Why I quit my job

Today we have the guest post from Andi Teggart who hopes others feel empowered to take a life leap, even when they least expect it.

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earlier this week, i shared a blog post about what really matters to me – relationships, authenticity, adventure/travel, being my best self – and how i wanted to stop being consumed about things that aren’t so important or life-giving. i wrote that, “every day only has so many hours and by spending time investing in things that don’t matter, jobs that aren’t satisfying, relationships that aren’t loving and nurturing, means that we are really missing out on what matters.” i initially wrote this blog post a few weeks ago and scheduled to share it for this monday. little did i know that i couldn’t have scheduled it go to live on more timely and relevant day.

because….on monday, i quit my job. i emailed my resignation letter, had an exit interview and within a few hours, was out the door. as i was driving away {woo hoo no more commuting!}, i felt an immediate calmness and happiness and just overall peace about myunnamed-1 (1) decision. that photo up there sums up my main reaction to the big life decision! i never envisioned myself quitting a job without a backup plan or new job, but thanks to a lot of support and encouragement from friends, my family and E, i decided to be brave and just quit.

so why did i quit exactly? the answer is simple: i wasn’t my best self there. the environment wasn’t a place i wanted to be in, nor felt comfortable or inspired in. without going into much detail, it just wasn’t a place i felt supported, encouraged or valued. i’m thankful for the experiences i gained and the lessons i learned from the job. i loved a lot of my coworkers and i liked a lot of the work i was doing {like speak at alt summit and launch a huge SXSW event}, but the overall environment wasn’t a healthy or life-giving place for me personally. i often think about my life as a story and i realized that i didn’t like the story my ‘work life’ was telling.

i’ve received a ton of texts asking “omg! what are you going to do next?!?!” and the answer is i don’t know. and that’s absolutely okay. the decision to quit my job came from the need to free myself from a part of my life {a very time consuming part!} that was making me unhappy and unsatisfied. while it would have been ideal to have something lined up, i feel relieved that i have time and space to relax, reflect and prepare for whatever comes next.

i’ve only worked at two places before and before i launch into what’s next in my career, i really want to take time to think through what i value in a company and in a workplace. at my first job at an agency, my day-to-day responsibilities were a lot more challenging and stressful than the job i just left monday, but the interesting difference is that the agency environment was supportive, encouraging, inclusive. people were valued, opinions were considered and everyone genuinely enjoyed being around their peers and leaders. it’s really helped me gain perspective on how much people and culture matter to me in my career – much more so than compensation and other perks.

if there’s a piece of your life that isn’t life-giving and makes you feel undervalued, under appreciated or not your best self – whether that’s a bad relationship or not-so-great job or something else – please be brave. please at least think about how to get out of the situation and into a better one. xo!

ANDI Andi Teggart is a glass half full kind of girl, a peacemaker, a go-getter, a life lover! She is a San Francisco-based marketing/social media strategist and aspires to conquer the world. Follow her adventures on PolishMyCrown.com.



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