I remember my intuition telling me to get out of my corporate job long before I had the courage to summon the nerve to quit.
Somewhere deep down, I just knew that I was in the wrong place doing the wrong thing.
But…
The thought of quitting on a whim was too daunting, and I had no clue what else to do, so I pushed that feeling to the side and hoped it would magically go away.
It didn’t. It got worse.
Until I had my wake-up call – my career crisis moment – and had to quit.
The thing is, the job itself wasn’t bad.
There were three key factors that were causing my misery:
Factor #1: My attitude and approach was one of fear and lack
Factor #2: I didn’t speak up and tried to handle it all on my own
Factor #3: I didn’t want to face the fact that I genuinely wasn’t in the right environment that aligned with my strengths and purpose because if I did…then what?!
If you’re contemplating quitting your job and not sure if you just need to dig in and get gritty or genuinely need to move on, then check out this week’s blog where I share the X essential questions to answer to decide if you’re making the right choice, for you.
I’m really passionate about this topic because I quit my job with only a vague notion of a business idea. I didn’t have a detailed plan for how it was going to happen. I let it get so bad in my job that I just had to quit.
It’s why I created Your Soul Aligned Career because there is a smarter and more easeful way to decide and plan things out BEFORE you quit. I want you to avoid the pain I went through so I’m sharing my lessons learned and the process I wish I had followed to map out my next move.
Whatever you decide as a result of this process, trust it.
Let’s dive in.
The X Essential Questions To Decide if You Should Really Quit Your Job
As I mentioned earlier, there were three key factors that were causing my misery in my own corporate career
Factor #1: My attitude and approach was one of fear and lack
Factor #2: I didn’t speak up and tried to handle it all on my own
Factor #3: I didn’t want to face the fact that I genuinely wasn’t in the right environment that aligned with my strengths and purpose because if I did…then what?!
Let’s dive into the questions to ask for each of these factors.
Phase 1: Your attitude and approach
I went into my career with very low self-esteem and confidence. Whilst it didn’t always appear that way on the outside, I was constantly second-guessing and underestimating myself.
Because of this, I was a people pleaser and said yes to more work even though I was struggling. I didn’t put up my hand for help and ultimately I got in my own way.
There’s a difference between not being in the right job (which we’ll cover in Phase 3) and not having the confidence to step into the role and opportunity that you’ve been given.
So, how do you know the difference?
Start by asking yourself:
Essential Question 1: Are you clear on what you want from your career and what your boundaries are with your employer?
It’s your job to figure out what you want from your career. Yes, you can have a plan or structure in place from your organisation but ultimately you’re the one in control. You are in the driver’s seat.
Get clear on your intention for your job and career and see if your existing role or company is the right fit. If not, figure out what you need to do to change things up.
Setting boundaries is equally as important. Your company will take as much from you as you let it. It’s up to you to leave the office on time, manage your workload, and push back where needed.
Fundamentally, can you achieve your mission and purpose in your existing career and are you setting yourself up to do this?
Essential Question 2: Are you holding yourself back from excelling in your role? Is there anything more you can do to support you to flourish?
Working in an organisation is a skill. You’ve got to network, collaborate and be smart about your visibility to key players.
In order to get the opportunities to become a leader, you’ve got to be proactive about being seen. This can make a lot of women uncomfortable – we just want to be worker bees and not deal with corporate politics.
BUT let’s reframe it this way. I’m guessing that you would be a great leader. You’re conscientious, compassionate and have a heart. It’s your responsibility to get into a leadership seat so that you can bring about some meaningful change in the organisation.
It’s time to own it!
Phase 2: Trying to do it all on your own
You don’t have to have everything figured out. You don’t have to suffer in silence.
So often I see smart, brilliant women carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders and berating themselves for not being able to better handle the challenges they face in their careers.
The classic Perfect Woman Imperative loves to tell you that you have to be more, do more and have more than one person can realistically be, do and have.
So cut yourself some slack and open up to the possibility of help.
Yes, help.
Essential Question 3: Where are you struggling? And what can you do to get help in this area?
For example, in my career I was burning out and work was all consuming. I was trying to keep up seeing friends and going to the gym but I wasn’t speaking up about my internal struggles and trying to figure it out on my own.
In the end, I got help, saw a counsellor and a coach. This gave me the space to get honest with myself and realise that things couldn’t continue on at this pace without something having to give.
Phase 3: Are you in the right environment that is aligned to your strengths, values and purpose?
OK, so you’re not happy. There’s not much more that’s within your control to make your job better. You’re fundamentally in the wrong place.
It’s time to figure out how to bring more meaning and fulfillment back to your career.
Step #1: Get still
Step #2: Ask yourself two more essential questions:
Essential Question 4: “How do I turn this around?”
Is it to take a day off, go hiking this weekend, speak to a mentor. The answers to this are endless.
Essential Question 5: “What is the next right move for me?”
You may decide that you need to get support around this, speak to a therapist, hire a career coach, sign up for a course. Slow down and tune in to your answer.
Step #3: Take a little action and move forward step-by-step
If you want support on this, then check out Your Soul Aligned Career where I guide you through every step of this process: http://yoursoulalignedcareer.com/
Ultimately, lovely one…
You have 3 main choices:
Option #1: Quit on the spot and then figure things out
Option #2: Figure out what you want to do on the side and come up with a transition plan (like how I teach in Your Soul Aligned Career)
Option #3: Stay and suck it up
Which feels right to you?
Take a moment to close your eyes and get still to get your answer.
From there, you’ll know what the next right move is for you.
You’ve got this. Remember, there’s no such thing as failure.
This whole experience is happening to help you course correct and move in the right direction.
If you’re desiring support to figure out Your Soul Aligned Career, then check out my signature program to help you do just that.
You can read about all the details over at: http://yoursoulalignedcareer.com/
Before you go, I’d love to hear from you…
- Which essential question do you need to ask yourself?
- What’s holding you back from deciding on whether to stay or go?
I’d love to know and continue the conversation in the comments.
With love,
Siobhan
Xoxo
P.S. If you’re craving some support to figure out Your Soul Aligned Career, I’ve got you. I created a program to support you with all that you need to figure out your next steps and where you’re really meant to go next. If you’re curious to learn more, you can check out all the details over at: http://yoursoulalignedcareer.com/
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