“We have been so busy making a living that we have had less time really to live…”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

The decision to leave my job was a long and strenuous process. I went back and forth for years (yes years) over whether I should leave the job and the career, I had worked so hard for.

When looking back over my career, I felt a sense of pride at all the hard work, dedication, and commitment I had put in. But this sense of pride was also mixed with bitterness and regret, because I knew deep down that there was so much more to the story.

Yes, I had worked hard, but that too often meant that I was doing someone else’s job in addition to my own. I was dedicated, but that usually meant I was covering for someone else’s faults. I was committed, but that commitment was to the fear that I wouldn’t be able to find another job if I left.  

For a long time, I thought the problem was with me, not my job. I admonished myself and thought, if I just stayed focused on all the things I had already accomplished, I wouldn’t have time to fantasize about the what-ifs of my career.

However, as I looked back over all the years I had put in, I couldn’t help but also wonder about my future, and what should have filled me with a sense of security for a straightforward career-path, actually filled me with longing and disappointment. Was this all I had to look forward to? Was this really all there was out there for me? These were hard questions to ask, and even harder to answer.

If my job was no longer the right fit for me, then I needed to start seriously thinking about what else was out there for me. I began to think, “if I could do well at this job, then maybe I could do well at something else too…”

These are my top 5 signs that I knew it was time for me to quit my job, and start pursuing my dreams.

1. My Boss Didn’t Notice How Much I Actually Worked

I worked late, I worked early, I worked often. I was always at the office.

I remember the first job I got as a manager, my boss said to me after I was hired, “I expect you to work a minimum of 50 hours a week, and when we get into our busy season, don’t expect a day off until after the Christmas holiday.” (Our busy season started the week of Thanksgiving). Little did I know that this type of extreme schedule would set the pattern for the rest of my career.

At first, I wanted to stay. I believed that all the long hours were necessary to advance my career. I wanted my boss to see that I was a hard worker, that I too was a valuable member of the team. But my boss never noticed. Other than a casual “nice job,” every now and then, and a “we appreciate all your hard work” during review time, there was no real acknowledgement.

It was clear that all my long days and short weekends had produced no measurable benefit to myself, or to my career.

I had failed to realize the most obvious thing– that no one sees you when you are working late, because everyone has already left for the day.

2. I Didn’t Feel Good When I Got Paid

Getting paid used to be the highlight of my week. It was the culmination of all my hard work in monetary form. My paycheck was the reason (and on most days, the only reason) I went into work in the first place and put up with all the things that I did.

After a particularly long and grueling day at the office, my colleague and I had a few minutes to debrief before we wrapped up for the evening. Our company had undertaken a major new project, and it required a lot of long and stressful days. As we sat and reviewed all the work we had done for that day, and all the work still left to do tomorrow, it was obvious we were both tired and exhausted.

Trying to lighten the mood a bit, I said to my colleague, “Well, at least tomorrow is payday. With all the extra hours you’ve been working, it must feel pretty good when you get your check with all that overtime on it.” She shrugged her shoulders a little and said, “Not really….You spend so much time here, sometimes it doesn’t really feel worth it.” Although I didn’t admit it then, I knew exactly how she felt.

The money on my paycheck just didn’t feel worth it anymore. There was value in the work that I was doing, but I couldn’t put a dollar amount on all the endless hours, stress, and the many, many personal sacrifices I had made.

3. I Stopped Working On My Personal Goals

When I looked around my house, all I saw was unfinished everything. I had several books started with only one or two chapters read, a sink full of dirty dishes, clothes everywhere, piles of unopened mail.

I was out of shape and ate out all the time. I had stopped cooking because I couldn’t think of coming home and doing more work. I had for years been trying to commit to an exercise routine, but I was always too tired after a long day at the office to make it to the gym.

Even the simple things l use to enjoy, like going outside for a walk when the weather was nice, I stopped doing altogether. I couldn’t bring myself to do the things I wanted to do, because I was too tired.

This began to affect my self-esteem and my self-confidence. I felt depressed. I was achieving so much at work, and so little at home.  

My job was supposed to be adding to a more fulfilling and enjoyable personal life, not taking away from it.  

4. Other People At Work Talked Of Quitting Too

As the saying goes, “misery loves company.”  

When I first confided in a colleague that I was thinking of quitting, I was both relieved and surprised to hear that they too felt the same way. They understood why I wanted to leave, and even had similar complaints about the company.

From there, I was introduced to a whole underground office network of colleagues and employees who were also dissatisfied with the company. I was amazed. Did everyone secretly hate their job and want to quit too?

At first it was great! I felt like I was a part of some progressive group of company thinkers, who could identify all our problems and solutions.

I was grateful to be able to candidly share my pent-up anger and disappointment. But what started out as what I thought were empowering conversations about change, became draining, self-defeating, and counterproductive gossip about the company.

I eventually grew tired of the never-ending complaining, including my own. I even started avoiding my old work clique. I didn’t want to quit my job because of what someone else thought, or based on what someone else said they might do.

It had been my experience that most people who openly complained about quitting their job were the ones who never quit, and ironically enough, stay the longest.

5. I Had Bigger Dreams

I read somewhere that J.K. Rowling (author of the Harry Potter novels) was once fired from a job because she was always daydreaming. I have no idea if this story is true or not, but I can relate.

I liked my job, but I certainly didn’t love it. The work was interesting, but not insightful. My days were full, but never fulfilling. My head was in it, but my heart was certainly not.

When I was at work, I was also dreaming of something else. I wanted to start my own blog and become a writer.

I had never seriously considered writing as a career option before, but after I stumbled across few Pinterest pins about starting your own blog, I have to admit, I found the whole idea intriguing.

I began reading articles by people who had launched their own blogs, and was pleasantly surprised by all the helpful information and advice I found. I started jotting down ideas for potential posts, came up with a blog name, and even purchased an online course on how to launch your own blog.

But that’s as far as I got. I wanted to pursue being a writer, but I was unsure about leaving my career and even more unsure about starting all over again. I ended up sitting on my dream to become a writer for several years.

When I finally did decide to leave my job, I took the route of saving up so that I could cover my bills for a few months while I worked full-time on my blog. I felt that this was the best solution for me. It gave me the time I needed to financially and mentally prepare to quit my job and begin a new career path.

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The decision to quit my job was a long and personal process. There were so many reasons why I wanted to leave, and so many more reasons why I felt I should stay. Although it was very difficult for me, I’m glad I took the chance, and made the decision to get out there and at least try.

It wasn’t all smooth, and there were definitely some unintended consequences, but there were also some unexpected luck. If you have quit your job, or maybe are thinking about it, feel free to comment below. Let me know how you knew it was time to leave.

As always, keep writing, keep sharing.