I quietly quit with a plan, before it had a name.

Disclaimer: I loved many parts of my corporate experience. This journal entry is not intended to bash any work experience or company. Instead to highlight leveling up your career without leaping into thin air.

I’ve always had a plan. Plans for certain ages and stages and titles and even what’s for dinner. I had a plan for my salary and my apartment and my role. I knew I loved people and the human aspects of work. That’s been my anchor from day one.

Since my first post-grad job, I knew how I wanted to “live” at work. My top three must haves: don’t ask me for meetings before 9 am, stay challenged and have respect regardless of my age. I loved the hustle too.

When my plan shifted to helping impact peoples lives and work as one, I needed a new way to live at work. I couldn’t leap and quit it all at once. I stopped asking for more. I quietly quit.

Here is my secret sauce for having a new career plan.

get clear. That’s it. Know what you want and why.

Clarify what you financial goals are due next year and at retirement. Work with your advisor to help with the retirement portion. If you don’t have one- get one now.

Clarify what you can do now to align. Join a project that will help you with a skill in your next role. Ask for a mentor with big connections to other industries. I mentored young women and lead leadership meetings to keep me happy at work.

Clarify what you want. You. Why do you like certain parts of your role, why do you want another role, is this your goal

Or someone else’s. There are a lot of people with a lot of opinions but they aren’t you. So stop asking them. You do you.

Lastly ask for third party help in a coach or therapist or mentor who can ask you questions to help you get clear.

Your modern-day-self-made-crystal-ball will help you quietly quit with a plan.