How Do You Know If It It's Time to Quit Your Job

Everyone knows by now that I quit a high paying job in order to pursue my passion, writing. For 15 years, I worked in that industry and it was a profitable one. I was able to buy a house, cars, send my family on trips abroad and give myself a comfortable life. It was hard to let go especially because I have gotten use to the luxuries that money bought me. However, there were certain things that strengthened my resolve. Here are some questions I asked myself to determine whether I was ready to quit my job.


1. Is this your living or your life?

I’m a workaholic. In the 15 years that I worked in that industry, I took a total of three vacations. The longest one was when I was nearing resignation. The other two were no more than a three-day vacation and that was only to take my family to a vacation. Before I knew it, my job became my life. It took most of my time. In fact, there was hardly anything else that I did but my work. My living became my life. I realized that my nieces and nephews were all growing up and I don’t know anything about them. My parents were growing old and I don’t get to take care of them.


2. Do you want to be like your boss?

My turning point actually happened when the CEO of our biggest account visited our office. I expected our bosses to be all over him but I didn’t expect to be disgusted at the sight. It was asskissin’ at its finest. Then it hit me. That is me in five years. I’ll be one of these people wearing my Sunday best trying to impress someone. I admire all of my bosses and I thought they were all brilliant but the way they all try and kiss that man’s ass was a disgusting site. That was when I told myself that I done playing that game. I needed out.


3. Is this your passion?

It wasn’t. I am good at marketing. Heck, I am great at it but it’s not my passion. Not even close. I don’t see the beauty in coming up with a way to convince the market they need something that’s three times more expensive than the same product in the next aisle that is made the exact same way. I don’t look down on the job but it simply wasn’t the job that excites me and certainly not something that will motivate me for the rest of my life. There is no bigger picture, it’s simply selling.


4. Is there anything else you would rather be doing now?

Every day I knew that I would rather be writing. I would rather be painting. I would rather be gardening. I would rather be sleeping. I would rather be running. I would rather be taking my parents for a coffee but I don’t get to do any of those because I am thinking of insights and consumer research and marketing strategies and budget.


5. If your younger you sees you right now, will she be happy with what he sees?

My younger self would be disgusted and would have most certainly killed herself at the sight of me. This is something my younger self promised to avoid. My younger self promised she will never get into advertising and marketing. My younger self wanted to write and I did exactly what she didn’t want to do and didn’t do what she wanted to do. She would have just killed herself, seriously.


6. What is success to you? Will you achieve it doing what you are doing?

Success is waking up every morning knowing I can spend the rest of my day the way I want to. No, it will not happen in this job. If I stay here, I will be spending the rest of my life waking up every morning wanting to check whether our product is selling or not.

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