12 Things to Consider If You're Thinking About Leaving Your Corporate Gig
I can remember it so clearly. It was about a month before I was planning to tell the Board of my decision to retire. Getting ready for work one morning, I froze with fear. It was gripping and it stopped me in my tracks.
The mental cacophony was relentless: “This is a life impacting decision. You’re walking away from a reliable corporate ATM machine. You’re at the height of your career. You’re throwing away more than three decades of work. Are you crazy?!”
Then a funny thing happened. A complete sense of calm permeated my body. The shift from anxiety to serenity was jolting. The mental chatter gave way to a series of matter-of-fact statements: “It’s time to embark on a new journey. You’ve been preparing your whole life for this. You’re fully capable of whatever lies ahead.”
In the wake of this brief moment, my energy felt peaceful, quiet and still. As I replayed the reassuring words in my head, they felt supportive and encouraging, and the tone resonated as truth. That moment happened in 2018. The fear never returned and the calmness has remained.
Do you feel overwhelmed with fear whenever you allow yourself to daydream about leaving corporate life behind? The good news is that we now live in a time when it’s completely acceptable to reassess our careers and what work means for us. But what’s the right decision for you?
Here are 12 things to consider:
Go slow: Assuming this is a managed change and not the result of restructuring, the earlier you’re able to start thinking about the next step, the better.
Start with Life Design: Begin with a blank sheet of paper. As you envision the next phase of your life, what would get you excited to get out of bed in the morning?
Take Inventory: Review your personal and professional interests and skills, looking for opportunities for further learning that supports your intended life design.
Do the Inner Work: It’s important to address the root cause of your career discontent, otherwise you run the risk of attracting similar work circumstances.
Try Before You Buy: Before you commit to a new path, consider ways you can experience a trial run through a new hobby or project, side hustle or by volunteering.
Make a Plan: If the trial run is a success, now it’s time to get tactical. Create a detailed action plan outlining the steps of what you need to do and by when.
Take Small Steps Forward: It can feel overwhelming to commit to your new plan when you still have all of your old responsibilities. The best way through? Small consistent steps.
Be Your Own Patron: Don’t put yourself in financial peril. Create a good plan and a Plan B. Save as much as you can and get some trusted advice.
Be Your Own Cheering Squad: There will be highs and lows along the way. Find ways to keep yourself optimistic, focused and inspired.
Redefine Success: Taking a fresh look at what success means in achieving your new plan will keep you motivated as you move from a corporate structure to self-directed living.
Find Community: Meeting with an accountability partner or group who understand your new goals and can support and guide can be a boost professionally and personally.
When It’s Time – Take the Leap: There is no right time, just the right time for you. And if you’ve done the work beforehand, you’ll know exactly when it’s time.
A decision to leave a long-term corporate career takes time and is made with both the head and the heart. Too much logic can result in inertia; too much emotion or intuition can result in impulsiveness. I found letting the heart take the lead but using the head for discipline and discernment is a helpful approach.
If something is stirring as you read this, begin to welcome the multilayered and unfamiliar mix of feelings. On the surface, you may feel an array of egoic fears – of change, of failure, of making a mistake, to name a few.
But over time you may find that the quieter you get and deeper you go, you’ll begin to feel what’s right for you at this time. You’ll feel it in your body – like a calming presence in your heart center.
That’s the peace of mind – actually the peace in heart – that I wish for you if you’re contemplating making a big change. I hope you’re able to clearly see through the fear that’s trying to keep you safe to your heart’s desire. And when the time is right, I hope you feel confident in the inner work and the preparation you’ve done.
Journal Reflections: When you think about life beyond your corporate career, what comes to mind? How might you begin to plan for that potential reality? What step might you be able to take today?