What If? & Why Not?

I want to quit my job without another one lined up because I am so unhappy that I can’t go a day without crying.

It is tearing apart my relationship with the love of my life.

I dread going into the office every day because it is torture.

The VP over me is completely rude, belittles me, and treats me like a little girl.

~Worker Living in NEW YORK

Today…ERASE the board of your mind and just ask yourself WHAT IF? and WHY NOT? questions. You’ll be surprised how the possibilities will appear. Go ahead…Why Not?

If you are crying every day; if your relationships are falling apart; if going into the office is torture; if you are being mistreated…you need to ask yourself if you deserve better. 

If you do, then you need to decide right now and today that you will first accept where you are today… because until you can accept where you are and what is… you will stay stuck hoping, wishing and praying that things will be different – magically – today, right now.

That is not how life works. 

You are strong, you will make it through this time and you will be able to share with others the pain and anguish that you endured. You will be able to encourage them with YOUR story of how you made it through.

Just hang in there, it will all work out.  You will make it through today and tomorrow and the next day…just hold on and work the Steps…

Dare To Be Great...Have Courage

I’m tired and I don’t really know what I want to do.

I just want to take this challenge and “Just Quit”.

~Worker Living in MEXICO

To “Just Quit” your job is a challenge and it takes courage. 

It takes the courage to believe in not only yourself but that the universe/God/a higher power will take care of you.  It takes faith to believe and to know that you will be alright and that letting go of your current job will allow something better to come into your life.

It’s not something someone can tell you to do. 

It is something that you KNOW you have to do and you KNOW everything is going to work out just fine.

Seize The Day...Make It Amazing

I don’t like working for the company or my boss.

I’m stuck with a lot of duties that I don’t like doing and I can’t focus on what I’m doing.

Even the projects I’m working right now I’m not very passionate about or enjoy doing.

~Worker Living in CALIFORNIA

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, find something about your job that you do enjoy. 

Find one thing that you enjoy, just one thing, and then think about exactly why you enjoy doing that one thing.

Focus on what is working for you in this job.  There has to be at least one thing that is working.  Maybe from that one thing it will help you down the road for your next job or endeavor. 

What is one thing you enjoy about your current job?

Turning Your Passion Into Your Job Is Easier Than Finding A Job That Matches Your Passion

I’ve been in the field of insurance marketing management for the last 8 years and in insurance for 18 yrs.

It’s becoming hard to continue as I haven’t been on any vacation in 8 years and I’m doing the same job April to March repeatedly.

This year I have been unable to perform properly due to personal and new job related problems. My performance graph is constantly going down.

~Worker Living in INDIA

Today, think about your next vacation.  This is not a joke, really, think about your next vacation.  In all honesty when will you be able to take a vacation?  A real vacation. A one week vacation at a minimum.

If you stay in your current job will you be able to take a vacation this year? What about next year?   What will happen while you are on vacation? What about when you get back from vacation? 

Do you have a job where you can take a vacation? A job where there is enough money coming in for a vacation? A job where you don’t  have to worry while you are gone or when you came back off of vacation about your job and the workload.  

What if you had a job that felt like you were always on vacation?  Today,  think about vacationing. 

Pick A Path That You, Deep Down In Your Soul, Won't Be Ashamed Of

I’m not using the skills I’ve gained through my degree. 

There is no room for growth and I’m not learning anything.

Living in this city is making me depressed and anxious.

~Worker Living in the UNITED KINGDOM

Some of us have one, two, even three degrees.  Some of our degrees are recent and some are more than 10 years old. It took a lot of our time, commitment and money to get our degrees; but having this degree or that one only guarantees us of one thing – that we have this degree or that one.  It does not guarantee us that we will get a job where we will use our degree.  For that matter it does not even guarantee us that we will get a job.

Don’t get stuck thinking you have to do something related to your degree.  

All you really want is to do your life’s work.  The work you are meant to do.  That might not have a thing in the world to do with your degree.

Just move towards getting in alignment with your highest skills, greatest talents and your interests.  That is what is going to fulfill you and allow you to give yourself to the world. 

Just for today…forget about those degrees and think about doing something fulfilling and meaningful.  

Today, Now, This Minute...Choose To Be Happy...

People are dumb. I do not want to become like them or my managers.

No one talks to me.

Engineering is my soul.

No one is happy there anyway.

I take on too many remedial tasks.

No growth for 3 years. Not learning anymore.

