Joining the Great Resignation? 5 Steps to a Successful Exit

I've been an attorney for over 15 years, and I'm now on the other side of traditional legal practice. My journey took me from General Counsel to starting three successful companies in the last 7 years.

Over the last two decades, I've exited several positions. All were wonderful in their own way, taught me important lessons, and brought me wonderful friendships. But at some point - each of those roles were necessary to leave behind in order to move forward.

Is your gut instinct telling you it's time to move on? Whether you're considering leaving the law or leaving any job, there are a few tips to making sure that you leave on the right note.

Set off for greener pastures with a solid roadmap. Read on!

Five Steps to Prepare For Your Eventual Exit:

1. Interview. Your power is as a free agent. Know your worth on the open market. There is swagger, confidence and certainty in interviewing before you leave. (Note: It may even open your eyes that leaving isn't the best idea.)

2. PR, PR, PR. Control the narrative the best you can.??Start working on a three sentence story that works for all situations, including in interview.?Stay positive and gracious.?Never say anything negative.?Rise above.

Format:?

Sentence 1: paint picture of your epiphany ("I realized...").?

Sentence 2: the rise above statement (e.g., "I decided I needed to not be an _______ but a leader and developer of companies.")??

Sentence 3: bigger and badder is coming?("it's time to move on, ready for something new and exiting, stay tuned for an announcement!")

3. Activate your network.??Fire up regular LinkedIn posts, update your profile, and consider writing an article too. Then, book two lunches or coffee meetings this week. Informational interviews are super helpful: is there someone who's career you admire? Who has a job that seems interesting to you? Take them to lunch and find out more.

4. Get your body moving - get out of your mind.?Go for a swim, walk or run.?You need to clear your mind and up your endorphin levels. Hate where you're at? Find an outlet for your anger: a punching bag, axe throwing, plate breaking or batting cage. Let it go.

5. Identify your fear.? Let's not pretend this isn't a little scary right now. Write down what is worrying you. Break it down to one word.?Empower yourself with a solution and create an immediate action.?Example: if the fear is money - Solution is to go to a financial planner, and the Action is to conduct an audit of your expenses, and reduce expenses. One step at a time, to chip away at the real fear with action steps.

You can do this! Take one little step towards the next amazing thing in your career today.