Quitting Time: When Your Gut Says It’s Time to Leave

I remember the first time I heard the phrase “Sunday blues.”
A friend used it when she confided in me that she had come to dread Sunday nights, when the start of the new work week was only hours away. Her spirits got very low, and sometimes she would even feel panicky or sick to her stomach. Those were very powerful signs from her intuition that she needed to reevaluate her job situation.
Yet saying goodbye to a perfectly fine job is no easy task, especially in this unpredictable economy. Choosing to walk away from a secure position into the tumultuous world of self-employment or the job market is not something to be done lightly. It can feel uncomfortable even to consider it. However, those are fears worth facing if you feel miserable from 9 to 5 all week long. The key is to tap into your intuition for guidance back to a place of satisfaction and abundance.
Your Dream Job is Waiting
Right now, you have a job that you find unsatisfying. Maybe it’s mundane and your skills have outgrown it. Maybe it turns out that the job is more complex than advertised and you are in over your head. Maybe the company’s values don’t align with yours. Whatever the case, your energy is low, your performance is falling, and you want out.
But consider this for a moment: the job that you have settled for, the one that is making you feel terrible, is someone else’s dream job. The repetitiveness that you find boring, or the fast pace you find stressful, might make someone else feel in control or engaged. The commute, salary and benefits - which are the wrong fit for you - might be exactly what that other person is looking for. You might be living someone else’s dream - and someone else out there might be living yours. There is a wonderful job out there with your name on it! You just need to find it.
Turn Off and Tune In
As I mentioned above, you already have the roadmap to your best self tucked into your heart. You simply need to access it. The key is to practice getting in touch with your intuition. This innate power will act as a compass, guiding you on the path that you are meant to follow.
Set aside time when you can be left alone. Turn off the phone, television, music, and just be quiet with yourself. Sit in a dimly lit room on a comfortable seat, or walk in a soothing place where you won’t be disturbed. The circumstances when your intuition is at its most available are different for everyone, so try a variety of methods if you haven’t done this before or you’re out of practice. My instructional videos might be helpful. [link http://www.youtube.com/user/Intuitive... ]
When you’re ready, ask yourself questions. For a start, try these:

What would make me happier?
Can circumstances be changed to make me happier without leaving my company?
If I could wake up tomorrow and do any job, what would it be?
What steps could I take that would point me in this happier new direction?

Same Job, New Role?
Do you need to change your entire career, or just your immediate responsibilities in your current job? During your periods of reflection, ask yourself why you chose that job in the first place. How has it differed from your expectations? Which aspects of it did you love that aren’t part of your daily responsibilities anymore? Which parts of the job do you dislike, and how can they be minimized or removed from your job description?
If you can choose your clients, take the time to reconsider who your ideal client might be. Let go of the ones who don’t match that description. If you are part of a corporate team, turn to a boss or trusted advisor for guidance on how to swap out the distasteful tasks on your plate. It can be intimidating to rock the boat, or to turn away bad clients’ good money, but the Universe will reward you for taking a risk and making room for work that you love.
Intuition + Pragmatism = Success
Don’t make any rash decisions. As tempting as it may be, resist the urge to walk into the office tomorrow and shout, “I quit!” Inspiration coupled with pragmatism will yield the best results. Simply acknowledging to yourself that you want a new occupation will be liberating in and of itself. Remember, this is not indentured servitude. You are free to walk away from the cycle of deadlines and meetings and long hours whenever you choose. Stop thinking in terms of an endless future. Instead, focus on the tasks at hand while you’re at work, and in your free time create a deeper connection with your intuition. What is it that you really want to do? Which job would be so fun and satisfying that you would jump out of bed every morning? Who seems to be having the most fun at their job, and what is their secret?
Making the Leap
If you have looked into your heart and found that quitting is the answer, jump into action. Keep the status quo at your job but work hard in your free time to pave the way to a career change. Reach out to people in that industry for advice and information. Find a mentor. Educate yourself about additional certifications you may need or other preparations you’ll need to take before switching careers. Seek out a new network of support and connections to ease the transition into a new industry.
For those who simply feel the need for a change, but can’t pinpoint the next direction, keep the dialogue with your intuition open. Remind yourself of the activities that you enjoyed the most as a child, or that you always wish you had more time for on weekends and vacations. How can they be turned into a job?
Be mindful of your emotional and physical reactions during this time. Seek out clues from the universe in the form of feelings like excitement and interest, or physical sensations like butterflies in your stomach. A conversation with a stranger, a piece of artwork, an ad on the radio - any small thing could be just the signpost you’re looking for pointing the way to your new path. Reflection and meditation will build creative energy inside you like kindling, and anything could be the spark that sets it off!