I think I was happier and more hopeful when I was unemployed.

No one looks at me anymore.

~Worker Living in CALIFORNIA

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today BE happy and hopeful, even if you are miserable because of your job. 

We all just want to be happy and hopeful. That is not too much to ask.   

Today, just ask for happiness and hope.   

(Okay, if you don’t think you can be happy, click on the above and pretend like this is your last day on your current job and you are going to wake up in the morning doing what you are meant to do…just pretend…then realize you can “feel” like that right now, this minute BEFORE things change.)

Happiness is a CHOICE!

Feeling Like A Modern Day Slave At Work? Free YOUR Mind

I feel sick every day I go to work and it stops me from doing any other activities that I would like to do. 

Just thinking that after doing that activity; like going to the gym; that I’m still going back to work the next day makes me sick.

I feel like I’m in a corporate prison working as a modern slave to be able to eat, drink and take my 3 weeks’ vacation a year to relax.

I feel extremely stressed. 

While working I don’t seem to have the privilege anymore to deal with the other aspects of my life like family, friends and my health.

~Worker Living in CANADA

Sometimes, some of us feel or have felt like we are a modern-day slave.  We are working at a place, with people, for people that make us sick and miserable.

We feel we have no choice. 

We are going day-by-day like we are prisoners and unable to get out of the work jails we find ourselves locked in.  Basically it’s just a feeling and belief that we are stuck.  We are stuck in a profession we fell into, stuck in an industry we have been in for a while, stuck in an organization we’ve been in a long time… just plain stuck.

If we are feeling like a modern-day slave, in prison or just plain stuck then first we have to admit that is how we feel and DECIDE not just IF we want to change it, but HOW we are going to change it. 

If we have been looking for a job for a year, two, three, even five years and nothing has happened, then we need to do something different.  We need to do some soul-searching and determine WHAT we need to do differently.  Maybe we have to do more than just look for jobs with the same job title as our current one.  Maybe we need to call someone we know and trust and ask for help. Ask someone to look out for us if they know of a job that comes open that fits our skill sets.

We need to stop panicking. The universe knows how we are feeling and what we need.

In order to get out of slavery you have to break free.

Break Free. 

Think Differently. 

What Are You Good At? Are You An Expert In A Field?

There is no personal growth.

I am just doing a job for the money.

I am not using my skills or education.

I will be 40 next year and would like to love my job. I would love to be an expert in my field; a field that gives me passion.

~Worker Living in the BAHAMAS

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

 

Today, ask yourself what you are an expert in.  If the answer comes back – nothing – then ask yourself if  you want to be an expert in anything in this world.

Continue to ask yourself that question throughout the day and see what comes up. Don’t struggle with the answer.  Allow the answer to emerge from somewhere deep inside. 

If you have family and friends that you trust; ask them if they think you are or could be an expert in a particular field or subject.  It is worth investigating, even if you only think about it just for today.

Who Are You? To Thine Own Self Be True

I do not make enough and this job is destroying my health and happiness.

I am turning into a person I do not want to be.

~Worker Living in Oregon

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, sometime today, ask the all-important question: 

“Who are you?”

Not your many roles, not your job title, not where you live, not your gender, not your race, not your name…get beyond all of the labels…ask…”Who am I?” 

By really  taking a deep dive and soul-searching we can be who we are, connect with ourselves and do what we need to do to align our lives and future with where we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing.

The Answers You Get Depend On The Questions You Ask

I do not enjoy the culture or the work. 

I’ve become demotivated and bored.

~Worker Living in the UNITED KINGDOM

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, we need to dig a little deeper and get beyond just naming how we feel and what we don’t like about our jobs. 

We need to ask why and what. 

Once we have named it: my boss, the culture, the work, or boredom –  we have to ask ourselves: “Why don’t I like my boss?” “What don’t I like about the culture?” “What is it about the job itself that I don’t like?” “Why am I bored?”

No one is going to care as much as you are about your career, so start going deeper and ask Why and What questions, so that you will learn from this experience. 

You Are In Control Of Your Life. You Can Change It...Just Like That...

I am depressed at my current job.

I hate it and it is making me insane.

I have so much more to offer. 

I get talked down to and treated like crap by everyone who works there. 

I work with my ex, and my boss is an a**hole. It just kills me inside knowing I have to work there.

~Worker Living in MISSOURI

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Why do we think we can’t make a change? 

