I left my job without a plan, and had no regrets

I was 23, had no viable employment offer, little savings, no support and zero regrets. It's an interesting thing, quitting.

The very term reeks of failure; it downright smacks of disappointment and failed hopes and dreams, but not for me.

When I resigned from my job, almost six years to the date, it came as a surprise to everyone but me. For months I had felt restless. Uncomfortable, miserable, truth be told. I would go home and dread going back and then go back and dread having to be there. My discomfort seeped into every aspect of my life. If I wasn't in a foul mood, I was 'inexplicably' unhappy — physically present but mentally anywhere but there.

Now, I know older readers will go through this with squinted eyes because it sounds like yet another millennial unable to cut it and do the very thing that millions of people have been doing before him.

It had nothing to do with entitlement, or thinking I was better than the job I had. I didn't dislike my co-workers, in fact, they were the best part about my job; they were my few moments of respite that made me sometimes think I was being unreasonable about my expectations of being happy, fulfilled and challenged by my work. But when you know, you know.

It was a soul-crushing period and worse of all I felt stuck because of personal obligations and those to my family. I knew they wouldn't understand. People who don't experience what you do will never think it's as bad as you feel. So, I never told them. I never mentioned how unhappy I was and that my financial commitment to them was the only thing keeping me there, which sometimes made me resent them also.

But my friends got it. They understood exactly what I was going through as several were either going through or getting past it. However, none had quit without a plan. I had not planned to leave without one, but you can never plan an “aha moment”, it just happens.

After a particularly offensive and difficult exchange with a supervisor, I questioned my rationale for staying in a place where I did not want to be, doing something I had no love for, and fighting battles that had no real victors.

I quickly copied a resignation template from Google, because I was going to do it politely and professionally, and deleted everything leaving 'consider this as my resignation effective this date and thanks for the opportunity'.

I was asked numerous questions by co-workers and friends but I realised that the only person I truly needed to give a rhyme or reason was myself. It was tough, especially the not knowing what would happen next, but those were the best eight weeks of my 20s.

I spent the time rethinking my career path and aggressively hunted vacancies I thought were more in line with what I wanted to do. I went on numerous interviews, got my hopes raised, only to see them dashed but not once did I think I made the wrong choice.

While I would never actively encourage anyone to follow suit, especially if you have regular obligations which cannot be put on hold, stubbornly trying to 'make the best of a bad situation' is not a solution.

Quitting is not an announcement that you have failed if you truly cannot see another way out. If the place you are at is not right for you, then time and distance apart from it may be what is required to discover where you should be.

Whatever you decide, ensure it's done with intent, even if it's quitting. At the end of the day, it's your happiness and no one else's.

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