Making a Bold Career Move Takes Planning – Name it, Frame it, Claim it
Quitting my job and completely opening myself up to the unknown - no immediate source of income, no medical coverage, worry about what the future was going to bring – is exactly what I did in 2018. Many thought I was crazy. Some said I was brave. Label the decision what you want, I did not make it recklessly. I had been planning this exit for close to two years.
I learned there’s a simple formula to help manage any transition with confidence. If you can (Name) what you are feeling based on your circumstances, you can (Frame) a plan for how to make the best decision, then you can (Claim) the best approach to move yourself forward.
At the end of 2016, my older brother suffered a stroke, and my best friend died of cancer. Both devastating events propelling me to embark on a journey of reevaluating my own life, career, and purpose.
This journey started in Arizona. I booked a trip to the Canyon Ranch to get away on what would be the beginning of a spiritual journey allowing me to go within and assess whom I really was. I recall feeling a bit guilty, why would I just focus on me? I had a son, great health, excellent job, wonderful friends and supportive family. What could possibly be missing in my life? That was a powerful question I needed to answer and uncover what was making me feel restless and unfulfilled. Maybe you are feeling that way or have felt similarly at some point in your life. I seized the opportunity to start to unpack what I was doing in my career and why it wasn’t satisfying anymore.
Name It:
After returning from Arizona, I had named my challenge and identified what was making me feel restless. I realized the company I worked for and the role I was performing no longer fit me. I felt I had outgrown the culture and was becoming disengaged; yet still performing well in my role. I was unwilling to put in more of my personal discretionary effort. Once that feeling entered me, I felt relief and the confidence to do something. I had finally named my restlessness – unfulfilled.
Frame It:
I returned in January 2017 with renewed energy and clarity. I started to formulate a plan to exit the organization. I contracted with myself and told a very close friend what I was thinking, which helped me stay accountable.
The decision was clarified in June when our company offered early retirement for longer tenured employees, which I was – except, I only met two of the three criteria and was not eligible. What a gift it would have been to accept a soft financial landing and begin to explore what was next. My colleague, however, fit all criteria and since they couldn’t replace the role, her work was added to my role, in essence, asking me to perform two full-time roles. Then it hit me. I had always done what the company wanted. Taken assignments, extra work, roles that the company needed me to do. When would my career goals matter? What about me? Yes, that question again. When was I going to follow my passion and do what I felt was my purpose? The choice was up to me, not anyone else.
That was it. I had made up my mind 100% that leaving was my best option, regardless of the perceived risks of not having an income stream or health care benefits. Framing was underway. I had already mapped out my financial plan and an outline of what I would do next. I enrolled in an 8-month coaching education program (iPEC) to follow my passion for helping others excel through life’s transitions – career, marriage, divorce, loss – to realize the life I imagined. I had saved enough cash to live on temporarily alleviating one risk that freed me to explore this next chapter of my career journey.
Claim It:
I had named it, framed it, and was now ready to claim it. I was ready to take the leap of faith to exit the company and enact my plan. I wanted to leave on my terms and when I was ready. I trusted my instincts that I had prepared properly and believed I would be successful no matter how this next chapter unfolded. Trust the process is what I kept telling myself. December 2018, my resignation in hand, I entered my manager’s office and handed it over.
If you are able to identify what is truly impacting your ability to move yourself forward in your career (name it), then map out a plan with milestones (frame it), and fully commit to making the change you are seeking (claim it), you will find an amazing journey and opportunities ahead you never thought possible.