Resign Your Job Every Year

*My book, Born for This, is all about helping you find the work you were meant to do. This series explores some of these lessons.

Lesson: Make a commitment to resign your job every year, unless your current job is the best one.

When you’re stuck in a rut or simply not sure if your current job is the best choice, here’s an idea: once a year, on the date of your choosing, commit to yourself that you will quit your job unless staying put is the best possible choice for you at this time.

If remaining in your job is the best possible choice, that’s great—you can proceed with confidence, knowing that you’re on the right track. If not, immediately begin looking for something different.

You can also do this if you’re going to school. Every year, decide to drop out unless continuing the program is the best option. As much as possible, ignore sunk costs.

If you’ve been doing a six-year Ph.D. program and have two years invested before you realize it’s making you miserable, does it matter? Not really. Consider the next four years of your life, not the previous investment that brought you this far.

Whether quitting your job, your school program, or something else, here’s a draft statement you can use to make your commitment:

“Every year on [date], I will resign from my job. I’ll then evaluate if it’s the best possible option for me to continue with another year. If it is, I can proceed with confidence and give it my all. If not, I’ll immediately start looking for something better.”

If you end up sticking with your current job because you love it, great! If not, it’s time to get out of Alcatraz. Either way, now you’ve made a conscious decision and can proceed with confidence.

Born for This is available from Amazon.com or your favorite local bookseller. You can also take the free quiz or join me on tour in your choice of more than 30 cities.

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Image: Flazingo Photos