Today I’m here to tell you something controversial… and I think you’re going to like it if you’ve been thinking about leaving your job to change careers, but you’re not 100% sure yet what you want to do next.

Quitting your job without a plan, without another job lined up, isn’t insanity.

It’s not insanity.

There are situations when it’s perfectly okay to walk away from your job or career without a plan B.

In this week’s video, I’m sharing exactly why (and when) it might be best to hand in that resignation.
Want to know more? Watch the video below.

Or if you prefer to read: scroll down!

Quitting your job without a plan: why (and when) you SHOULD do it

Hey, it’s me – Iris Smyth – here. Helping people change careers is my jam. 

In this video I wanted to talk about something that I know a lot of people contemplate when changing careers…
And that is quitting your job without a plan, when you haven’t figured it all out yet. 

I know, I know… it’s not the ideal, making a huge leap into the unknown. 

You should ideally have something else lined up when you hand in your notice, right? 
Well, not necessarily. 

In this video I’m going to share why and when it’s perfectly okay to quit your job without a plan. 

So stick around, make sure you like this video if you’re already into it, and subscribe to my channel if you’re serious about making your career change happen. Every week I’ll be sharing the best tips and strategies to help you craft a career that works for YOU. 

So first things first, for those of you who don’t know this yet: I used to work in Marketing in the corporate world. 

I didn’t hate the work I was doing, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me, and I desperately wanted OUT.  

So, when I handed in my notice, I didn’t have a clear plan for what was next. I had some ideas about what I could do next, but to say it was a clear plan of action… uhm, no. 

Now, at the time most of my friends were in corporate careers, so it was unchartered territory to say the least, and I remember how alone, confused, and slightly nuts I felt when I was going through it. 

It was NOT the done thing to walk away without a clear plan B…. BUT life isn’t always perfect, and I did it anyway. 

Since then I’ve helped hundreds of people make successful career changes, so what I’m about to share in this video is based on my own experience as well as the experience of helping all those other people change careers. 

Are you ready for it? 

Here’s why and when it’s perfectly okay to quit your job without a clear plan B. 

You need headspace

Maybe you’re on the brink of burnout

Maybe you’re working 80hrs a week

Maybe you simply can’t muster up the energy to think about potential next career steps 

Or maybe your head’s just so full of stuff, and you feel you don’t have the space to think clearly or figure things out.

Look, sometimes the best gift you can give yourself is a reset.

A break from it all. 

A break from the pressure, demands, and stresses of your work. 

A break from the rat race.

A break from the environment that you’re in. 

A break from the world that you’re working in. 

It’s really hard to figure out what’s next if most of your waking hours are consumed by your job, or if you have other commitments like a family to look after. 

It’s also really hard to decide on a new direction to move in, when you’re surrounded by people who do the same thing as you. 

We become conditioned by the people we spend most time with, to the extent that it can blinker us to what else is possible. 

If all your friends and coworkers are working in the corporate world, and moving up the ladder, it’s really hard to imagine doing something completely different. 

But when you take a step back, and remove yourself from the world that you’ve been working in for the past 5, 10, 15, or 20 years, it can open your eyes to the countless other possibilities and opportunities out there. 

So if you feel you need headspace, or just space from it all, then quitting your job without a clear plan can be a really good thing to do. 

That brings me to the following: 

You don’t need to have it all figured out

It’s a huge flaw to think you need to have it all figured out. 

I’ve said it in the past, and I’ll say it again (and again, and again!): 

The biggest mistake you can make when changing careers is trying to figure it all out, and only start taking action once you know what you want to do next. 

So what that means is that when your friends or family ask you what you’re going to do next, you don’t say: I’m going to become a teacher, or nutritionist, or a artificial intelligence engineer” (or whatever)

But instead you say: I’m still figuring out what’s next for me, and I’m learning more about the world of education, nutrition, or artificial intelligence. 

Resist the urge to come up with a job title of what it is that you’re going to do next, and instead focus on an area of work that you’re interested in. 

I bet that there are more types of jobs available within that area of work than you’re aware of right now, so it really pays to be curious and learn as much as you can about that field of work before you decide on a specific job or job title. 

This is why it’s sometimes perfectly fine to hand in your notice without another job lined up – you won’t know what else is out there, until you explore it. 

Another reason why it’s okay to quit your job without a plan is because…

The time might never feel right 

I don’t think there’s ever an easy time to change careers. It’s pretty much always going to be daunting, and there might always be something you feel you need to have done or achieved before you make this big change. 

Maybe you want to get promoted first

Maybe you want to purchase a flat or house first

Maybe you want to get your savings up to a certain level

And whilst some of these are legitimate considerations, it’s also good to realise that the time might never feel right. 

There might always be the next thing that you want to do or achieve. 

So, if you keep waiting for the right time, then you might end up waiting forever. 

Sometimes you just need to do it, and do it now. 

Finally, 

You have to let go of people pleasing.

Other people, including your friends or family, might not understand your decision to walk away from your job or career. 

But, this is your life, your career, and you have to live with the decisions you make. 

You have to go do your job every day, so if you have this nagging feeling that you want to do something else, then don’t ignore that because of what others might think. 

People will always have opinions. Some will approve of what you do, and admire you for your courage to step into the unknown. 

Others won’t approve, and won’t understand, but their lack of approval or understanding ultimately says more about their perspective on life than about you. 

So don’t take it personal, and surround yourself as much as you can with people who do get it, people who understand you, or at least want to understand you. 

People who support your dreams and ambitions, even if that means that you’re doing the less ‘done’ thing of leaving your job without a plan. 

So, if you’re thinking about quitting your job without another one lined up – remember that sometimes the best gift you can give yourself is a reset, that you don’t need to have it all figured out, the time might never feel right, and you don’t need anyone’s approval.

Now, if you’re still not sure if you should or shouldn’t resign… then make sure you watch this video, in which I share 3 strategies to figure out if now’s the time to hand in that notice. 

Before you go, please like this video if you enjoyed this video, and hit that subscribe button if you never want to miss any of my upcoming videos to help you change careers, and craft a career that works for YOU. 

Thanks for watching, and see you next week!

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Ready for a career change, but not sure where to start of what other job you could or should do?

Watch the REPLAY of my LIVE class: How To Find The Right Job/Career (When Changing Careers)

Discover how to go beyond the confusion, and find a job or entirely new career that suits YOU – your strengths, your ambitions, your morals, the things you value and care about, and the way you want to live your life.

In this LIVE class, you’ll learn:
The 3 step process to work out what career of job suits you best
Where to start if you have no idea what you want to do
How to make the RIGHT decision if you’re already contemplating a few different jobs or career paths
A highly successful method to let go what you logically think you should be doing, and tap into your intuition to guide you instead

Watch it HERE.