Don’t just identify what you’re moving away from though. Understand what you want to move toward. Moving away from what you don’t want doesn’t guarantee you that you’ll get where you want to go, it only pushes you out of your current situation. Do you want more free time? Do you want more responsibility? Less responsibility? An outlet for your creativity? Something more logical? Get specific about what you truly enjoy doing with your life.

Finally, develop a plan for leaving your job. Yes, action is important, but blind action can be dangerous. Once you figure out what you’d rather be doing than working at your job, get a realistic roadmap to taking you from point A to point B. If you can, get the foundation laid before actually quitting your job. Start that blog, get the business license, find the perfect retail space, or whatever you need to do.

Then once you have a reasonable plan and maybe even a little bit of cash-flow, then consider handing in your resignation so you can strike out on your own and peruse the living that your truly want.