What I Learned from Quitting My Job with Absolutely No Plan

In the fall of 2019, I quit my job and walked into the unknown. It was a scary moment not having a plan, another job, or a source of solid income.

Why would I take such a risk?

Simply put, I was not happy. I had not been for quite some time, and I had every intention of changing that fact. I realized that for years I was not capitalizing on my strengths, nor working within environments that allowed me to be my authentic self. I lacked the support and mentoring needed to thrive in the workplace. And often, I felt as though my voice and ideas were dismissed. As a strong-willed, career-oriented woman of color, I wanted more.

I was sure better opportunities and workplaces existed. I mean they must! And I was committed to finding the right next step for me.

So, I set out with no plan. And here is what my experience taught me.

1.      You really can do anything if you commit to your own success. Leaving a position with no backup is not easy at all. But I was willing to do anything to find my next best opportunity. I even had a run at driving Uber Eats for extra cash. And although many people did not understand my decision, I was completely committed to my success and finding a way to make it all work.

2.      You can easily live on less. Leaving my job meant stripping myself of little luxuries like premium coffee shops and dining out. Suddenly I had to reinvent “fun”, in more of an affordable way. But, living on less wasn’t as hard as I thought. I learned the key is to focus on necessities and leave the extras for when I was back on my feet.

3.      There are way more opportunities out there than you think. And to be honest, having a little pressure to think outside of the box is a great way to find them. During my transition I focused on growing my coaching business and even became a project management consultant. My happiness factor also skyrocketed which steered new opportunities my way. So, keeping an open mind was key. As well as saying yes to even things that might have sounded a little kooky to old me.

4.      It does not all have to make sense right away. This one was tough because I am a straight up planner. I like things to be more on the known side and less on the “I have no idea what I’m doing” end. But allowing myself to realize that things would fall into place at the right time was one of the best lessons from my experience. I needed to learn when to let go and be a bit out of control. Trusting that the clarity does come through the sometimes-chaotic process of the unknown.

5.      You are not lost, nor are you a failure. The word “quit” has never been in my vocabulary. I have been taught to be resilient, determined, and strong. “You never quit” is like my family motto. So, I felt like such a failure when I considered doing it. It took time for me to realize that hitting the reset button is OK. And not knowing the exact next step does not mean you are lost. Growing, exploring, and reinventing yourself is a thing we all need to do. Taking the time to learn who I was, and what I wanted, was essential to obtaining my career and business success.

In the end, my journey has been crazy, fun, and a tremendous learning experience. I often get asked if someone should quit their job with no backup plan. And my real answer is “it depends.” For me it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career. I know I can do so much more than I ever imagined, and the only limits are the ones I put on myself. I also had time to explore what I need from a workplace which is diversity, the ability to be included in decisions, and to have a place at the table. For me, it was worth it.