Why do we feel so helpless and hopeless sometimes like we are stuck here in this place, dealing with it all?

We have to know that things will change. 

One day things will change. 

Things always change.  It is just a matter of time. 

While we are here, dealing with all that is this job, and this place, we will endure it for now because we know that it will change.

Things always change.

At The Center Of Your Being You Have The Answer

Lack of passion; Boredom; Repetition; Overwhelming tasks; No enthusiasm for system tasks; No great enthusiasm for co-workers; Expendable; Cog in machine feel; all wrong; not me. 

~Worker Living in MASSACHUSETTS 

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

What words or phrases would describe how you are feeling about your job today? 

Pick up a pen or open a Word file and put down how you are feeling about your current job. Just start writing or typing the words or phrases. Don’t think about it very much, it will come naturally. Just let the words or phrases come through you. 

Take a look at your words or phrases.  What does it all mean?

New Day, Another Chance To Change Your Life

There is the inability to gain (any) work, as such I need better skills and experience to progress.

I really do nothing all day except read the newspaper, and no one sees this as an issue.

~Worker Living in AUSTRALIA

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today if you are pretending to work; if you know that when you go into work and do your eight hours on the clock that you’ll only do about two good hours of actual work; then YOU are the one wasting your time.  

This is just a choice — to pretend to work. You are making this choice to waste your talents and gifts that are stored inside of you…but it’s your choice…you can keep pretending to work or you can work on developing yourself and your skills one day at a time.

Do something productive…today

Life Is Like A Camera...Sometimes You Have To Take Another Shot

Tasks are allotted in clumps. Once I’m done doing a task, I often have little to do for days. There is simply not enough work to do in the average workday.

My boss lies about things to avoid having to give accurate explanations for her thinking. I work alone with little human interaction. Opposite of a team-based work environment.  There is very little creative expression. My boss assigns tasks via verbal command, oftentimes not remembering what she has told me to do. Oftentimes she gets frustrated when the task I complete turns out differently than she envisioned in her head. Of course, there is no way for me to know what’s in her head, other than by her taking the time to clearly explain what she wants.

I have been tasked with tasks outside of my job description, i.e. for the dental office. I don’t mind the work, but feel as if I’m being used. 

I’m very unhappy during the day and never once have desired to go to work. I’m not really complimented on doing a good job, not that I need it to do a good job.

The Foundation has been around for 20+ years, but there is no employee handbook. There are no comprehensive guidelines or procedures that allow new employees to do their job well. This results in frustration for everyone.

I have no idea what I’m going to be doing for two weeks in Ecuador. I fear that I will become her personal assistant, given her record of becoming a super-diva when stressed. I could ask her, but I have a feeling from talking with volunteers that I will become her assistant.

If I leave soon, it gives her enough time to hire and train someone new before the trip. I have no benefits, vacation time, sick time, or personal leave time until August. I feel that I’m not gaining any “new” skills. In other words, the only thing I’m gaining/learning through this job is “experience” for future jobs.

~Worker Living in MARYLAND

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Sometimes we look around and wonder why are we here, doing this, this way.  Why is it like this?  It doesn’t have to be.  Things could be more organized.  Things could make more sense.  It actually could be a half-way decent place to work; but it’s not. It’s confusing and frustrating for no reason.

But…there is a reason.

There is a reason you are right where you are, working where you are working. There is a lesson in this for you. Look for the lesson.

Work lessons are life lessons.

We Have Three Needs: Love, Purpose, Hope

I am not passionate about my job.   I feel I am so stressed and I don’t have any energy left for my kids and me. 

I feel bad every morning getting out of bed.

It’s horrible when I have to pretend the kids are fine, when no activities are done and their grades are not that great. It just sucks the energy out of me rather than boost my spirit to deal with other things.

~Worker Living in EGYPT

Today, make yourself dedicate at least thirty minutes to your family, your children, your spouse, or someone that you love.  You may not be able to do this every day, but TODAY make an effort to really be present and there for someone that you love. 

You could be totally stressed out from work, but focus in on someone who is important to you and spend quality time with them.  It will help you remember what is really important in life…family and loved ones. 

You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal Or To Dream A New Dream

Essentially, my job is not challenging to me anymore and I want to change my career path.

Moreover, this present job is not giving me the time I need to get some training that will be of help to me.

