Miranda MarquitDo you love your job?
There are plenty of jobs that are rewarding. There’s no shame in your W-2 game.
But what if it’s time to move on, even if you love your job?
There are times when your awesome job just isn’t cutting it anymore. Sometimes you just need to move forward, no matter how much you enjoy what you’re doing.
You’re not learning and growing.
When you first started this job you love, it probably came with challenges.
Now, you know the ropes. You might be running on automatic.
While you can always learn from others, you might reach the point where your job no longer provides you regular opportunities to learn and grow.
Life isn’t just about working. Because our work is so often part of our identities, it makes sense that it should also help us progress. If you love your job, but you aren’t moving forward with it anymore, it might be time to start looking for a new challenge.
If you hope to stretch and grow, you can’t stick with the thing you’re comfortable with. So, no matter how much you like it, you might have outgrown it.
There’s nothing wrong with that. It just means it’s time to move on to the next thing.
You think you can make a big impact elsewhere.
Now that you’ve made a difference in your current job, it’s time to move on to another place where you can make a difference.
Many of us like to feel like our work is meaningful. We want purpose in our work.
You might love your job because it does offer a sense of purpose. But how much more meaning can you add in your current position? Have you made your impact, done good work, and feel good about the situation?
But maybe you think you can offer your skills elsewhere.
If you feel like you can make a difference in a new career or position, it’s time to move on.
There’s nothing wrong with moving from position to position, working to make an impact wherever you go. Once you feel like you’ve given all you can to one job, it might be time to go elsewhere and offer your talents and abilities to a new position.
You want to feel more empowered.
Maybe you love your job, but you feel like you can’t really make suggestions or use your skills to their full ability.
There are plenty of jobs where you can do meaningful work and use some of your skills. You can feel satisfied in these jobs and love what you do, for the most part.
But are you empowered to bring a unique spin to the position? Do you feel like you can use your full range of skills? The reality of the situation is that sometimes, even in good jobs, management isn’t interested in letting you bring your ideas to the table.
If you aren’t comfortable approaching your boss with new ideas, or if you don’t feel like you can take your skills to their full potential, you might need to move on.
Look for a company culture that encourages workers to share their skills and ideas. Look for a company that offers you the chance to take ownership of new projects and initiatives.
Finally, consider looking for a company that welcomes mistakes. Sometimes your ideas won’t pan out. But you need to feel comfortable making mistakes on occasion. We all have mis-hits, and feeling free to explore the possibilities is important.
Leave your job behind — even if you like it — once you realize you don’t feel empowered to try new things and potentially fail.
Better balance in your life.
Maybe you love your job, but it’s taking over your life.
That’s not a huge deal if you don’t have family or friends to clutter up the place. It also doesn’t matter if you have no interests outside your work.
But most of us have family and friends and other interests.
No matter how much you like your job, if it’s causing you to lose sight of everything else that makes life worthwhile, it might be time to find something else.
Look for a way to have better balance in your life. Look for a job that allows you to make a difference, while still incorporating other aspects of your life. You’ll feel much better about the situation, and still have work you love to do.
You’re ready for a new location.
Sometimes it’s not about your job. Sometimes it’s about where you live.
Even though I’m not totally psyched about living in my hometown, I do like that I feel like I can make a difference in local politics. At some point, though, I might feel like I’ve run my course in my current location.
I’ll want to move.
Maybe you are starting to feel the same. Maybe you need a change of pace. Maybe you want to move to a town that fits your style better. Perhaps you’re looking for a new challenge. Or maybe you think moving will mean a lower cost of living. And, of course, you might have a partner with an amazing new opportunity. Sometimes you move for someone else.
Whatever the reason, if you are ready to move to a new location, it doesn’t matter if you love your job. You might need to leave it behind in search of a new living situation.
You need more money.
It’s a hard truth: you need money to survive.
Even if you’re living simply, the job you love might not offer enough for you to live on.
You can work on a side hustle to make up the difference. If you really love your job and don’t want to quit just to make more money, a side gig can help.
However, in some cases, you might need to move on and find a better-paying job. Take the skills and experience you’ve acquired and look for a job that pays you enough to live on.
It’s possible to find good work that pays enough, even if you don’t love it quite as much.
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