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Adefolake: Have A Plan Before You Quit Your Job

One thing having a website has thought me is that I am not a motivational speaker neither am I a preacher. In fact, most of the times I am still trying to figure out so many things as I write my articles but I have learnt to roll with the punches of life and write anyways.

My previous job was and still is a dream job to many, not to sound like I am bragging but very few Nigerians are fortunate enough to have had such an experience. As a consultant on that job it gave me the opportunity to grow career wise, save money, plan, meet a lot of influential people and allowed me support loved ones in any way I could. A few highlights of this job were travelling to several states and visiting Aso Villa where I saw one of my mentors, Amina Mohammed.

We are very few in my field and even fewer women which gives me the opportunity to make mistakes and grow as I progress. After two years with this job, it was time to move on and I know many people will ask why; but I will say your spirit will always bear witness when it is time to move on. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place because none of the applications I had done replied me but I was determined to leave and move ahead.

Before I decided to leave I made sure I had enough in savings in case I did not get another job immediately. I made sure I was able to sort out all forms of financial responsibilities and buy all the necessary things I needed to. Part of the reasons I had to leave that job was I was preparing for my wedding as well as my brother’s wedding and I knew the job won’t give me the time to do all I needed to do and the travelling barely gave me time to do anything else asides work. For at least two years I had missed family gatherings and events because of this job. I had several health scares that landed me in the hospital; I did not need any problems planning for my wedding. I needed peace and stability of some sort.

I resigned at the end of the month and I was satisfied with my decision even though a few loved ones were concerned. It is not the advisable to leave a job before getting married…lol. My brother’s wedding came and let us just say I spent more than I planned to but I was still fine. Weeks leading to my wedding I realised I was quickly burning out through my first layer of savings; by the week of the wedding I had emptied all my spending accounts except my savings account.

It is important I mention I got a job three weeks after I resigned but I was not going to get paid anytime soon for so many reasons I do not want to start explaining which meant I was going to have to spend from my savings and I was fine with that. I did not envisage I would spend that much as my parents were bearing the cost of the wedding. Future brides, please learn from me…you will spend your money even if your parents are doing the wedding for you except you plan prior to that time.

Do I have any regrets quitting my job? Absolutely not! In fact, I am grateful to God a new job came because even if another one did not come; staying in the previous one would have felt like a trap. This new one suits me now and favours me so much. Are there mistakes I made? Definitely, this is why I am writing this to help someone. I know some of us want to quit our job to start a business, get married, relocate, for peace of mind, health reasons etc. I even have a friend that just resigned from a very lucrative job and as crazy as it sounds, I encouraged her because when she explained what she was going through; I did not want to hear one day she slumped at work or did something to herself out of frustration. However and for whatever reason, I believe there are some things to ensure before you quit your job.

  1. First and foremost, please and please have a plan: I can tell you that because I had a plan it made my transition to the new job a lot easier especially when I realized I was not going to be paid on time. If you want to go into business, ensure you have done enough research before dabbling into any business. I have done business before and I still do on the side, I can tell you that it is not easy. Plan!
  2. Do not just save enough: Yes it is important to save but do not just save for what you assume will be enough. It might not be if unexpected events happen. I know we like to be optimistic but trust me, life happens. Ensure the savings you have can sustain you for a long periods of time and factor in different outcomes and if the money will be enough for you. Do not just save enough, save more than enough.
  3. INVEST!!!: My husband will probably laugh when he sees this but yes invest. Oh, he told me severally but I was too scared to lose all the money I had struggled to save. I am not saying go into “get rich quick” scheme, please no. Do adequate research on different financial investments you can take and invest part of your money. I wish I had invested early enough; I would have had residual income on the side.
  4. Talk to your mentors: When I say I quit my job please do not think I decided it in a day, a week or even a month. I thought about it for at least three months. The moment my husband said we were getting married and my brother said he was ready; I had started brainstorming on how to combine my job and planning two weddings. P.S. I had an event planner, so it was not that I was planning it myself but I knew I would have a breakdown or land in a hospital if I decided to keep that job. I spoke to all my mentors, trusted confidants and most importantly, I told God my plans and left it in his hands.
  5. Make up your mind: One of the best advices I got from my uncle was, “whatever decisions you make/take, be ready to live with the consequences”. I heard that advice in November 2019 and it has helped me a whole lot till date. Any decision I make, I make sure I am ready to bear the burden of whatever comes my way. I resigned knowing full well I might not get another job soon or I might go broke in the process but I was partially ready. I did not know I could exhaust my spending accounts and eat into my savings but I did not mind when I found myself in this position.

I cannot say I am back on track financially now as it would take a while, and I cannot say my plan worked out exactly how I thought it would. But because I had a plan, it helped me overcome all the obstacles I met on the way. And yes, I finally faced my fear and did my first residual income investment with a small amount I could afford now. Slowly but surely, I would get back on my two feet and start swinging again.

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