~Worker Living in NIGERIA

Today, realize that for now you are in this job and with this organization. This is where you are today.  More than likely there will be a tomorrow, a next month, a next year and then five years from now. Where will you be then? 

What CAN you do TODAY that will help you get to where you need to be next month, next year, or in the next five years? Yes, your current job may be taking up a lot of your time, but you have to take back control of your life. 

You have to FIND some time to do something to jump-start the change that you want to happen in your career.  Nobody is going to do this for you.  You have to do it for yourself. You have to get yourself in the right mindset to make a change happen. 

You can do this. 

We Rise By Lifting Others ~Robert Ingersoll

Each day I am miserable and feel I am not being challenged. I work from home and I am isolated.

I want to work in the music business.

Any career I have had I have been told I look unhappy and that is because I am.

~Worker Living in ARIZONA

Today, if you know the business that you want to work in then start moving towards that business. Do one thing today towards working in that business or industry. 

If you don’t know the business or industry that you want to work in and you know of somebody else who is trying to break into a business or industry, then do something for them. Even if it is just call or text them today and ask how it is going. Encourage them. 

Helping others achieve their dreams will help you to achieve your dreams and goals. It works.  It just works. Watch how it works for both you and them. 

Whatever Satisfies The Soul Is Truth ~Walt Whitman

To find myself and my purpose and take time to nourish my soul.

To focus on myself wholeheartedly… mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

 ~Worker Living in ILLINOIS

Today, take time to nourish your soul. Actively look for your purpose and passions.

  If you don’t do this, then who will do it for you? 

Give Respect To Earn Respect. Respect Others Today.

Four years of abuse, name calling, threatening, lying, blaming and I can go on and on. I went to the EEOC on my manager and even called the police on him for beating his wife in the store. I had to babysit his little daughter while working.

Now there’s a new manager and I had to put up with name calling, back stabbing, prison mentality, incompetence and ignorance. I can go on and on.

It’s taken me to the point of drinking and I’ve lost so much self-esteem.

~Worker Living in OHIO

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Abuse.

This is what is happening in the workplace today. Abuse.

Not having a basic level of respect for one another.   Thinking it is okay to abuse one another.

Regardless of if you are a manager or not, today when you walk pass your employees/co-workers greet them and treat them with respect.  Just for today, focus on a basic level of respecting every coworker that you come in contact with. Even if it’s just a smile. Just a good morning or how’s it going greeting.  They are human, you are human. That’s it. 

Just think, if you and you and you and all of us reading this today treated every coworker we meet with respect what could happen…respectful workplaces where people want to be and want to contribute their talents and time.

Be Wise, Change Your Own Situation. That Will Change The World.

I can’t stand the work, my boss, or the company.

It would take up several pages for me to really go into all the details.

I’m underappreciated, underpaid, and sick of it! 

~Worker Living in GEORGIA

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

We all just want to be appreciated, valued and heard. We want our ideas to matter. We want to know that we are contributing and we want our time to be useful.   

We know when we are not being appreciated and at some point in time we just get sick of it. Sick of being overlooked.  Sick of how others are treating us. Just plain sick of it. 

When we get to this point; first we have to recognize that it’s not acceptable.  It’s not okay.  Then we can do something about it.  We can DECIDE what to do about it.  Sometimes it just takes getting to the place where we are sick of it for things to start to change.

Problems Are Not Stops Signs, They Are Guidelines

I am unmotivated.

I am underutilized.

I am a manager who is actually just an admin assistant and I am bored. 

~Worker Living in KENYA

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

If we’ve been working for several years we know our capabilities. 

We know when we are challenged and how it feels to meet the challenge.  We know the adrenaline rush and how that feels.  We also know when we are skating by and not doing much of anything.  At first it’s okay because it might be a good break; then it becomes boring.  You sit there and you watch others who aren’t any more capable than you are and they are growing, learning, and stretching.

Today if you are unmotivated and underutilized ask yourself what you are supposed to be learning from this experience? Learn it so you can move on.  

Get Out Of Your Own Way This Year. Do What You CAN To Improve Your Work Situation.

I feel I don’t have sufficient time for improving my skills to clear the interviews.

I am spending time in an office which I don’t like at all.

If I am stuck here, I will never be able to improve on my skills and have a peaceful life.

~Worker Living in HONG KONG

Today do what you CAN do.  

You might feel stuck in  your office but what CAN you do?

What CAN you work on that you WANT to work on? 

What CAN you think about that CAN move you forward?

