“Life is too short for traffic.” – Dan Bellack

Isn’t it amazing how inspiration can find you anywhere? My latest bout came while I was walking to the gym. It made me wonder this: what road sign are you?

No Stopping

Are you the kind of person who races through life without ever taking the time to slow down and reflect? Are you the kind of person who feels guilty at doing nothing? If you are, it’s only a matter of time before you find yourself completely out of gas. “No Parking” people are similar although not quite as extreme. Regardless of which of these you are, you’ve got to take time out to relax and stretch your legs before getting back on the road.

No Overtaking

Are you the kind of person who always puts the needs of other people first? There’s nothing wrong with being altruistic provided it doesn’t constantly do you harm. Much like people who constantly find themselves obliged to “Yield”, never considering your own needs is not very smart. You deserve good things in life and that sometimes you have to step up and take them. Nobody will be doing it for you, especially if you’re too busy doing it for them.

No U-Turn

Are you the kind of person who feels that there’s no turning back? Just because you’ve been doing something for a while and feel committed to following through, doesn’t mean you have to. Sometimes you’ve got to realise that it might be better to cut your losses and call it quits, whether that be in your personal or professional life. Take the road less travelled because the last thing you want is to wind up on a one-way street to a dead-end. Nothing is stopping you from starting over again and choosing a journey you actually want to take.

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“Find a job you love and you’ll never work another day in your life” – Confucius

So, I finally did it. After months of careful consideration and weeks of making up my mind, I quit my job. Even though I knew the decision was right, I still had no idea how to go about making it happen. How exactly are you supposed to resign? Fortunately, resources like Monster.com made the process smooth:

Don’t waste time

When it comes to drafting your resignation letter, don’t be vague. Start by saying you’ve regrettably decided to leave (with a brief explanation as to why) and give the exact end date. Usually two weeks is custom but this varies from place to place. Check your employment contract if you’re not sure.

Make it easy

In addition to delivering the letter in person (NOT via email) sometimes it’s a good idea to stay until someone who can replace you is hired. In my case, I assured my boss that I’d continue to work as normal and start putting together handover documents so the projects I’m working on can be completed by other staff after I leave.

Don’t burn bridges

Express appreciation for your time in the position, wish the company well, and insist on staying in touch. Part of being nice is about understanding that a bad reputation can follow you forever. It’s also about realising that you’ll need references and might even want to come back. Leaving with your head held high is something to be proud of.

Conclusion

Ultimately, you’ve got to do what’s right for you. Think about the timing, benefits you might forfeit, bargaining power with a new company, being seen as a hopper to future employers, and whether something else exists to keep you financially afloat. Then it’s just a case of following you gut. Like Konosuke Matsushita said: “No matter how deep a study you make, what you really have to rely on is your own intuition and, when it comes down to it, you really don’t know what’s going to happen until you do it.”

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed. Check this out too.)

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of keeping languages alive. Since then I’ve come across two great articles that seem to confirm I had a point after all! It turns out being able to speak more than one language actually makes you smarter. Maybe that’s not surprising. What is surprising is the fact that living overseas, even for a short time, does so too. I guess all that’s left to say on the subject is bon voyage!

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)