Is quitting for losers or winners?
I have been receiving messages and comments from women after my LinkedIn post last week about the resignation of the Scottish leader, Nicola Sturgeon, and the skill of quitting in general.
“Not everyone has the option to quit. If I had flat out ‘quit’ my former position without another position lined up, as an American in Paris, I would have been homeless and without health insurance, within the matter of a month,” wrote one woman.
“I quit my job last month and was feeling guilty. Your post made me feel better – thank you,” wrote another woman.
All this got me thinking as to what makes it harder or easier for us to quit.
First, my story of quitting in a nutshell.
When I was a young and green reporter, I quit an American news agency (AP) when a French news agency (AFP) offered to pay me double.
💰 Money was my key motivator.
I quit AFP when the BBC offered me a full-time producer job in London.
🙋🏻♀️ Being part of the world’s top media organisation was the driver behind my decision.
It was hard to quit the BBC with my cuishy salary and job stability.
🌅 Yet, I did — after 9 years of a fulfilling career, I craved a change and wanted to make a real impact.
I quit working at a cosmetics marketing magazine in Paris after only 2 weeks.
👶🏼 Because childcare costed more than what I got paid + I hated writing about perfumes.
Later, as a certified coach, I quit working for a corporate mindfulness training organisation and did so with a broken heart.
👿 I loved what I did but was burning out and losing my confidence because of the toxic and masochistic boss.
So, while in my books, quitting is not ideal, it’s always an option.
Why we leave, when we leave and if we leave our jobs at all has to do with 3 things:
➡️ Your Core values.
Some people value stability and continuation, while others value intellectual stimulation and a new challenge more. For the third group, it’s all about recognition and autonomy.
➡️ Your Purpose
For many people who leave their jobs and change industries after two decades or more, it’s about finally doing something that is connected to their purpose in life, their Big Why. Similarly, for those of us whose #1 value is to make a difference in the world, it’s easier to quit when our day jobs no longer feel aligned with our purpose. Lastly, since our purpose evolves as we age, it is inevitable that we will want to quit old jobs and change.
Now, what makes it harder to leave even the most toxic jobs and orgaanisations? Even if you’re burning out and your job is taking more from you than giving you?
I➡️ Your fears and limiting beliefs.
They may sounds like this:
“I am in my 50s. I will never be able to find another well-paid job elsewhere.”
“It’s a recession out there. I’d better stick to what I have.”
Or the lady from above’s fears
“I am an American in Paris. I will be homeless if I resign.”
I➡️ Undervaluing yourself.
Lack of clarity on your Personal Value Proposition.
Feeling “not good enough”.
Imposter Syndrome.
Not having a strong personal brand.
Conclusion:
It gets easier to quit a job/company that no longer works for us when
We value ourselves more than we value our jobs or the companies we work at.
We are strategic and visible.
We know how to sell ourselves.
We build a strong personal brand,
We are clear on our purpose in life and have a clear vision.
Lastly, when to know if it’s time to quit?
That’s a very personal decision for every single one of us.
I believe when you’re giving to your job more than you take, when you believe you’ve done all you can, when you feel powerless and unseen, and when it’s affecting your wellbeing and mental health, it is time to consider quitting.
Lastly, I advise my private clients and participants of my group coaching programme Elevate to have a hard look at their autopilot behaviors and habits such as their ability to set boundaries or self-promotion skills.
Because wherever you go next, you’ll take your habits with you.
So, what do you think?
Have you been tolerating something that you shouldn’t?
Or have you been allowing your fears and limiting beliefs to hold you hostage in the job that you outgrew a long time ago?
Wishing you a good week ahead.
With love,
Nadira