When Stepping Down Is The Best Step For Your Self-Development

COLLABORATIVE POST

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In the business world, we tend to have a pretty forward-facing focus. ‘Self-development’ in a career sense has certainly always centered around prospects like training, career growth, and promotion. And there’s a good reason for that – staying stuck at the same career level can leave you feeling undeniably stale.

Yet, in an age where work-related burnout is currently at its peak, it’s also impossible to ignore the fact that, sometimes, piling all of this pressure on ourselves isn’t good for our development at all. In fact, it can do damage if we don’t listen to our needs within that.

This is why, sometimes, self-development in work and life is actually more about knowing when to step down, change course, or simply take a breather. These moments of pause can lead to some of the best career decisions we’ll ever make. The question is, how do you know when it’s the right time to take your foot off the pedal? Keep on reading to find out.

# 1 - Your Passion Isn’t There Anymore

Passion should be our driving force when it comes to our work outputs. This is the thing that sees us putting the work in and having the will to push ourselves and make things happen. If you’re simply going through the motions without that fire in your belly, not only are you unlikely to keep growing in your career, but you’ll also probably put a significant dent in your self-development more generally. You’ll certainly find even small amounts of work taking a significant toll on you if this is the case!

Of course, it isn’t always easy to know when your passion has actually left you. Sometimes, you can feel drained by a problematic project without it meaning that your prospects in this industry are over. But, sure signs that is the case include an ongoing lack of excitement, a failure to feel enthused by your prospects, or even feelings of dread about heading into the office.

In these instances, stepping down or at least acknowledging the problem is key. This will give you the headspace and literal time to work out what you actually want to do. And, self-development doesn’t get much better than that.

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# 2 - You Need to Focus on More Important Things

Sometimes, you may be better off turning away from your career simply because there are other, important things happening in your life. It’s just plain unrealistic to think that we can prioritize work every single second. Whether someone you love has fallen ill or an elderly loved one has reached the stage where they need constant care, you may simply need to take a temporary or permanent career break, and that’s okay.

Listening to that need, rather than trying to juggle things and only giving half of yourself to each focus, is far better for everyone. What’s more, there are now options to ensure you get paid if you’re acting as a carer, meaning that there’s no financial reason to push yourself in the wrong direction.

At the very least, taking a career break in this instance ensures that you can focus on personal self-development. Equally, if you enjoy those care roles, or simply start thinking about other career options during this time, you may find a brand new vocation that you never would’ve considered otherwise.

# 3 - You’re Burnt Out

A surprising number of American workers in pretty much every industry are burning out right now, with symptoms that include high stress levels, an inability to sleep, and a load of other things that could impact health and work in equal measure. This is the exact opposite of self-development and, if you ignore the signs, it could leave you locked in a never-ending negative cycle.

Admittedly, you don’t need to step away from your career altogether in this instance, but you should certainly ask for a break. This will provide you with the time you need to work on yourself and your mental well-being. You might even find it beneficial to invest in services like therapy, which will help you to identify and address what’s gone wrong.

Whether you return to your previous role or look for something with slightly less stressful stakes, you can bet you’ll be a stronger, happier version of yourself as a result.

# 4 - You Want to Pursue Career Alternatives

Life moves in mysterious ways. Sometimes, you may simply find that another career catches your eye, even if you’re happy in your current role. Perhaps a new company springs up that you think would be a good fit, or maybe you start considering training in a completely new field. Your instinct might be to knock those things to the side while you focus on the goals you already have in place. But what if you listened to your instincts a bit more?

Sure, this kind of impulse might seem like it’ll take you away from the kind of self-development you’ve always prioritized. You might need to train all over again, or start in a lower-paid role than you’re working right now. But if thoughts about that new opportunity are leaving you restless in your current situation, they may still be well worth pursuing.

So, start researching how to make that new, exciting thing happen. It could lead to some of the best developments that you didn’t even know you needed.

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Conclusion

Stepping down from a position you’ve worked hard to secure is always daunting and, often, it can feel like a sure step away from your personal development goals. But staying stuck, or ignoring these key signs that you should try doing something else, is sure to prove far more damaging in the long run.

So, whether you take a career break or completely hand in your resignation, you should definitely take action if you’re experiencing any of these distractions in work and life right now. You never know; it could end up being the best step towards true self-development that you’ve ever taken.

— End of collaborative post —

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