Quitting Won’t Necessarily Solve Your Overworking And Overwhelm Problem

In last week’s blog post, I asked you a serious question: Are you missing out on your life?

You see, life is meant to be more living and less stressing so much about it all.

Maybe you are working too many hours and want to get back to a regular work week or even fewer hours so you have more time with your family.

Maybe you want to feel more on top of things at work and not so overwhelmed every day.

Or maybe you feel like you want to quit your demanding job and find something more peaceful — and less demanding. 

Before you go down the ‘quit’ path, I want you to consider something . . .

We tend to take ourselves where we go. So there’s a good chance you will bring your same tendencies and unhelpful habits somewhere else if you don’t shift how you think and operate.

Especially if you’re a driven and ambitious person.

Looking back, I am so thankful that I did NOT quit my corporate career when I first realized I wanted to stop working all the time. 

It forced me to learn how to keep stronger boundaries between my work and personal time, prioritize better during the workday and say no in a way that kept my relationships strong and earned respect.

I am also thankful that I finally learned how to be present and turn down the volume on the worry and guilt (even though it was after I left), which I know would make all the difference if I were to go back.

You can learn to do all of this too. I genuinely believe in that and in you.

If you’re the one who wants to quit, maybe that is the right choice for you. 

Or maybe, just maybe, you would be better off learning how to create more balance, stress less and be even more effective where you are at now.

Use your desire to quit as a really great motivator to figure out how to be more balanced in your current role NOW.

Give yourself permission to align your actions with your values. To ask for what you need and want. To honor your boundaries and prioritize your time better. To say no more.

To feel more confident in yourself and your choices. To let go of the guilt and worry about what people will think.

(Cause if you don’t you know where this will end). 

Let that motivate you and give you the courage to make your own bold moves you want to make to be more balanced and present in your life.

This could look like blocking more white space in your calendar. To say no to taking on too many projects or meetings. To leave work on time or see if you could reduce your hours if you want to be done at a certain time each day. Or not check email in the evening.

It’s about figuring out what will work for YOU to have more time and energy for what really matters, and be (and feel) your best both at work and at home.

So if you want to feel happier, be present and enjoy your family and personal time, and still do great work in your current role.

But that feels impossible with the sheer volume of demands, emails, and expectations coming at you every single day.

I promise you there is a better path forward. You just have to be willing to see it and choose to think and do something different. Starting now.

This kind of change often comes in the small, everyday moments where you intentionally choose a new way to think and respond.

Understand that quitting won’t necessarily solve your overworking and overwhelm problem. And own the fact that you 100% have the ability to think and approach your day in a different way RIGHT NOW.

(And if you do get to the point that quitting is the right choice for you, own that too.)

So, let’s start right now. If you were to be more balanced and less stressed, what is one thing you would think or do differently this week?

Be bold and give yourself permission to do THAT. 

The best part? You will perform even better and lead even stronger. It really can be a win-win.

Finally, if you or someone you know would like help to work less, live more and be your best both at work and home, and to see more choice in your everyday moments.

Then I invite you/them to book a call in the next week or so and we can see if The Balanced Leader™ coaching program is the right fit (start in January).

I'm here cheering you on whatever you choose!

What Next?

You can sign up for Stacey's masterclass, The Confident "No" here.

Stacey L. Olson is a Leadership and Certified Positive Psychology Coach, has 15 years of corporate experience and has gone through her own transformational change from burning out to balanced in life while performing at a high level (both in her corporate career and own business). She works with professionals who want to work less, live more and be their best even with all the demands, high expectations and messiness of everyday life. Stacey is the founder of The Balanced Leader™ program and offers executive and leadership coaching, workshops, and speaking.