Is your job dead on arrival? Are you just really done and there’s no coming back from there?

We are often like that doctor, the one that won’t let go and call it. The one that keeps trying to resuscitate a ghost.

Signs that your job is dead:

You are convinced that your job is killing you.

You are not sleeping well.

You are snapping at people. A lot. For months.

Your loved ones avoid you. Even the Dog avoids you.

At work, you have to remember that you can’t refer to that guy as ‘douchebag’ to his face. You have to really really remind yourself of this fact. Because that word is so deeply ingrained in your psyche for him.

The term “casual Friday” makes you really really angry.

As do donuts in the breakroom.  You remind people that they served eclairs for the final meal on the Titanic.

You cry a lot.

You eat a full jar of marshmallow fluff at one go, and you don’t even realize you do it. You just look down and the damn jar is empty.

Honey, it’s time to go.

What do you do?

You get out.  Gracefully if possible.  Ungracefully if not.

Here Come The Yeah, But’s

People put up a whole lot of “yeah but” when it’s time to leave a job.

I was recently talking to a client about this.  She spent most of our hour together talking about how much she hated her job.

I mean, she hates her job.  She hates everything about it. She is really caught up in hating her job.

I kept bringing her back to energetic support and protection.  But you know, once that job bitch valve opens, it’s hard to close it.

I brought up some tangible solutions.  She kept telling me just how difficult everything was.

And finally I said, “Why don’t you quit?”

“Quit?” she said. “I can’t quit. I’ve worked so hard to get here.”

Ai-yi-yi!  That’s my favorite coffin nail.

It took a lot of effort to stick this knife in my back. I’m not taking it out now.

Christ on a cracker, give up that ghost.

The Pre-Quitting Post-Mortum

So, here’s what you do if this “I worked so hard to get here” rings true for you.

You do a pre-quitting post-mortum.

This is not How did my job die and how I could I have saved it?

(though that may be a useful question too, for another time, when you have some distance).

The post-mortum question to ask is this:

What did I learn here that grew me as a person?

Did I learn powerpoint? Did I learn how to run a project? Did I learn to negotiate for a better price?

Did I learn how to meet a deadline? Did I learn how to work with people?

Did I learn how to see people for who they really are?

Another Good Question: what can I take away that is of value?

(Besides office supplies?)

Friendships?  Networks? Portfolio work?

There’s always something of value.  And if there is not, then that’s just one more reason to get away.

Two Favorite Phrases

My two favorite phrases are:  I Love You and What Good Can Come Of This?

One is a state of being and one is a state of hope.

What Good Can Come of This is a hopeful phrase, because in nearly every situation, good can show up.  Even in leaving. Even if you have to torch a bridge.

If your job is dead and it’s time to go, Go.  Treat it like the dead thing it is and move away from it.  Move away from it with hope and joy for the new thing.

Next- But What About My Family?