Do you hear it?
It’s your inner voice speaking, in a low but forceful tone it tells you that something isn’t right.
But you know. Don’t you?
You feel it in your gut and every day it deepens like a hollow grave.
As you lay in bed in the morning, the entire workday runs through your mind. You wait until the very last minute to get out of bed; sometimes you wait a minute over.
Because as soon as you walk into work, you’ve already spent every waking hour miserable. It’s the last place you want to be.
In 2013, I quit my job unexpectedly. The inner voice and that miserable feeling were companions for years. But I held on––dangling by a thin piece of thread.
I ignored the signs for years. They hid behind helplessness.
And by now your dislike for your job is oppressive. You’re irritable, like a sharp pencil that breaks at the slight touch of pressure.
If you’re experiencing these 30 signs, then it’s time to accept the truth.
It’s time for you to hand in your resignation. Leave before the damage takes too long to repair and your relationships submerge in tension.
Sign #1 You’re consistently late for work
You have terrible difficulties getting out of bed.
It usually starts small. Five minutes here. Five minutes there.
Then it becomes incremental. At some point, I began to arrive at work an hour later than scheduled.
However, you’re only late during workdays. On the days you’re not working, you jump out of bed with a zest for life, without an alarm clock, and with a readiness to start your day.
Sign #2 You’re lunch breaks get longer and longer
Similar to sign number one this is also incremental.
You find that you can’t seem to return from lunch on time. You find yourself five to ten minutes late (maybe longer).
Even when you bring your lunch, you’re still late. I remember sitting in the lunchroom with a group of equally disgruntled employees; we sat there commiserating our misery for an extra 15 minutes.
Sign #3 You leave work early most days
You find yourself dipping out a little extra early.
First, it’s somewhat innocent. There’s no harm in leaving five minutes early.
But then it gives you an incredible rush of dopamine. You feel in control. So you do it again. And again.
Next thing you know your spouse and your pet are thrown off by the break in routine. “You’re home early,” says your significant other.
Sign #4 You take naps, or your naps become longer
I once walked in on someone napping underneath their desk in their office.
If you start taking naps, there’s an issue.
And if your naps, become longer––then Houston we have a problem.
I used to park my car around the corner close to a McDonald’s not too from work. I took quick naps that turned into full-on sleep.
If you’re napping daily, then it’s time to reassess.
Sign #5 You can’t help but daydream
You sit at your desk and you daydream for the entire morning or afternoon.
You tune out the whole office.
You don’t hear phones ringing, and you barely listen to conversations hovering one cubicle over.
Your co-worker has to get up and tap you on your shoulder just to get your attention.
The entire morning or afternoon has disappeared by the time you’ve finished daydreaming.
Sign #6 You make the rounds
You make your way around the office.
Oh, there’s “so and so”. You visit your work husband or your work wife at their desks. Of course, you talk to them for hours (and it’s not about work).
Then you make your way to your favorite co-workers and spend time at their desks or offices and talk to them for hours.
By now it’s time for lunch. And you have to eat lunch right?
Sign #7 You’re distracted by the Internet
First things first.
Check Facebook. You join conversations, comment on posts (and share them) and pictures.
Check in with the groups that you’re a part of (one of them likely to be called how to quit your job).
Then Instagram. You heart 40 pictures. Tag 10 of your friends. Read something inspirational to give yourself a silent pep talk.
You check DJ Khaled’s Snapchat and think they don’t want you to win.
You browse recipes to make for dinner later (and print them out). Then you buy that book on Amazon and order that baby shower gift you’ve meant to purchase.
You sign up for a 30-day weight loss challenge (on Facebook).
Then you’re down the rabbit hole spiraling like Alice in Wonderland.
You read articles about how people hate their jobs, and now you’re on forums joining in on the conversation.
Sign #8 You dedicate the entire day as a job search day
You spend the whole morning looking for jobs.
Then, you email the ones that look promising to yourself and drop them in a folder that you’ve created as “Jobs to Apply to Now.”
So, you give yourself a goal of 50–100 jobs because you know it’s a numbers game.
Then you spend the middle of the day refining your resume and cover letter. Even sending it to your work husband or work wife for review.
The rest of the afternoon is spent applying to the jobs you’ve saved in your folder.
Sign #9 You stop reading your emails
You start to filter out emails.
You delete important emails, but you have no clue if they are essential or not because you haven’t read them!
You even delay the responses by a day or sometimes more.
Sign #10 I never received a voicemail
“Something must be wrong with the phone because I never got your voicemail. I’ll have to check with IT.”
The truth is you don’t check your voicemails. You tried once.
You had every intention to listen to the 30 voicemails on the other end of the receiver.
However, you couldn’t get past the first voicemail without quickly deleting it.
