When Do You Decide It’s Time to Quit. For Good.

Stuck in a job that you hate? Makes you cry thinking of going to work every day in the morning? Well, even if you’re not crying (sorry to sound so dramatic) but wondering about whether it makes you happy being there at all; how do you know when it’s time to quit?

I recently read Cory Miller’s article on TheDailyMuse.com, “Time to Jump Ship? 6 Signs You Need to Leave Your Job“, which in fact, is quite a good post. Makes a good effort in explaining the different material aspects related to people who seek out to change jobs.

As for myself, whilst taking up a new opportunity or leaving a job; I always ask myself – What would Steve DO?

Firstly, I always believe – unless situation/current economy/your specific surrounding(s)/circumstance(s) has/have forced you, one should always work for someone, or with something – that you really love. E.g. I have a IIT MTech Gold medalist friend from Hyderabad who chose to stay back in the UK during recession when 99% qualified people returned to India; he worked as a customer service rep here and there, pulled luggage in Heathrow airport, and worked in KFC. Leaving out such dire situations, am sure, Steve Jobs could be of help.

As Steve Jobs said,

“Do what you love. You’ve got to find what you love. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it”.

Secondly, assuming you’re at a workplace doing something that you really love, how and when do you know that love has finished – not for the WORK but for the workplace (in general)? Again Steve has an excellent saying,

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

For me, I’m okay working for a 1 room startup for a little lesser amount of money than what I could earn at IBM or Microsoft, but as long as am valued, respected and the company has vision, strategy & implementation; in short, has FOCUS.

When for too many days in a row, the answer to Steve’s question is NO; I always know its time to move on.

And believe me; I have always been a top performer across companies across industries across countries and culture(s); thus, Steve was right. Ask your heart when in doubt; it already knows what you truly want to become.

Updated: Today, 21 Aug 2012, was my final working day at my current firm, eCommerce startup, SherSingh.com. Spent an amazing 8 months with the folks here; we really accomplished something that is quite difficult in the current scheme and scenario of things in India – a desire to establish the Indian Ralph Lauren. Just as RL has its signature POLO; our desire was and still is to establish the Indian CRICKET by Sher Singh. So, best of luck to folks at SS.com; and wish them all the best.