Have you been fantasising about quitting your job?

Should you just do it TODAY? 

Maybe you’re frustrated by a difficult boss, feeling trapped in work that is boring or stressful or even BOTH, panicking that your life is slipping away from you and feeling like you can’t do it for one day longer.The thing is, tempting though it can be to storm out the door in a dramatic flourish, it’s usually not the best idea.

Beyond all the obvious stuff about burnt bridges and references, leaving with nothing else lined up can create a real headache for yourself and – perhaps counter-intuitively – potentially delay your career change even further.

It’s easy, when you’re in the thick of it, to imagine if you could just leave the current job, you’d have so much energy, time and headspace to focus on your shift.

In fact, what I have seen many times with clients I’ve worked with over the years, those who give into temptation end up with a whole load of new problems they hadn’t anticipated. These can include:

Money worries: Regardless of how much you’ve saved up to tide you over for a situation like this, the reality of having zero pay checks coming into your account each month can create a huge amount of pressure. Career change takes time and requires an open and curious mindset, which is hard when you feel that kind of urgency, however imminent the need to start making money is.

Lack of routine: When you’re super busy, the promise of an empty diary looks really appealing, but  - in reality - suddenly finding yourself with no structure and only yourself to be accountable to can make it even harder to get into action. Leaving the social connections behind from your existing role can also put you in quite a lonely and isolated place, which can be a challenge to energy levels, especially if you’re an extrovert.

Loss of identity and confidence: So often, I see previously self-assured and clearly talented, capable people suffer a huge blow to their self-esteem when removed from the professional identity and workplace life they’re become used to. So much of our sense of self-worth, for better or worse, is tied up in our jobs, and a lack of direction can create feelings of shame and worthlessness.

Each of these can be barriers to career change, whether from the ability to be open and curious, or the lack of momentum and drive, to the energy sap of struggling with your inner gremlins.I’m not saying don’t do it – for some situations, you just need to get the hell out.

Pre-empting some of this stuff means you can go into it with your eyes open and plan how you’ll overcome the obstacles, whether that’s working out a daily routine or getting some external support in place to help you maintain a positive mindset.If you’re thinking of quitting your job today and want a sounding board before you jump ship, just get in touch. I’m happy to chat and help you weigh up the pros and cons.