But you did open the email that said your voicemail is full.
Sign #11 Is McDonald’s an option?
You start wondering if working at McDonald’s is worse than where you are now.
Then you think, could it be so bad? So, you take out a sheet of paper and write the pros and cons:
Pros:
Fast-paced
You don’t take work home (you take food home)
The expectations are clear (take an order, make food, grab food, put food in the bag)
Cons:
Fast-paced
You take food home (gain weight)
You’ve never worked in the food industry
I remember I started working part-time at my favorite clothing store. I enjoyed the discounts.
However, I quit three months later. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side.
Sign #12 You stop caring about the way you look
You haven’t upgraded your wardrobe in the past year.
In fact, you have zero desire to do so.
You’re holding on to the possibility that you’ll wear your new clothes at your new job once you buy them.
Sign #13 The work is no longer challenging
When you initially accepted the position you were a bright-eyed bushy-tailed newbie.
You couldn’t wait to dive into the complexities of the job.
Now, you find yourself finishing your work in three hours as opposed to eight.
Honestly, it’s the job’s fault that you have a lot more time to browse the Internet and cross things off your to-do list.
Sign #14 You realize that your boss’ job isn’t that hard
One day you have this revelation that you can do your boss’ job better than they can.
Which then leads you to realize they get paid more for work that you can do.
Furthermore, you wonder how in the world did they get hired? This mind-shift changes your whole perspective about your job and the company.
Sign #15 You agree to do projects that pull you away
Liz Huber
30 signs you’re ready to take a massive leap from the job you hate
Frantzces LysOct 10, 2017 · 11 min read
Do you hear it?
It’s your inner voice speaking, in a low but forceful tone it tells you that something isn’t right.
But you know. Don’t you?
You feel it in your gut and every day it deepens like a hollow grave.
As you lay in bed in the morning, the entire workday runs through your mind. You wait until the very last minute to get out of bed; sometimes you wait a minute over.
Because as soon as you walk into work, you’ve already spent every waking hour miserable. It’s the last place you want to be.
In 2013, I quit my job unexpectedly. The inner voice and that miserable feeling were companions for years. But I held on––dangling by a thin piece of thread.
I ignored the signs for years. They hid behind helplessness.
And by now your dislike for your job is oppressive. You’re irritable, like a sharp pencil that breaks at the slight touch of pressure.
If you’re experiencing these 30 signs, then it’s time to accept the truth.
It’s time for you to hand in your resignation. Leave before the damage takes too long to repair and your relationships submerge in tension.
Sign #1 You’re consistently late for work
You have terrible difficulties getting out of bed.
It usually starts small. Five minutes here. Five minutes there.
Then it becomes incremental. At some point, I began to arrive at work an hour later than scheduled.
However, you’re only late during workdays. On the days you’re not working, you jump out of bed with a zest for life, without an alarm clock, and with a readiness to start your day.
Sign #2 You’re lunch breaks get longer and longer
Similar to sign number one this is also incremental.
You find that you can’t seem to return from lunch on time. You find yourself five to ten minutes late (maybe longer).
Even when you bring your lunch, you’re still late. I remember sitting in the lunchroom with a group of equally disgruntled employees; we sat there commiserating our misery for an extra 15 minutes.
Sign #3 You leave work early most days
You find yourself dipping out a little extra early.
First, it’s somewhat innocent. There’s no harm in leaving five minutes early.
But then it gives you an incredible rush of dopamine. You feel in control. So you do it again. And again.
Next thing you know your spouse and your pet are thrown off by the break in routine. “You’re home early,” says your significant other.
Sign #4 You take naps, or your naps become longer
I once walked in on someone napping underneath their desk in their office.
If you start taking naps, there’s an issue.
And if your naps, become longer––then Houston we have a problem.
I used to park my car around the corner close to a McDonald’s not too far from work. I took quick naps that turned into a full-on sleeps.
If you’re napping daily, then it’s time to reassess.
Sign #5 You can’t help but daydream
You sit at your desk and you daydream for the entire morning or afternoon.
You tune out the whole office.
You don’t hear phones ringing, and you barely listen to conversations hovering one cubicle over.
Your co-worker has to get up and tap you on your shoulder just to get your attention.
The entire morning or afternoon has disappeared by the time you’ve finished daydreaming.
Sign #6 You make the rounds
You make your way around the office.
You visit your work husband or your work wife at their desks. You talk to them for hours (and it’s not about work).
Then you make your way to your favorite co-workers and spend time at their desks or offices and talk to them for hours.
By now it’s time for lunch. And you have to eat lunch right?
Sign #7 You’re distracted by the Internet
First things first.
Check Facebook. You join conversations, comment on posts (and share them) and pictures.
