There are few more painful dilemmas in life than the decision as to whether or not you should quit your job.

That’s where I was in November 2011. I had just one writing client who had paid me a grand total of $450 in October – approximately one tenth of my outgoings.

Despite that, I made the decision to quit. That may seem like a foolish move given the circumstances, but I didn’t actually feel like it was a difficult decision. At the end of the day, I valued my happiness more than I valued job security.

The Reality of Risk

Moreover, I recognized that staying in my job was arguably more of a risk than quitting. By staying in my job I would be risking unhappiness and perhaps even depression in the long run. I would be risking a lifetime of what ifs and regrets. I would be leaving my fate in someone else’s hands.

That to me was an unacceptable outcome. I wanted to determine how much I earned. I wanted to decide how and where I worked. I wanted to determine what I did between the hours of nine and five (and beyond). I wanted to take a stand against conventional wisdom and rail against the concept that one should spend a huge proportion of their life under the direction of another person.

If you are reading this then you are probably not happy in your work. If you are not happy in your work then you are probably not happy in your life; certainly not as happy as you could be. Your happiness is the most important thing in the world – without it you cannot lead a fulfilled life or positively affect those around you.

Accept the Reality of Your Situation

One of the keys to leaving work behind is in understanding that there is simply too much at stake to plan for future possibilities. Instead, plan for a future eventuality.

Your only option is to quit your job. Few things should take precedence over this decision.

There are many factors keeping you from handing in your notice tomorrow morning. You may feel that some of them are insurmountable. I am here to tell you that nothing is insurmountable. Not only can you quit your job, you need to.

Now I’d like you to share what’s holding you back in the comments sections below, and I want us all to try to help each other with the issues we face, without judgement. I look forward to hearing from you!

Photo Credit: quinn.anya