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6 Signs It Is Time To Leave Your Job

Photo by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu on Unsplash

Are you unsure if moving on from your existing job is the right route to take? Having a change in purpose over time is human, nevertheless, it can be tricky to navigate these changes.

In "6 Signs It's Time to Leave Your Job," John Coleman shares the following signs that may help you decide if it is time for you to leave your job. 

 Do you feel:

…stagnant?

"When you notice a source of purpose is no longer helping you grow, look to reinvention or some other change," Coleman writes. If a position is no longer encouraging your growth, heed that sign and think about moving to another position.

…like you came, you saw and you have conquered?

Did you accomplish what you had intended to? Or, have you helped your organization reach a significant milestone? Answers to these questions may reveal that it’s time to take on new challenges. Know that it is okay to want to go, see and conquer something fresh.

…like there are a million other things you would rather do than go into work?

Think about why you are hesitant to head to go to work each day. You may need to have an honest self-check-in or log patterns in your behavior and thinking in order to recognize your feelings and what is causing them. Coleman writes, "A profession should be something we approach with curiosity and anticipation, not avoidance."

… dread, exhaustion or burnout at approaching your job?

There could be several reasons why leaving the house or heading to the office can cause you to feel dread, exhaustion or burnout. It might be that you feel overworked, unsafe or simply disconnected. A lack of belonging or feeling mismatched to the position are also signs that you may need to consider an alternate pathway in order to care for your mental health.

… that your workplace environment is toxic?

An unhealthy or toxic environment can include facing harassment and discrimination or dealing with "ethical or legal issues plaguing the company and affecting your role and personal conscience." If you feel physically or psychologically unsafe and vulnerable, these are signs that you might need to move on.

… like you are picking up bad habits?

Have you started acting "outside of your character"? A toxic culture may rub off on you in ways you don't immediately notice. However, as you push yourself to become more self-aware and you find that you are behaving unethically or inappropriately, then you may need to extricate yourself from the environment.

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