QUITTING ON A WHIM: THINGS TO CONSIDER

By Karen Conole

Have you ever pulled up stakes and left a job/town/love only to find the one you left it for was no better than the one you left?

That’s because often what we seek to change in capricious moves are not external problems but more subtle, internal changes. That old saying, “Look before you leap,” rings true more often than not, so it’s a good idea to take a moment of reflection before making a sudden and drastic change—particularly if your current situation is stable, though perhaps “boring” or “unfulfilling.”

If you haven’t really thought through the true reason for your dissatisfaction, then you may be addressing the wrong symptom. For example, if you’re depressed or unhappy with your personal life, that’s what you should focus on, not your professional situation. Quitting your job will probably not improve your home life and may just add money woes to the list of things that are depressing you.

It’s important to honestly consider your motivations before making a move, and how you expect that move to change your life. You don’t want to imbue one rash act as a cure-all for everything that needs fixing and then find out you’re worse off than before.

That’s not to say that you can’t gain self-awareness and happiness by pursuing a dream, even if it was done suddenly, and it is true that some people find the sudden change brought about by quitting to be the “jolt” that they need to send them in a direction new life. However, you need to make sure you’ve considered all the options and consequences entailed in that decision, so that you’ll be prepared to accept the results—positive or negative—with no regrets.

One way to test the waters of change is to pretend that you’ve just given notice and are now open to your next move. What will it be? What will the next one after that be? If you’re suddenly gripped by feelings of being cast adrift and out of control, then consider that a “preview” of what you’d feel if you’d actually quit and had to make those decision with no income.

If, on the other hand, the world seems full of possibilities and you’re excited and anxious to put into practice concrete plans for the next stage of your career, then maybe it’s time to examine those plans more closely and be sure you’ve gone over the best- and worst-case scenarios involved in putting your plans in action.

If you're determined to quit your job immediately, try following these steps:

1. Seek professional guidance before making any impulsive decisions. At the very least, you’ll get a fresh perspective on your problems. Ideally, you should get help sorting out what, specifically, are the sources of your general unhappiness and learn ways to resolve them. It could take less energy than a protracted job search, and with much better long-term results!

2. Imagine how you think your move will change your life. You may not care if you’re not making the same salary or living in the same place you do now, but be sure--otherwise you’ll just be trading one kind of stress for another. Realize in advance that there will always be “new stress” so you won’t be dismayed when it hits you.

3. Research available job opportunities as if you’re free and able to follow them right now. Put together your resume and prepare your list of people you wish to use for references. Are you ready to make that move? How does the market look to you? Check the internet for articles that describe the field you’re looking to enter. Pretend you’re a career counselor counseling someone just like yourself. What would you suggest to that person that you know will cause them to return to thank you six months from now?

4. Be realistic about change. Just because you quit in a dramatic fashion doesn’t mean your life will improve in an equally dramatic fashion. A lot depends on luck (which you have no control over) and timing (which you may have some control over) and planning (which you have the most control over). But even if you didn’t plan before quitting a job that required you to be unethical or untrue to yourself, if you’re happy to do menial or less fulfilling jobs for a while rather than be there, it wasn’t necessarily a bad move.

5. Share your decision and “journey” with a trusted friend, spouse or significant other. Change is stressful and many of us have social connections through work which, when left, can leave us feeling isolated. Try to fill the void with others to offset any lonely feelings that could impact not only your ability to make a successful next step but your emotional and physical health, as well. Now might be the best time to join that club you’ve been contemplating. You’ll have a sense of change and of doing something you like and meeting new people, which can energize your job search.

6. If possible, seek a leave of absence or slightly extended personal time to evaluate your move. Employers often understand the “burn-out” phenomenon and may be willing to grant you time off if you present it as a way to “recharge your batteries” and ultimately serve the firm better. It never hurts to ask (especially if you’re ready to quit anyway) and it can keep your options open a while longer while relieving some immediate stress. Sometimes, just the change of pace or scenery can realign your perspective and things that mattered so much a couple weeks ago can seem insignificant today.

7. If you decide to just chuck it all and quit without any planning whatsoever, and the result is disastrous, resist the urge to beat yourself up. You were stressed, you quit, it didn’t work out, you learned something (hopefully) and now you need to move on. Self-recrimination will only stand in the way of creative thought and planning for your next job. You can’t undo what’s done, so tell yourself, “Everyone makes bad choices sometimes, and this was my time.” Then resolve to plan better for your next move and do it. If you don’t know where to turn, seek an assessment from a trained career counselor, check out career-oriented books from the library or search the internet for career guidance sites.

Quitting suddenly might not be a bad thing if you can categorically point to your job as the irremediable source of the unhappiness which threatens your emotional and physical health. Just be sure you’re pointing at the right source before pulling the trigger, so that you can face whatever the consequences with optimism and energy.