When you are considering quitting your job, sometimes clear thinking goes out the window because you are stuck, bored and frustrated. Your co-workers or boss probably drive you crazy making you overly determined to quit before the end of the week.
It's so easy to fall into a routine of getting up, going to work, coming home and going to bed. Then, repeating the routine daily without really taking some time to evaluate what is the best use of your time and hours each day.
Here are three questions to ask yourself before quitting:
1) On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your current job (with 10 being very satisfied)?
If you answered anything less than 8, it's time to re-evaluate. One of my biggest regrets is staying far too long in a job that didn't fit my interests, values and favorite skills. I tried really, really hard to make it work. I was getting raises and promotions and doing great. But, I just didn't fit the work environment and the type of work I was doing.
It's really important to understand yourself better in order to find the right career fit. What things in your current job do you love and what tasks do you dread? If you quit, what different things would you want in your new job? Make sure you don't get stuck in the same type of job! This is often a repeated cycle that you don't want to fall into!
2) Are you currently getting results in your career?
Are you currently doing well and getting results in your career? I want you to think about what your dream career would look like. If you put systems in place and got organized, what would your ideal workday look like? Are you currently doing a lot of the activities in your ideal workday or are you doing skills you are good at but aren't your favorite skills.
This is key, I once spent years in a job I was great at (promotions and raises consistently) but it wasn't my favorite skill so I was bored and unhappy all the time.
Getting results and promotions is important but so is making sure you are using your favorite skills to get those results. This is where your passions and interests really come into play.
3) Where does your time go?
List your major activities last week at your job. Did you feel excellent after they were finished or just drained? If it's not working, you do need to start something new. Where can you add "passion projects" into your day to help you feel on fire. Where can you add times in your calendar to do those things you would do even if you weren't getting paid.
That's it! Three simple questions that can really help you determine if you should submit that resignation letter.
[Related: The Complete Guide to Career Change]
Are you thinking about quitting? Would love to hear some of your answers in the comments below!
