Out with the Old! In with the New!

 

Go Out with a Bang!

“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

Steve Jobs

          Have you ever had a job that you know so well that you could do it in your sleep? Or, one you know is dead-end; you’ve gone as far as you can go, and only if someone dies, will your job title change? How about a job in which you are just making the motions? Or perhaps, one in which the work environment is so toxic that you’re eating a box of TUMS every day? Do you want to quit but don’t know how?

          The most successful writers of books about work say, be sure to have a job lined up before you quit the one you have. Some say, fling caution to the wind—if you aren’t happy with what you’re doing, quit today. No amount of money compensates for the side-effects of living in a pressure cooker every day. It will give you ulcers and shorten your life. But there is a reality check to do if you are your own sole bread winner—you need to have a job, but don’t be afraid to try something new. The thing that helps us grow and add skills (and more importantly, builds healthy brain cells) is work that we can’t sleepwalk through.

          It’s the same with volunteer work—if you love it, stay. But if you feel yourself dreading meetings, deadlines, changes in administration, and you don’t get up in the morning excited and rearing to go, it’s time to step away. Don’t feel bad about leaving a volunteer post—there’s a big difference between giving up and knowing when you’ve had enough and can no longer do your best work for the cause.

          Of course, it’s always best to go out with a bang if you can. Robert Greene, who wrote The 48 Laws of Power, said, “Always go out with a victory.” If you can leave knowing that you have given it your best, then you won’t carry the stone of regret forever in your belly. There is excitement and aliveness in the world—it’s not necessary to grind yourself away at a job you hate just because it pays your rent, or because you’ve been volunteering there for decades, and no one is stepping up to replace you. Maybe your decision to step down will give someone else the courage to step up! Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end—that’s not sad, it’s just reality. Don’t go home and vegetate—go out there and find what makes you come alive. There’s always more to do.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane