Tea with the Queen

Ready to Quit? Ask yourself these questions first

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Are you ready to quit business after a big Summer break? Post-holiday blues are a thing.

At this time of year, many business owners dream of closing up shop, quitting their business and moving on to something else.

It’s easy to see why, especially after the rollercoaster ride we’ve all been on these last few years. If you’ve found yourself on job boards or LinkedIn, searching for an easier path, you’re not alone. Business is tough, it can be relentless, and sometimes it feels like we’re just not cut out for it.

But before you throw in the towel, there are three questions I want you to ask yourself:

#1: What are the main reasons driving my desire to quit?

What’s driving your desire to quit? Are these feelings arising from something temporary, like post-holiday blues, or is there a deeper issue within your business? It could be staff or system challenges, external pressures, or even internal expectations.

Maybe you’re scared of failure or feel overwhelmed by the plethora of decisions that need to be made on the daily. Sometimes quitting seems more simple than facing the problem head on.

Also, your first answer might not be the whole story. Take the time to ask yourself “why?” a few more times. This will help you gain deeper clarity on what’s really driving your desire to quit.

#2: Have I exhausted all options to resolve the current challenge?

Have you sought support, looked for resources, or experimented with changes that could improve the situation? Sometimes, the answer lies in unexplored options or collaborations with new people.

I want to see as many women in business as possible so before you jump to conclusions and give up completely, make sure you’ve explored every avenue and alternative strategy. We need more women in business!

#3: What are the long term implications of quitting for me personally and professionally?

Quitting might bring relief but it could also close doors to valuable lessons and growth opportunities. Picture your life post-business – does it make you feel elated? Or does it sadden you?

You need to consider how quitting may impact your career trajectory, financial stability, and, importantly, your emotional well-being.

Bringing Back the Joy

A common struggle I see among my clients is finding that elusive life-work balance. Honestly, I prefer to call it a balance of life. Many business owners get caught up in the grind and forget about self care, neglecting what truly brings them happiness.

I think that bringing joy back in as a self care option may make a significant difference to your outlook, to your mindset, and to your business. Joy can be as simple as savouring a cup of tea, a walk in nature, or if you’re like me, a roller-skating class!

Life is too short to be working in a job or business that you don’t love. But before you move onto the next thing, I really encourage you to take some time pondering these questions. Figure out what lights you up and what doesn’t, regardless of your decision.

LINKS

For a copy of Emma’s book, ‘Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive’ – https://www.emmamcqueen.com.au/book/

YouTube Channel

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[00:00:00] Emma: I know that at this time of year, a lot of people dream of quitting their business, especially after the last few years, I would not blame you. And I see a lot of people heading to LinkedIn or seek job board just to check out. And see if there's an easier way to make money. They've had time off of their business.
[00:00:19] They've been at the beach. They've had holidays. They've been juggling school holidays. And business can be brutal, right? And they start to think that maybe, maybe they're just not cut out for running their own business. If you've been feeling like this before you run away, let's dive into a couple of questions that may just help you.
[00:00:39] I want you to grab a piece of paper and jot down each question so that we can go back to it after this episode. Yeah?
[00:00:46] Here are three questions that I would love you to reflect on. The first question is this What are the main reasons driving my desire to quit? You see we need to identify whether the feelings stem from something temporary, i.
[00:00:59] e Holiday blues or something deeper within the business that may need addressing. That could be staff challenges It could be systems challenges. It could be All of the things. It may be that you're feeling the external pressure, or if you're like me, the internal pressure. You may feel overwhelmed by the decisions that need to be made, of which there are thousands.
[00:01:22] Or the expectations that you feel like others are putting on you. You might also be a bit scared of failure. We've all been there. So we quit rather than dealing with it head on. If you ask yourself the question, you still can't come up with an answer. Ask yourself a couple more times the why question, right?
[00:01:42] So if you ask yourself the question, what is the main reason driving my desire to quit? And you answer, well, the external pressure is too much. Ask yourself the next question. Why is the external pressure too much? And then when you reach that answer, ask why again, sometimes just going a bit deeper helps that little bit more.
[00:02:05] Yeah. Number two, ask yourself, Have I exhausted all options to resolve the current challenge? Reflect on whether you have explored all potential solutions, support systems, resources, or changes that could improve the situation before making the decision to walk away. As I said before, any business owner will tell you the amount of decisions they need to make in a day is enormous.
[00:02:30] Sometimes you look back and you see that you've rushed to a conclusion without fully exploring alternative strategies or seeking out external advice and you think, D'oh, I probably should have done that. And what if the key to overcoming your current struggle lies in an untried approach or a collaboration with someone who brings a fresh perspective?
[00:02:53] Are you truly open to change? That's the question. And then my third and final question is this. What are the long term implications of quitting for me personally and professionally? You need to consider how quitting may impact your career trajectory. Your financial stability, your emotional well being.
[00:03:14] For me, it would be about flexibility as well as any potential opportunities that you might miss in the future. This question is kind of where reality bites, right? Imagine for a moment that you did quit your business. What does that feel like? Are you sad? Are you elated? If you quit, it could mean closing the door on the lessons and the growth that you have already experienced.
[00:03:39] Or it could also mean new avenues for exploration, right? Question. Do you define your success solely through the lens of business? I have to ask question a lot. Do you define your success solely through the lens of your business?
[00:03:58] And what does that mean for the future? I realize that these don't just stop at the first question. These questions aren't necessarily easy to answer. But before you throw in the towel and go, it's all too hard, make sure you've reflected long enough to know that it is actually the right thing for you.
[00:04:21] One more thing. In 2024, I noticed that a lot of business owners were finding it a grind. We saw businesses closing on the daily. We saw people, trying to hustle and not necessarily getting anywhere. People were tired. People were exhausted. The few last few years has really caught up with people.
[00:04:40] And so they were just finding it a real grind. They weren't looking after themselves. They weren't doing enough self care, and they definitely were not having much fun. I think a lot of my clients at the time were trying to work out this balance. I don't like to call it balance. It's just balance of life.
[00:04:58] And sometimes the self care flew out the window. I think bringing joy back in as a self care option Joy may make a significant difference to your outlook, to your mindset, and to your business. And joy doesn't have to be the big things. They can be a warm, sweet cup of tea, a stroll in nature, or for me, a roller skating class. Just make sure that you incorporate joy regardless of your decision. Life is too short to be doing a job or a business that you don't love but just make sure you've worked out the bits that you don't love and the bits that you do love so that when you go into the next thing you pick up the bits that you love and you outsource the bits you don't love.
[00:05:48] I would love to know your thoughts on this episode and my bias is that I would love more women to stay in the business world, whatever that looks like for them. I love supporting women who have their own business and they're trying to be better for financial reasons, for their family, have flexibility.
[00:06:07] There's so many amazing things that women bring and. I would love to see them stay in business just a little bit longer if possible. So they're my three questions for today. I realize there's more than three. Please take the time to reflect and let me know what your thoughts are.