Quitting has often been thought of as a negative: a result of an inability to handle the pressure or requirements of the job. Now, however, quitting is becoming the hallmark of success.
The tight labor market has afforded more and more of us the ability to quit our jobs for better opportunities. We are doing so across regions and industries and at a steadily increasing rate. The question is: will 2020 be the year you quit your job?
Flying with the Riddler
Recent data also show that while we are more satisfied with our jobs, we are less satisfied with the most important aspect of our jobs: the potential for future growth. While the chance to make more money, improve our benefits or relocate to a better geographic area offer tangible reasons to make a change, the idea of potential growth, promotion prospects or learning opportunities may not be tangible enough to inspire us to quit.
We have previously written about the importance of asking questions and doing so properly. In this case, by asking ourselves what would have to happen in order to quit my job in 2020, we shift our focus away from the prospects associated with moving on to the practical reality of our current situation.
Asking in this manner exposes weaknesses in our current position over which we may not have any control (the boss leaves; the company is sold or relocated, etc.). It also highlights any potential related personal issues (spouse getting a new job; kids moving out or going to college, etc.).
Facing these potentially uncomfortable answers will helps us address them and determine whether we are still on the best professional path.
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Asking what would have to happen helps us look at the external factors; asking what would it take for me to quit my job in 2020 shifts the focus back to our professional ambitions.
By asking a number of different questions around the idea of quitting, we can air out all the potential issues associated with leaving our jobs, start to identify ways to protect ourselves against risk and manage our fears and our expectations.
Then, from that clean place of confident clarity, we can begin to prioritize our reasons to look for another job and appropriately weigh them against opportunity.
Next steps
We have also written here before about the importance of the side hustle, becoming an entrepreneur, and quitting while you are ahead. The common idea behind all of them is that in this moment, with a strong, employee-friendly job market, we must get to the bottom of what drives and inspires us and set about a plan for getting it.
This can best be done if we clean out our old beliefs and honestly and thoroughly examine them to determine whether they still serve our professional goals.
By understanding what it would take for us to quit our jobs and why we have not already, we can set ourselves up for professional success in 2020.
