6 questions to ask yourself before quitting your job

There comes a time in our professional lives when we feel like quitting our job and pursuing our passions or starting something of our own.

Though it is great that you are thinking of setting up your own venture, it does involve a lot of risks and failures. You will need to work extremely hard and still there won’t be any guarantee of success.

On the other hand, you might be thinking about quitting because of work pressure, toxic work environment, emotional stress, etc.

For all these cases, here is a look at questions you need to ask yourself before quitting your job.

1. What would it take for me to be happy at my current job?
Before you quit, you should write down what would have to be different at work to make you want to stay. These changes might be impossible or unreal, but getting them on paper can serve an important purpose. If you don’t take a moment to reflect on what you need and want to avoid, you might find yourself in the same circumstances, just at a different job.

2. Have I taken every action possible to make my current job  workable?
If you realize your situation is not abusive and could be manageable, think about the steps you might take to improve it. Try taking a positive attitude and communicating more clearly with your manager. Perhaps a schedule change or reducing your workload will make a big difference.

3. What problems do I expect quitting my job to solve?
It’s important to ask yourself if you’re unhappy in your job because of other things happening in your life, and not the work itself. You might be frustrated with something in your personal life that you haven’t yet been able to identify. You can’t expect that to be solved by quitting Set aside time to do some self-reflection.

4. What do I want for my job, career, and life?
This is the biggest question you need to ask yourself. Thus, define your priorities. If you are thinking of making a career change, think about all the necessary steps. Switching careers might include going back to college, a pay cut, or working your way up from the bottom again.

5. Can I financially afford to quit?
Only you can decide if you are financially stable enough to leave your job. Think about what expenses you can cut temporarily knowing you can get them back once you have a new job. Also ask, at what point will I no longer be able to sustain myself? If that happens, how will I gain financial security?

6. Do I have the support of my family and friends?
Quitting your job will affect others in your life, so it’s critical that you have an honest conversation with your family first. Your spouse or children may need to help or at least participate in some of your cost-cutting plans and need to be involved from the beginning.