3 Steps to Finding the Nerve to Quit a Job You Hate

Fear and love. These are the two emotions that rule every decision we make. Sure, they are masked as insecurity, jealousy, inertia, complacency, bliss, etc. But, as human beings, these are the two primary emotions that cause us to act, or not.

So, what does this have to do with getting up the nerve to quit a job you hate?

Most never examine why they fail to act. Take the case of quitting a job you hate. All you know is that the bills are constant and doing your own thing won't pay the bills. It's too expensive to start a business, you have no clients and the paycheck you get, at least, is steady.

This is as far as most get when they sit at a desk, silently wasting away because they're so miserable.

So, how do you find the nerve to quite a job you hate? By doing the following:

1. Go subterranean: What do I mean by this? In short, explore the fear behind why you can't quit. Are you insecure about your skills and abilities? Are you afraid that you don't have what it takes to make it on your own? Will your spouse look at you like you've lost your mind?

Whatever the fear is, examine it. AND, counter it.

If it's skill-based, then take a class to conquer the skills you need. If it's money, then get a second job to cover six months to a year's worth of expenses. If it's your spouse, talk to them about your dream and how doing what you're doing is slowly killing your spirit?

Whatever it is, examine it and come up with a solution for it. Whenever I don't think I can do something, I examine why. And, I remember where I came from.

To digress aminute for a personal story: One of the figures I admire most in history is Harriet Tubman. For those who don't know, she led slaves to freedom in the underground railroad. Some accounts say 300; some say 3,000. Whatever the number, she risked her life and again, coming back from the North to the South to lead slaves to freedom.

I often ponder if I would have had that type of courage. Most of us don't have the backbone to risk our necks one time, to do it over and over again - well, it still blows me away.