When It's Time to Leave Your Job
I'm Asian. I'm a woman. I'm young and have since shifted from pursuing a career in entertainment to working at major software companies. So, I felt like either a) I've always had everything to prove and b) I needed to work harder than everybody else.
I did recognize for a long time that there's always someone who can walk in the room with more experience than me, a skin color that someone might prefer more, a man someone might respect more. But if I continued to work diligently and proactively - no matter what the odds were - I will eventually come out on top.
This time, last year, I felt complacent...like I wasn't doing enough. I had great co-workers and had finally built a solid pipeline of clients, but I felt stagnant as far as learning goes and that left me feeling mediocre. The whole idea of me wanting more than my 9 to 5 is not wanting more money but my insatiable appetite to be challenged. I thought to myself, "I'm making a decent living, I'm traveling, I'm treating my boyfriend out to lavish meals and I feel so good physically but what else?"
I felt stuck. Confused. Borderline frustrated.
And then I read somewhere on Forbes that if you feel stuck already, you need to start moving and if you needed a sign to move...this is it. Mentally, physically and for a lot of people, spiritually get moving. Trust and believe that the answer will not come to you magically in your stillness and complacency. While I'm extremely great at having a poker face on, the truth is I never know exactly what my next move is going to be and that scares the crap out of me.
When I was in college, I zeroed in on getting the best internships in Hollywood and I did that. The issue had was that I haven't gotten the chance to narrow down my next goal. And then I asked myself a question and I'm going to ask you the same thing: In your perfect world, what do you love to do and what would you like to be a part of?
I contemplated thoughtfully for a long time on this question and wrote down 3 simple things.
- I like storytelling
- I love to listen
- I like to help people grow
That same conversation I had with myself once before led me to start my wedding business. Now that I'm feeling stuck again, I had to go back and remind myself of the things that truly matter to me, which was relationship building, communicating and work with people who value my ideas and creativity.
If your passion is in entrepreneurship and your cubicle no longer felt like the place to do it then start strategizing a new business venture and network. If the excitement in your role begins to fade, start creating a path where you no longer have to dread going to work. The beauty of living in a time like this and living in America is that you can always use the knowledge you've gained to explore other opportunities.
I hope you're consumed by this new passion. I hope it brings a light back into your life. I hope that ceiling you once felt no longer exist because you get to call the shots now. I'm not telling you to quit your job and throw everything away since that's just not realistic but if you need to take some time off to reevaluate what you want to do and where you need to be...then do it.
I'll fill you in on the next part of my journey once I'm on the other side of this pothole. Talk to you soon.
“If you sit and do nothing, you will get nothing, you will see nothing and you will learn nothing.”