Check in with the groups that you’re a part of (one of them likely to be called how to quit your job).
Then Instagram. You heart 40 pictures. Tag 10 of your friends. Read something inspirational to give yourself a silent pep talk.
You check DJ Khaled’s Snapchat and think they don’t want you to win.
You browse recipes to make for dinner later (and print them out). Then you buy that book on Amazon and order that baby shower gift you’ve meant to purchase.
You sign up for a 30-day weight loss challenge (on Facebook).
Then you’re down the rabbit hole spiraling like Alice in Wonderland.
You read articles about how people hate their jobs, and now you’re on forums joining in on the conversation.
Sign #8 You dedicate the entire day as a job search day
You spend the whole morning looking for jobs.
You email the ones that look promising to yourself and drop them in a folder that you’ve created as “Jobs to Apply to Now.”
You give yourself a goal of 50–100 jobs because you know it’s a numbers game.
Then you spend the middle of the day refining your resume and cover letter. Even sending it to your work husband or work wife for review.
The rest of the afternoon is spent applying to the jobs you’ve saved in your folder.
Sign #9 You stop reading your emails
You start to filter out emails.
You delete important emails, but you have no clue if they are essential or not because you haven’t read them!
You even delay the responses by a day or sometimes more.
Sign #10 I never received a voicemail
“Something must be wrong with the phone because I never got your voicemail. I’ll have to check with IT.”
The truth is you don’t check your voicemails. You tried once.
You had every intention to listen to the 30 voicemails on the other end of the receiver.
However, you couldn’t get past the first voicemail without quickly deleting it.
But you did open the email that said your voicemail is full.
Sign #11 Is McDonald’s an option?
You start wondering if working at McDonald’s is worse than where you are now.
Then you think, could it be so bad? So, you take out a sheet of paper and write the pros and cons:
Pros:
Fast-paced
You don’t take work home (you take food home)
The expectations are clear (take an order, make food, grab food, put food in the bag)
Cons:
Fast-paced
You take food home (gain weight)
You’ve never worked in the food industry
I remember I started working part-time at my favorite clothing store. I enjoyed the discounts.
However, I quit three months later. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side.
Sign #12 You stop caring about the way you look
You haven’t upgraded your wardrobe in the past year.
In fact, you have zero desire to do so.
You’re holding on to the possibility that you’ll wear your new clothes at your new job once you buy them.
Sign #13 The work is no longer challenging
When you initially accepted the position you were a bright-eyed bushy-tailed newbie.
You couldn’t wait to dive into the complexities of the job.
Now, you find yourself finishing your work in three hours as opposed to eight.
Honestly, it’s the job’s fault that you have a lot more time to browse the Internet and cross things off your to-do list.
Sign #14 You realize that your boss’ job isn’t that hard
One day you have this revelation that you can do your boss’ job better than they can.
Which then leads you to realize they get paid more for work that you can do.
Furthermore, you wonder how in the world did they get hired? This mind-shift changes your whole perspective about your job and the company.
Sign #15 You agree to do projects that pull you away
You ask for projects that keep you from talking to people.
Or you find yourself looking for tasks that get you out of the office.
Moreover, you’ve concluded that you’re too angry to talk to anyone. And you also need a break from the monotony of the work you’re doing.
Sign #16 You’re no longer taking initiative
Years ago you enjoyed being proactive.
Showing your boss that you’re the go-getter in the office, a regular ‘ol team player.
However, now you no longer step up to take on projects and work assignments.
In fact, you’ve become a wallflower. You’re not sure who’s more useful, you or the paperweight on your desk.
Sign #17 You’ve developed a “just wing it” attitude
Remember those late workdays when you used to plan for those presentations?
Those days when you used to write those reports as if they were research papers from college or graduate school?
Those days have disappeared. You don’t plan out your presentations you just wing it, in fact, you wing everything.
You wing the reports. When asked crucial questions during meetings, you wing those too.
You start sounding like Marty Kahn from the series House of Lies, you’ve turned into a fast-talking consultant that uses colorful language to distract everyone from the real answer.
Sign #18 You’ve developed short-term memory loss
When we experience trauma, we suppress those events, and as a result, we forget what happened.
We do this to protect ourselves from painful memories.
As a result, in stressful situations, we choose (unconsciously) what to remember and what to forget.
You find that you forget work tasks. You’re not getting things done on time or even at all.
Furthermore, frustration builds because you start to wonder what is it all for?
As you continue to forget things it creates tension between you, your co-workers and your boss.
Sign #19 You hate the people you work with
When you first met your co-workers you had an overall adoration for them.
You used to go to lunch together. On occasion, you even had drinks after work.
But now, you hate them. Remember the ones you didn’t like when you first started working at your job?
