Remember the episode of FRIENDS where Chandler convinces Rachel to quit her comfortable waitressing job so she can pursue the things she really wants to do in her career? He tells her she needs to quit – needs ‘The Fear’ of not knowing where her next paycheque is coming from – in order to push her to chase her dreams.
She spends half of the episode forcing the gang to form an unhappy production line to print, address, and stamp her CVs to any job that will take her.

Me? Well, as I mentioned in my New Year round up, January was the month I left what I once called my dream job…with nothing firm to move on to. Actually, with no idea what I was going to do.

Why? For ‘the fear’.
I wasn’t thriving any more, and I needed to change that.

I’m not saying that you ought to leave jobs with no idea how you’re going to make rent or pay your bills – but I am saying that if you’re on the fence, there are some pretty simple ways to tell if your job is not right for you any more, and you need to consider other options:

IT’S COMFORTABLE

Sometimes we stay in jobs not because we like them or they’re particularly good for us, but because it’s easier; either you like the people, or you could do the work in your sleep, or you just feel like it’s simpler than going for what you actually want.

IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU HAPPY

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; if something (or someone) isn’t making you happy, leave.
Whatever the reason, and however unjustified it might sound in your head (or to anyone else), nothing is worth your mental health or wellbeing.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE? WHAT’S THAT?

We’ve all been there. Staying a little bit later than we should, not taking our full (if any) lunch breaks, checking emails at 10pm…whether it’s expected or not, it’s unhealthy, and you need to step away from anything making you seriously wonder where your professional and personal selves separate. Self-care in practice.

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU LOVE

I think this is something we’re all embarrassed to admit comes into our thought processes when we’re job hunting. Sometimes, your role changes. Sometimes, you move teams and nothing ‘clicks’, and sometimes you just fall out of love with a job you once adored.
In a society where we’re constantly glamourising ‘the grind’ and supposed to contain our passions to a ‘side hustle’ until they’re lucrative, maybe we’ve all convinced ourselves that liking what you do doesn’t really come in to it…but it should.

YOU THRIVE UNDER PRESSURE

This is a huge one for me, personally. The truth is, I do my best when I don’t have time to get stuck in my own head, and thrive when I don’t have a chance to second guess my gut instincts.
You probably know, somewhere, deep down, when a place isn’t right for you any more – when you need to progress, or try a different industry, or just do something else, entirely – but admitting it to yourself is another thing altogether.

Disclaimer: not all of the points above apply to where I previously worked; I genuinely loved my time there. This is a post solely about whether or not moving on from your job could be what you need.

How do you decide when it’s time to move on?

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