Whether you have grown complacent, resentful, or curious about what else is out there, when your job no longer provides fulfillment, joy and passion, you would want to move on. But when you do walk away, you are also bombarded with sentiments of sadness, loss and fear. So how can you peacefully leave an important part of your past behind? As hard as it will be, if you want more out of work and life, you have to put in the effort to properly move on. If you want to know how, then scroll down.
1. Plan ahead.
You don't need an attractive job offer to resign, but you might want to save up enough to support you and your family for a while. Usually the number lands anywhere between nine to 12 months' of living expenses, including medical, accidental dismemberment and various other insurances. Obtaining financial security will give you both comfort and assurance.In addition to money, you will also need emotional support. Gather your "tribe" and explain your situation, plans and expectations for yourself to them. Ask for their help along the process. If they sincerely want the best for you, they will step up and be there in times of need.
2. Make a clean break.
Turn in your resignation letter to your immediate organizational superior right away. Be polite, positive and professional, and most importantly, be incredibly confident in the decision. Squash any signs of self-doubt with poise and determination. You are on your way to a better future because you have worked hard to serve your team. Now, you deserve to get what you want.3. Take time to mourn.
Saying good-bye may be the hardest part of leaving. Walking away from a job that you have dedicated so much to is to kill a part of who you are. Like with any death, it requires proper mourning. Take time to say farewell to the people that mean the most, bid good-bye to physical fixtures like the coffee machine, shelves and monitors, clean your work computer and remove all unnecessary files, and wipe your desks, chairs and other furnitures clean.Close your eyes, take a deep breath and revel in the smell, sounds and energy of the space. Finally, look out the windows one last time and enjoy the view.
Saying good-bye is hard. But when you do it properly and with intention, you will be able to move on in peace.
4. Make a list of takeaways.
To start a new journey positively, you must take away all of the things that are good at your old job. To think more clearly, grab a piece of pen and paper and create three lists: 1) the accomplishments that you have made, 2) the lessons that you have learned, and 3) the people that you wish to keep in touch with.Seeing clearly in front of you a list of valuable takeaways allows you to leave the past in the past and walk away with a sense of accomplishmnent.
5. Be alone.
And really. Be alone. No calls to your family, coffee with girlfriends, diving into job search, or signing up for personal coaching.As soon as you turn in your equipment, badge and paperwork, you are utterly alone. So, let it be.
Spend the next day, weekend or however long you need to reflect, learn about yourself and set up a new routine. Take the time to realize what you truly want out of your next job. Then, go get it.
Before immersing yourself into something new, you must spend time getting to know your present self better. Without a solid sense of self, you cannot move on in calm and peace.
Parting Thoughts
Your job, like any job, is just a job. It does not care for you, love you, or give back to you what you have given to it. In other words, you have no relationship with it. It is simply there, like the air that you breath, the earth that you walk on, and the clouds in the sky.If you love your job, that is because you have allowed yourself to love it. And if you want to walk away from it, that is your decision too, as is how you can peacefully, positively and unresentingly leave it behind. In other words: you owe your job nothing and verse versa. At the end of the day, as long as you have walked away with at least one good memory, then you deserve to move on with your head held high.
Pin this article!
[ Disclaimer: this article includes affiliate links.]
Posts