Today,  think and do at least one thing that you CAN do. 

Who Are You? What Do You Want? Life Is Short...Go Big Or Go Home

I deserve more than this. I did not go to school for this.

There is no acknowledgement. No one cares about what I have to say. I’m nobody here.

Bad management.

Half of the time, I question what I’m doing.

~Worker Living in California

I AM somebody. 

Say it: “I AM somebody.” 

Say it again: “I AM somebody.”

This time when you say it – stop –  take a deep breath, close your eyes and say it s-l-o-w-l-y:  “I AM somebody.”  

Honor THAT somebody today. 

P.S.

When you “Just Quit” your job and go home….that IS Going Big.

It’s not impossible. It can be done if you follow the steps.  I know it is not impossible…because I did it!

Today, Make Your Pro's and Con's List Of Staying and Leaving Your Job

I’m in danger of getting hurt every day that I work. I’m trapped in a sh*tty, racist town doing nothing to pursue my dreams.

I don’t get to be with my girlfriend. I have terrible hours. I don’t get to spend time with my family.

I have carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, and tons of stress just thinking about going to work and this company treats their employees like sh*t.

~Worker Living in NEW YORK

You have to make your list.  You know the list.  The pros and the cons list for your current job. 

Staying (Positive and Negative)

Leaving (Positive and Negative)

If you are miserable you have to make this list to really get to the bottom of how bad it is. If you are generally okay (and not totally miserable) you might not need to actually write the list down, but you should do it in your head. You need an idea of the positives and negatives of this job.   

Are You Going To Say A Hearty YES To Your Adventure?

I can’t live in Trivandrum any more. I’m fed up with the food over here.

My savings are low and there is no appreciation. 

~Worker Living in India

Today, ask yourself if the location where you live and/or work is where you want to stay. 

How long do you want to stay?

Did you move for this job? 

Why are you here?

That’s a lot of questions, go back and read them again and answer them.  Now, more questions: 

Do you like living here?

If you are not happy here and know eventually you want to leave do you know where you want to go?

Do you have a plan for relocating yourself and your family? 

Even if moving seems impossible for now, just contemplate where you want to go, when you want to leave and the ways of getting to your destination.

Remember this is your life.  You can decide.

Rules of Life: Go After It---Ask For It ---Step Forward

Well, where do I start? 

There are legal issues, personal health issues, and a terrible boss.

I’m young and my health is declining. 

I have no time to actually have a life. Corporate America is killing me.

~Worker Living in Connecticut

If you are in Corporate America; or even if you’re not in America and in a corporate environment; you need to ask yourself if this is where you need to stay.  

You might not be able to leave tomorrow or in two weeks; but is the corporate environment the right fit for you?  It might sound good to tell people where you work and what you do, but is it working for YOU? 

Even if it’s not a corporation, is the type of place where you are working the right fit?  Can you be honest with yourself? Can you even take the time to think about these questions or is it safer to just continue on and not reflect?

Today, Find Your Happy Place

Headaches and being ill from stress doesn’t allow me to be able to decide what to do next. 

Emotional stress clouds my judgment.

~Worker Living in the United Kingdom

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, ask yourself if  you are in a healthy emotional state.  Can you make good decisions about your career in your current state or is your judgment clouded by emotional stress? 

If you are not in a good place then you need to figure out three things that you can do to help you relieve this stress.  They could be “small” yet helpful things that you enjoy doing and will take the pressure off.  You  could go for a walk, exercise, meditate, or do something creative; such as write, draw, or cook.

Go back to your list you made on January 1^st.

Make yourself do something today that you may not feel like doing but you know will help relieve this stress and help you clear the air. 

If you are in a good place today then you need to just take a second to ask yourself – what do I need to do next? Then you need to wait for the answer and proceed when ready.

If You Are In Work Hell, Keep Going, You Are Strong Enough To Work Through It

I want to get out of this hell. It is affecting my health badly.

I am depressed and stressed most of the time.

Though it’s the best job a person with my qualification can have, and pays well too, but the amount of stress I get is not worth it. I discovered this is not my field.

~Worker Living in Pakistan

Today, be honest with yourself and admit it if you feel like you are in hell. Do as Winston Churchill recommended and just keep going.

If you keep going, this will eventually end. 

You will get through this situation.  You will find a way out of hell. It will happen.  Just keep going and working through the “Just Quit” steps and you will make it.