The 'Biggest Lesson' A Worker Learned By Quitting Her 9-to-5 Job
“Readiness is not something you wait for, it’s a feeling that you create.”
Dragana Gordic | Shutterstock Even when you're unhappy at your job — whether because of a toxic work environment, low pay, or any other reason — it can be difficult to make the leap and actually quit. It can be even harder to pursue your dreams, especially when success isn't guaranteed.
Yet one young worker who recently quit her 9-to-5 job encouraged viewers to stop waiting for the perfect moment and do the same.
The worker shared the ‘biggest lesson’ she learned from quitting her 9-to-5 job.
Nikki Meyers, entrepreneur and co-host of the Out Of Our Minds Podcast, said in a recent TikTok, "One of the biggest lessons I learned from quitting my 9-to-5 job and pursuing my dreams and the career that aligns with my purpose … is that there is no one moment where you're going to feel this overwhelming sense of readiness."
She explained that, unfortunately, you will never instantaneously feel "zero doubt, zero fear, zero resistance," and you need to be willing to seize the opportunity despite your doubts.
“I think a lot of people wait for that moment," Meyers added. "There will always be an excuse and a reason not to just lean in and do the damn thing."
She encouraged viewers to stop waiting as there is no better time than the present. If you want a job that allows you more freedom, pursue it. If you have a passion and goal you want to achieve, take the first step toward it.
Leaving the “comfort” of your current job behind is never going to be easy, no matter how unhealthy, unproductive, or draining it is. There's inevitably some risk involved — there always will be when you chase your dreams. But oftentimes, the risk is worth it, so don’t let fear keep you from discovering a new opportunity.
"Readiness is not something you wait for," she added. "It's a feeling that you create by changing the way you relate to discomfort, doubt, and fear."
If you have the freedom to pursue a passion that will make you happier, don’t let fear or anxiety keep you from unlocking it.
"I remember when I was navigating my journey when I was working my 9-to-5 job [and] living in Manhattan feeling very lost," Meyers said in a podcast episode. She recalled sitting in a cubical, working on Excel spreadsheets, and feeling entirely unfulfilled.
“During those times, I had this vision of a life that felt very far away to the point where there were parts of me that didn't even believe it would be my life one day,” she admitted. Yet, since quitting her job and pursuing her passions, she said, “This is the most fulfilled and aligned I've felt ever.”
“Lean into your vision,” she stressed. “If there's something that really sticks out to you and resonates with you on an energetic level, take that and run with it.”
Don't simply accept unhappiness, even if the job search seems daunting. There is a better, more fulfilling position out there; you just have to be willing to work for it.
That doesn't mean you have to quit your current job immediately, though. You can always start planning and searching for your new and better position before resigning to limit undue stress and anxiety.
"I'm not saying this to say that you just wasted a bunch of time or you should have done the thing by now,” Meyers added. “But take this message as a sign that you were meant to hear at this exact moment in your life.”
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories