I’m Quitting My Job Tomorrow
Tomorrow, I am putting in my resignation.
I have been working in my current full-time role since June 1st. Though it’s only been 5 months of me working on this team, it has felt like the longest, most painful job I’ve ever had.
When you get a gut feeling about something as you get older, you learn to trust it. Unfortunately for me, a 1:1 with my boss during my first week was the foreshadowing of events to come. My gut churned telling me to get out.
So I am. Thankfully, HR and the VP of my department have both been incredible in hearing me out and supporting me. I know this isn’t the case at most companies, but holy shit that is concerning and distressing to realize.
I’m terrified, exhilarated, and driven. I’m in a loving and supportive partnership and have thankfully saved aggressively to reassure me that yes, quitting my job right before an imminent recession is actually the best choice for me right now.
Earlier this year, I set a goal of participating in NaNoWriMo and writing a book. The adrenaline of my decision is already propelling me forward into getting the book started without looking back!
But wait. You might be asking, “How can you be so certain?” Or, “Are you sure you’re prepared??”
First of all, I have diversified my income sources: I work two jobs part-time as a hairstylist and professional organizer. So I am not losing all of my income, which is reassuring.
I can even choose to add more days to those two gigs throughout the next month or two if things do get tight, but the first month will consist of me writing my book and being diligent in searching for my next full-time job.
Second, as I said, I have a wonderful and completely supportive fiance who can thankfully support both of us on his income. We have discussed the deterioration of my mental health becoming more apparent over the past couple of months together. After experiencing another job-induced anxiety attack earlier this week, he offered some encouragement in the decision to submit my resignation. I’m so grateful for him and his support. ❤
Third, I’m deciding this on one of my okay days at work. I love how Caroline describes this by saying, “Don’t quit on your worst day”. There have been too many well enough days at work where I’m aware of the pulling in my gut telling me I am in the wrong place.
So for anyone who is considering quitting, I strongly encourage you to at least consider those three points above before making any potentially consequential decisions.
But let’s dig into that a bit — if you’re considering quitting, definitely consider asking yourself, “Why?” Is it because you are lacking fulfillment? Are you feeling stuck? Are you bored? Are you grossly unhappy, even while earning more than a decent living for yourself?
If the answer is “Yes” to any of these questions, then that absolutely deserves some self-confrontation. I’d encourage you to unpack those answers more to find what is missing, and try to do what’s best for you to act on it! ❤
Questions to ask yourself though that require deeper reflection on, and that I can especially empathize with: Are you in a harmful work environment? Is your mental health suffering? Do you feel belittled? Are you asked or expected to work more hours than what you signed on for? Do you dread your 1:1’s with your manager and/ or someone on your team? Do you experience harassment and/ or discrimination?
If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes”, then hopefully your company’s HR department is a place you can turn to. I am beyond grateful for my HR representative.
More than anything else though, if the answer to any of the questions above is “yes”, I implore you to demand your worth and value in your role. I also implore you to do some deep self-discovery, and who knows? Maybe quitting is the right decision for you, too.
We all deserve to be in a place where we feel fulfillment to some extent, and the decisions we make to get to that point can often be painful and scary.
But I guess as the saying goes: If it’s not scary, it’s not worth doing.