You hate them even more now. And the ones you used to like you hate them for no other reason than by sheer osmosis.
Sign #20 You’ve become adversarial
That smile you used to have has turned into a vicious unapproachable frown.
You’re snappy and short with your co-workers, and you’re passive-aggressive with your boss.
You find yourself rolling your eyes more, sauntering into your boss’s office and sauntering out.
Moreover, your entire demeanor is unrecognizable. Your energy is negative, and you have nothing nice to say.
You have an end of the world, life sucks kind of attitude.
Sign #21 You’re braver than you’ve ever been in your entire life
At this point, you feel that you have nothing to lose.
You’ve crossed over to the dark side.
You start saying things that no one would ever dare to say like, “Yeah I don’t like that idea” or “That timeline doesn’t work for me,” “I can’t get it done on that day,” or “I’m not interested at all.”
You’ve become courageous and bold. Your co-workers are in awe and start to say, “I can’t believe you said that!” Envy drips from their eyes.
Sign #22 You ask yourself “do you really need” questions
The tunnel is getting darker and darker.
You ask yourself do you really need a house to live in or can you crash on the couch of a friend or relative’s home?
Next you wonder, do you really need a car, even though the closest grocery store is three miles away.
Do the kids really need separate bedrooms? Meanwhile, the children are teenagers.
You then wonder if your pet can survive without you? That’s when you realize that your pet is the only one that would stand by your side.
Sign #23 You log into your retirement account regularly
You start to do the math.
How long can you survive on your retirement if you withdrew it? You might not even live for that long anyway.
It’s about living in the present moment. The now.
Eckhart Tolle said the future doesn’t exist (you’ve just finished The Power of Now).
With your luck, you’ll live to be 100 years old, so you dismiss this thought.
Sign #24 You attend Multi-Level Marketing meetings
You meet someone at a networking event.
He pitches you the dream. You’re curious. You’ve never heard of MLM.
You attend these meetings, but you wonder how everyone in the audience hasn’t made any money except for the people on stage.
Before I quit my job, I met people from different sectors of the MLM industry from Amway to Legal Shields. I attended three Legal Shields meetings. It works for a select few but not for many.
Sign #25 You explore law of attraction (LOA)
From your MLM meetings, you meet people who suggest LOA books.
You’re fascinated by the thought that you can just think your way to a new job.
You work on your energy externally but deep down your energy is crap. You realize that affirmations aren’t as easy to do as they sound.
Sign #26 You become both angry and excited after reading Tim Ferriss’ book The 4-Hour Work Week
You decided that you can’t work for anyone else.
You discover Tim Ferriss’ book, and you get halfway through it then you sending it flying against the wall.
You dream about having VA’s for the career that doesn’t exist yet and sitting on a beach, traveling, and working 4 hours per week.
Sign #27 You research retreats to pull yourself out of this dark tunnel
Now you need answers.
You’ve spun yourself dizzy, and all you can do is hurl your emotions in the toilet.
You pay for a retreat that you can’t afford.
And a few weeks later you find yourself flying to Los Angeles, California driving towards a remote mountain to stay in a cabin with a bunch of strangers for the weekend. (Sounds familiar)
Sign #28 You use all of your sick days
At this moment you find yourself using your sick days.
You know how it looks. When you come to work the next day, everyone knows. It’s the walk of shame from a one night stand.
Your work husband or your work wife knows what’s going on.
It’s comical at first, but deep down it’s a painful experience that turns your insides into a slow forming tornado with a panic attack just around the corner.
For me I found myself calling sick at least once per month. It always fell in the middle of the week, or I’d give myself a long weekend.
I felt guilty because there were moments that my co-workers had to pick up a bit of the slack. I knew it was time for a change.
Sign #29 You don’t work as much as you used to
This goes beyond you forgetting tasks, or avoiding specific projects.
You find yourself not doing the work. When you stop working, you’re dangerously leaning at the edge.
Sign #30 You stop talking at work
You used to be the life of the workplace.
The one person with the most energy. You stopped visiting your work husband or your work wife. You’ve left your favorite co-workers behind.
This is where the depression hits you even harder. It consumes you like pieces of clothing on your body.
You’re no longer having fun and when you stop talking you’ve reached the end of the road.
This is where you explore making a critical decision. Do you continue living this way or do you begin to imagine a life without a career that depletes your soul?
The life you deserve is waiting for you once you decide
The life you create will change getting out of a bed from a miserable chore into one that’s saturated with purpose and joy.
Once you raise your standards you can have it all.
But you have to believe.
And have courage.
When you believe that you are deserving of a career that not only has meaning but a career that appreciates and values you––it is then you’ll find satisfaction.
Search deep within you to find the courage to take back your life.
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