A year ago, I left what most people would see as an amazing job and new opportunity. After 30 years of a hardworking career, I knew within the first 90 days that I had made a mistake. I loved my team, but the culture of the company was not a good fit for me. So after only 1 year in the job, I resigned. These are things I learned from my experience.
The first step to correcting a bad decision is to be honest with yourself and to acknowledge that it maybe wasn’t the best choice you could have made. This is much easier said than done, but unless we are 100% honest with ourselves about the mistake itself, there’s no way to move past it.
The second step is to get out of the situation sooner rather than later and start moving past it. There is an immense amount of embarrassment and diminishment of self-worth that comes with making a bad career move. Just rip the band aid off and resign because there is no easy way around it. I did give a 6 week notice and I tried very hard to be as upbeat as possible to my fellow employees about my decision. Negativity only makes you feel worse.
Additionally, the real challenge is that we want to be seen as someone who is consistent, smart and successful. We fear that recognizing that a major decision we’ve made as a mistake shatters that image in our own mind. But what is important to remember is that this is only in our mind and no one else’s. People aren’t really thinking about you and your situation, to be honest. They have their own lives to worry about. You need to do what makes you happy.
Finally, know that you are going to be just fine. Better than fine. It is not the end of the world. Not even close. Matter of fact, when you get through these steps, you will start to feel more like yourself than you ever have, and if you’re as fortunate as me, you will find the work that you were truly meant to be doing and be very happy doing it. So it isn’t the end, but the beginning of something great!
Although something you’ve done may feel like a mistake, it may lead you to something better. Go with the flow! Be happy and enjoy the ride!