Don’t Call It Quits

Staying in a job you dislike is an exercise of agency – you aren’t trapped.

Even though you have an objectively decent job that pays well enough, for whatever reason, you wish you could quit. The idea of sticking it out is unsatisfying or even misery-inducing, but it doesn’t make sense to leave. Perhaps you feel stuck. But even when you dislike your job, you don’t have to be miserable, and you are certainly not stuck.

There are many good reasons to stay in a job that doesn’t thrill you. Perhaps it allows you to pay off debt, enables a lifestyle you enjoy, builds useful skills, leaves room for caregiving responsibilities or simply provides stability. Moreover, some people are, by disposition, more willing than others to quit a stable job. Even if you have the degree of risk tolerance required to pursue a new role, you may not always have the energy or desire to do so – and that’s OK.

The way forward starts by recognizing that you are the one in control. Staying where you are, for any logical reason, is itself a real exercise of agency. Your current role is not a prison. It’s an important ingredient in the life you want. Choosing...