5 Signs It’s Time to Quit Your Job
There will be instances when you feel like you’re starting to dislike your job. This is normal especially if you’ve been doing it for a time. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally not liking your job but when the feeling becomes deeper and dislike turns to distain, chances are, it’s time to quit your job.
It takes more than wishing you’re doing something else to determine when it’s time to say goodbye. It takes even longer to get to a point where quitting becomes a viable option. There are telltale signs it’s time and it takes a certain level of awareness to understand what the signs mean and where it leads. So when do you know it’s time?
- You’re Distracted All Throughout the Day
There will always be those times when your mind just isn’t in your job and that’s perfectly normal. What isn’t, is when you’re distracted all throughout the day, every day of the workweek. When your mind wanders even if you have lots of work on your plate, then you have a problem.
More importantly, if you’re too distracted to get any work done and you know you’re losing the company money but feel indifferent about it, chances are, it’s time to quit. Remember that if you actually like what you’re doing, you’d feel guilty wasting precious company time and resources so do yourself a favor and quit while you’re ahead.
- You Dread Mondays but Always Look Forward to Fridays
Mondays are always a drag but it’s when you start feeling that Fridays are taking so long to arrive and that weekends pass by in a blur that it may be time to throw in the towel. Also, if you’re unable to enjoy your weekend because you’re worrying too much about Monday approaching, then it’s seriously time to move on.
Weekends are supposed to be spent relaxing, enjoying, and just doing things you are unable to do during the work week. If you can’t relax simply because the looming Monday has already cast its dark shadow, you’re better off finding another job, one that’ll make you look forward to Monday rather than dread it. Lastly, if you’re beginning to take off one day a week to shorten what you perceive as a long work week, it would be modest to quit rather than be terminated due to excessive absences.
- Your Values No Longer Align with the Company
This one’s easy and is perhaps the clearest sign that it’s time to leave. This is also the only sign you can use during your interview with another company that won’t jeopardize your chances of being considered for the job posting.
When your values no longer align with the company you begin to doubt everything they tell you. Professional lines start to blur and you begin to drift away from the company greatly affecting your work performance. In order to be at your most productive professionally, it is important that you believe in the goal you and the company is working hard to achieve. If you realize that your values no longer match those of your employers’, it’s time to move on.
- You Forget About the Company the Moment You Step Out of the Office
The company you work for is an extension of your personal life. People who love what they’re doing think about how much value they can add to their work even after they’re out of the office. They think about what they want to do the next day and plan what they’re going to achieve tomorrow. If your mind shuts off immediately after you leave the office, then it may be time to go.
You don’t need to think about work every time but it’s when you don’t think about it at all that you should start worrying. If you’re looking at work as just work, then that’s exactly what happens. Perhaps it’s time to find out what you’re really passionate about and go after it rather than remain working in a company that’s giving you a hard time performing at your best.
- You Talk About Work Negatively and Relish Talking to Other People About it
Surely, there are people in the office complaining about how their work sucks. You’ve probably met them before and avoided them like plague so the negativity does not rub on you. When you start becoming like them and actually enjoy hanging around with them just so you can complain, whine, and rant about work, then it’s time to bid them and the company goodbye.
Negativity in the workplace has never been good. It will drag you down and prevent you from doing everything you can to get things done. Before you even realize it, you’d bring it with you even outside the office. You’d start talking about it to family members, friends, and even people who’d care to listen. That isn’t healthy and you’re better off spending your energy doing something somewhere else.
The decision to quit your job and pursue something you’re passionate about is not something you make lightly. There are, of course, other factors you need to consider and the signs mentioned above are just catalysts to help you make a decision sooner.
Your attitude towards work will ultimately be your gauge on whether you really need to quit. You can try changing your perception about work and see if it changes anything. If not, then it’s time to look and explore other opportunities out there for you.
Share your thoughts about this article by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter or sending us an email at (enter email address).
