Should I quit my job now or not?

Dear Dr. M,

How do I know whether I should quit my job? I have other passions I want to pursue but they’re not financially viable right now. At the same time I know that freedom from my job would give me more time to focus on my passion. But then again, there’s rent to pay. How can I tell if I’m “taking a chance” on my future or just making a dumb move?

~Signed, Enough

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Dear Enough,

Intuitively, I believe you used the word ‘now’ because you already know that leaving is a necessary step, but maybe not just yet–even though you might be thinking, “enough already with this 9 to 5″. With that in mind, I think the real question is, how to determine the right time to leave. Here are 5 points to consider to help you intuit the right time (and the most empowered way) to make your move.

1. What’s really getting in your way? Is it the job or is it you?
We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that something (or someone) in our life is an obstacle to avoid dealing with the internal obstacle that’s really causing the problem. While your job certainly limits the time and attention you spend on your passion, is it really your job that’s interfering with your success or is the real culprit some ineffective or negative habit on your part? For example, are you disorganized, undercharging for your work, or not really putting yourself out there? If so, leaving your job will not be the magic bullet that turns everything around. If you’re already doing the right things, but your commitment to your job prevents you from doing enough of it to be effective, that’s a different story.

2. You don’t need an excuse to leave a job you’ve had enough of.
In this society, leaving a job without having a sure thing to move on to is generally frowned upon unless you can come up with a good excuse for doing so. Spiritually speaking, you need no such excuse. You may quit your job whenever you choose. No justification is needed, but a responsible approach is preferred. Will there be consequences? Of course–be they considered negative or positive. So be honest and emotionally intelligent about whether you are ready, able and willing to roll with the punches you throw.

3. It is best to leave by moving forward rather than by running away.
Even if you are unsure about what you’re moving toward, it is more empowering to choose to make an investment in your future than it is to try to escape your past. Unresolved issues tend to follow you around. Metaphorically, the energy to take with you when you leave your job should feel more like walking off into the sunset, as opposed to Escape from Witch Mountain. This will bring you more stability as you make the transition.

4. You don’t have to guess. Set your own criteria and decide when to say when.
This is your life. You can decide what kind of picture you want to walk into before you decide to leave your job. Do you want to see a certain amount of income being consistently generated in your side venture? Do you want to have landed at least one major client? Maybe all you want is for the web site to be up and running or to have 500 people on your mailing list. Maybe you don’t need any “evidence” at all, and the inspiration alone is enough for you to decide to make the leap. The choice is yours based on what you feel is appropriate and satisfies your need.

5. Have a “Plan B”
After giving this great consideration, if you decide now is the time to leave and take a chance on your future, my final piece of advice is have a Plan B. Some people frown on Plan B because they believe it to be the product of negative thinking. That’s like deciding not to have a smoke alarm or fire extinguisher and relying on positive thinking as your protection. Acknowledging the possibility that things may not unfold exactly as you planned is not the same as expecting yourself to fail. It just means you are aware that the energy may flow differently than the way you projected and that you may have to make adjustments. What if success requires more resources or more time than expected? What if you realize that your original idea doesn’t work in the real world, and now you need to go back to the drawing board. Plan B serves four purposes: 1) provides a reality check and balances your expectations, 2) prevents panic if you hit a snag; 3) gives you additional inner peace and leverage to take bolder, more effective action; and 4) helps set performance guidelines and a way to gauge your progress. If your Plan B is to deal with whatever happens when it happens, so be it. Plan B is just a tool to help you readjust your energy if necessary. It’s incredibly liberating and helps make Plan A that much stronger.

Good luck!
~ Dr. M