The Real Reason Why We Quit
A few weeks ago, I decided to leave the organization I was working for. At that time, I had a list of reasons why I should quit.
- My project can already run without me.
- My manager is not concerned with my personal development.
- My organization is stuck and I‘m not growing anymore.
- My sister is giving birth.
- My fortune teller said so.
- My plans for grad school need some work.
- Etc. etc.
It’s funny because we like talking about how much we love/hate our job, how much fun we have when we’re at work or during weekends when we finally take a break from that terrible office. Of course, it’s short-lived because the sun rises again on Monday and your Instagram post queue includes that well-meaning quote you found last night about pushing yourself and staying resilient despite the lack of good days ahead.
So why don’t you just quit?
I never had trouble finding something meaningful to do with my time. I’m lucky I had the opportunity to finish university and get valuable skills. I have the confidence that I will succeed no matter what I do, at different levels depending on how much effort I put into it (mind you- 0% is still a success rate). I always knew that one day, I would quit whatever job I was doing to go do something else that eventually, I would quit too.
So why did I quit?
I realized that quitting is only negative if you think it is. Leaving your job doesn’t mean you are ungrateful or selfish. Most of the time others will but that’s because they’re not in your shoes. Their truths are not yours. Your lessons are not their lessons. We’re really on our own here despite the talk on ‘unity in diversity’ and ‘globalization breaking down barriers’ movement.
I quit my job because I already learned the lesson I needed in that phase of my life. Consider it a badge in your favorite video game. I’ve earned that badge and now I’m ready to move on to the next level; to a new town.
My motto is to always consider what I can contribute and less on what I can take away. Because to give is also to have, as there is always an energy exchange that manifests when the time is right.
I quit because I was ready to use whatever it is I learned to contribute somewhere else where I am needed.
To me, quitting is a step in a different direction. It is not necessarily a step forward or a step back. What’s important is I know which direction I am headed. Is it towards living a more creative life? Does quitting lead me to be more grounded and stable so I can be reached by family and friends? If I quit now, will I have a hard time later? If I quit later, will the problems be resolved? There are many reasons why we quit, but I think I’ve figured out the most common: time.
Lately, I’ve been obsessing about all the magic that is around me and how fast my comfort zone is shrinking. I often find myself at the cusp of a big decision only to realize that I’ve made the choice even before the situation presented itself to me.
It’s amazing how inspiration arrives and leaves at the same instant, yet we are still here because it is simply time that is keeping us from our best selves, our worst selves, our joy, our sufferings, our gains, our losses. Time is nothing short of a mystery, yet we know deep within that time is a gift. In the famous words of Dumbledore to Harry, “Use it well.”
When you feel you are no longer performing in your job, you quit. It is time.
When you find out that your boss and mentor is leaving, you follow. It is time.
When you see a job opening at another company you’ve been wanting to work for, you quit. It is time.
When you finally decide to follow your fiancé to another country, you quit. It is time.
For many different reasons, time helps us move on from one thing to the next. You did not leave your job because the pay is too low. You left your job because it is time you get a bigger salary for the amount of skills you’ve earned. You did not leave your job because there was no career advancement in place. You left your job because it is time for you to step up if you want to keep meeting your clients’ demands.
Me? I probably quit for all the same reasons you did when you left your last job. But I prefer to see it in a more magical light where you and I can enjoy the process and let go completely of what we’ve left behind.
What was your reason for leaving your last job? What is keeping you from leaving your current job?
What if you had all the time in the world, what would you be doing? If you didn’t have any time at all, what would you be doing?
Kathleen doesn’t like labels too much. She writes, she dances, she’s fond of culture, music, arts, and the amount of work it takes to live and create — she loves.
