Things I’ve Learned Since I Quit My Job
16 Jan 2025
It’s been a whole year, and I still have no regrets. Here’s what I’ve taken away from the experience so far.
1. HOW TO SLOW DOWN
Spending 12+ years in a fast paced organisation where there was always an endless mountain of work taught me how to manage my time down to the minute. I learned how to find small tasks to fill the 5 minutes I could snatch between meetings, just to keep chipping away.
I still struggle to sit still for too long, but the difference now is that I am more inclined to embrace moments of quiet, rather than needing to fill them. I can recognise the benefits of just sitting still and doing nothing, especially with the kids. It’s in those moments we leave space for random conversations, silly giggles and cuddles, or talking about feelings that have been lurking below the surface.
In the same vein of managing my time, I used to leave the house with precisely the amount of minutes it should take us to get somewhere. Now, I try and add a chunk of buffer time so I’m not rushing the kids. They can walk a bit slower and we can all notice the things around us. I heard Steve Biddulph (author of Raising Boys in the 21st Century) say that “hurry is the enemy of love” and that definitely rings true for me.
Reality check: let’s be clear, I’m still dragging them out the door for the school run most mornings! I just try to slow things down wherever I can.
2. IT’S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL
Well, it is. But it’s also not.
If I’m honest, the whole quitting thing was a bit of an anticlimax. This had a lot to do with me resigning whilst on maternity leave. I was already physically absent from the organisation so my leaving was less of an ‘event’ than if I’d resigned whilst in the office. 12 years and then that’s it. Done.
Afterwards, it felt like everything and everyone moved on very quickly. Before long it was almost like that period of my life never happened.
3. TO TRUST MY GUT
The decision to leave my job meant following my heart over my head. I’m not generally a risk taker, but this time I just had faith that everything would work out.
I knew what felt right and what didn’t, and I went with it. Since then, I’ve tried to lean into my instincts more often, and I’m noticing that more often than not they are right.
I think it’s natural to doubt our gut feelings, maybe because we can’t put a finger on where the feeling comes from or why it’s there. But I have come to believe that when we detect a signal from within, it’s wise to tune in.
