5 questions to ask yourself before you quit your job

If you have discovered my work, it’s quite likely you are experiencing some kind of displeasure with your current work. Oftentimes people come to me when they are at their breaking point. They can no longer tolerate the situation they are in and are ready to jump ship, however, their real point of frustration is they don’t know what’s next or how to figure that out. This is where I can help.

Long ago, I was in a similar situation. I knew there was more to life than what I was living and I definitely knew there was more to work that what I was doing, but I didn’t know what that more was. I felt stuck. I was frustrated, angry even. The desire to know, however, sent me on a journey – a long journey – to discover what I now call my inspired work.

In the beginning, what I thought I was searching for was work I would enjoy, but I didn’t know exactly what that was. What I did know was that I wanted it to feel meaningful and I wanted it to feel aligned with who I was. To get to clarity about this required me to do the deep inner work of letting go who I thought I was so that I could show up in the world as who I really am. In the end, it turned out what I was really searching for was me. When I finally discovered who I was and what I had to offer the world, then I was able to create the work that allowed me to be me – my inspired work.

Before long, others started to ask me to guide them on the same journey so I developed a “map” to help us navigate our way. Now I walk people through the same steps and stages I went through to help them discover and create the work that is the truest expression of them.

When people embark on this process of discovery, I encourage them not to quit their jobs right away. It is very difficult to do the deep inner work necessary when we are in a place of struggle or desperation. Instead, I invite them to look at their current situation as the foundation they can build upon so they can craft the life their heart truly desires. Just the knowledge you are not stuck and you are taking steps that are leading you to where you want to be can greatly alleviate the suffering of being where you are.

So before you quit your seemingly insufferable job, let me offer you these five questions to ask yourself:

What can I change about how I am showing up in my work that would improve my situation?

Most often what’s intolerable about our current work is not the work itself, but our resistance to the work. We complain, we blame, we lash out in frustration all in the hopes to mitigate the powerlessness we feel in being stuck. But all this does is causes us to lose our connection with our source of energy and leaves us feeling depleted. Instead, if we can find some way to appreciate where we are or even bring more of who we are to our current situation, it frees up the vital energy we need to do the important work of discovery and creation.

Have I done the inner work necessary to shift my patterns of consciousness that brought me into this situation in the first place?

We can continue to change jobs, change companies, or change careers all we want, but until we do the inner work of shifting our own consciousness, we will keep playing out the same scenarios. To change what’s happening in our outer world, we must first look within at what brought us there to begin with. We must dismantle any limiting beliefs we are holding about ourselves or the concept of work itself. We must release any conditioning or old thought patterning that keeps us bound up in stories that are no longer serving us. Until we do this, we will keep choosing new jobs that result in the same old situation.

Am I quitting just to push against what I don’t want or am I consciously moving towards what I truly desire?

It’s instinct to recoil against that which is undesirable, however, it means you are still giving your attention to that which you don’t want. When you focus on gaining clarity about what it is you actually desire, then you shift your gaze towards that which you do want and you can begin to take steps to move in that direction. Eventually, you will simply leave behind what was not wanted. No pushing necessary.

Am I willing to make the whole-hearted commitment to the journey of living into my inspired work?

When I used to teach self-employment courses, I would often jest, “You have to dislike working for someone else so much that you are willing to work three times as hard for yourself.” Inspired work is similar. You have to be so dissatisfied in your current work that you are willing to take the long, sometimes arduous journey of bringing your inspired work to life. I cannot guarantee the path will always be easy, but the challenges are far outshone by the joy of living your inspired life. That, I can guarantee.

What kind of support will I need to make this transition?

What is it you will need so that you can make the shift from just working for a living to actually living your inspired work? Perhaps you need your family to become more responsible for meeting their own needs. Or you might need to release yourself from other obligations so you have the time and space to develop your own work. Possibly you will need to find a coach or mentor that can guide you on your journey. Whatever it is you decide you need, then you must ask for help, and allow yourself to receive that help.

The choice as to when to leave your job can be distressing, but when you are doing the inner work that is allowing new possibilities to emerge for you, it can make that decision less urgent. The journey to discovering, creating, and living your inspired work can be done on your own, however, it can be much more graceful with the guidance of those who have walked the path already. Of course, as I said, I am available to help. Just know that I will encourage you to look within before you leap.