Episode 11
Want to Quit but Don’t Know What’s Next? It's Okay If You Feel Stuck
Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t knowing that something isn’t working – it’s not knowing what to do next. You might feel the urge to walk away from a job, a routine, or a version of your life that no longer fits. But without a clear path forward, it’s easy to stay frozen in place.
This short reflection offers a quiet reminder: wanting to quit doesn’t make you ungrateful or lost. It means you’re listening to something deeper.
And even if you don’t have the next step mapped out, you’re still allowed to want something different.
It’s okay if you’re not ready to leap.
Naming the discomfort is a brave first step.
Transcript
00:07
Hey, this is OK IF, bite-sized permission slips. I'm Matt Gilhooly, and today's permission, it's OK if you want to quit, but you don't really know what comes next. A few years ago, I was working in higher education, and on paper, it was a good job. It was stable, secure, exactly what you're supposed to be grateful for. But underneath, I was restless, burnt out, unfulfilled, all the things.
00:35
I found myself thinking, I want to quit. Over and over again. But every time that thought showed up, it was immediately followed by another. But what would I even do next? No clear backup plan, no roadmap. Just this simmering sense that I couldn't keep going on like that.
00:54
And maybe you've been there too, wanting to leave something that no longer fits, but feeling paralyzed because you don't have the next step figured out. Here's what I've learned. Wanting to quit doesn't mean you're ungrateful, or lazy, or lost. It means you're paying attention to yourself. It means you're noticing something that isn't aligned anymore. And it's okay if you don't have the perfect answer right now. Sometimes the first step is simply just admitting that
01:23
this isn't it anymore. So if you're in that space today, where you want to quit but you're stuck in the uncertainty of what comes next, I see you. You're not behind. You're just human.
01:38
If you're up for it, tell yourself, I give myself permission to want to quit even if I don't know what comes next. That's your permission slip, friend. Tuck it in your pocket and I'll see you next time.
