Making a job change is as difficult as ending a relationship.

You burned out and not happy with your current job. Yet, you stay in this job way too long as you do in many relationships. You are afraid of making the change and letting go of what you know and once loved. Even when you know it’s time for a better match and position. People are afraid to make the leap.

I had one client who kept talking about how miserable he was and wanting to find a better opportunity. I did everything to get him to see the new benefits and freedoms that would come from his new career. Each time he was about to turn in the letter and apply for the new position, he stumbled and started to regret leaving his colleagues and familiar surrounds. He would stop and the emotions would overcome him even though the job was not the greatest.

Here is one thing we did to help him overcome his own limitations.

I had him treat the experience as a transfer where he could still network and keep in touch with his former colleagues. I helped him align his identity outside of work and realize that his coworkers will always be there in a distant connection, but his life and career needed to move forward so he could grow. In the end, we wrote an obituary for his job that allowed him to let go and say goodbye.

We all have troubling saying goodbye and leaving the comfort of the know. Letting the person experience the emotions and giving them a framework to see their old job is important. This helps change their perspective on the perceived loss and embrace the new horizons will provide growth in their life and career. Embrace your emotions, say goodbye and take action to move forward. By reframing the experience, you will see new opportunities while giving proper respect to your past job and colleagues.