How to Quit Your Job

I have learned a lot of things in this life, mostly through experience, good or otherwise, and I've had plenty of experience quitting my job.  In fact, I've nearly perfected the art of quitting my job.  I've quit my job the 'wrong way' plenty of times, as well as the 'right way', so I'm going to pass on some of that earned wisdom so that other renaissance men (or really, anyone) can benefit from my mistakes.

It's important to understand that if you hate your job, you must quit it.  It's not really a matter of whether, but rather how and when.  If you're anything like me, and I suspect you are, renaissance man, you will probably be needing to do this about once every two or three years, on average, so it's a skill you will need to develop.  Now, don't get me wrong, if you like your job, by all means keep at it.  If you're still doing the same job ten years down the road and loving it, you may have just found your 'thing'.  You may also not be a renaissance man if you love what you're doing for ten years, but there are worse things in life than loving your job, that's for certain.  Always remember that your personal happiness and fulfillment is much more important than any job, or being or not being a renaissance man.  It's also important to note that you can continue to be a renaissance man even if you do have the same job for ten or more years, it just makes it somewhat less likely.

So, without further ado, here are some guidelines to help you quit your job:

1. Decide to Quit Your Job.  This is an important first step.  You should make the conscious decision to quit your job.  The idea may have been rolling around in your head for a while, consciously or subconsciously, but now it's time to make it official.  Maybe you are becoming less stimulated with your tasks.  Perhaps you've even become bored.  Maybe you've been feeling that the work or the company ethic goes against your core values.  Possibly your boss and/or manager is a total prick (very likely).  There comes a moment in every job, I've found, that not only has the pleasure gone out of the job, but you actually dread getting up and going to work in the morning.  It's become so tedious and/or stressful (in a bad way) and/or lame that you are seriously considering calling in sick just because you'd rather shove an ice-pick up your ass than go to work and pretend like you don't hate being there.  OK, if you've gotten to this point, you probably should have quit a while ago.  When you start feeling like you'd rather be just about anywhere than at your job, you probably should decide that it's time to work on quitting.  This is not something that happens overnight, so it's important to catch the signs early before an eruption occurs (more on that later).  The sooner you make the decision to quit your job, the sooner you will be able to quit successfully, which will add years of happiness to your life, as long as you do it correctly.
2. Decide How to Quit.  My dad, although not exactly a renaissance man, always gave me the very sage advice that you should never quit your job until you have another one lined up.  My dad was a very practical man, and not subject to the whims of the renaissance man, but this is nonetheless exceedingly good advice.  At the very least, you should be looking very carefully at what you will be doing after you quit your job.  Far too many weary and unprepared renaissance men quit their jobs in fits of rage or frustration without properly planning their next move.  This is a mistake you will recover from, but it might be painful, and could have repercussions that you had not considered fully.  For instance, if you have just been condescendingly reprimanded by your small-minded and superficial boss for the 'last time', and you've reached and gone beyond the boiling point, and you've used some language that perhaps you wouldn't have otherwise used in professional conversation, chances are that you will regret this.  Sure, it will make you feel pretty good for the short-term.  As you walk out the door, you might even feel an overwhelming satisfaction at finally letting the tiger out of the cage after keeping him pent up for so long.  But now what are you going to do?  If you're like most people, you've got bills to pay, and you probably like to eat from time to time, and now you are going to have to start a job search that could take months or longer, depending on the economic climate.  What's worse, now you won't be able to use that job as a reference on your résumé, which is going to make it even tougher for you to get hired somewhere else.  Yes, the urge to blow off your pressurized steam when you're quitting your job can be very tempting, but you should make every attempt to quit your job after proper planning, and with proper, professional notice to your employer.  You will not regret this.  
3. Decide When to Quit.  If your boss has just gotten in your face for the 'last time', here's my advice: eat it.  I realize, of course, that there will be a nearly overwhelming urge to knock him to the ground right there and crush his puny (or fat) neck. Resist that urge. Swallow that pride of yours and resolve (quietly) to settle on your next course of action. Then, 'resign' from your position only when you are calm and have your next course of action clearly mapped out.  This can be as easy as deciding that it's time to use up some of that savings to take some time off and explore the World.  Or, perhaps you've been secretly designing Lederhosen (a particular passion of yours) for the past couple of years, and you want to make a go with that Lederhosen online store.  You think the time is right for Lederhosen Online.  Or, maybe you've just been putting your résumé out there for a while and you've finally gotten that offer you were looking for.  Whatever it is, once you decide what you are going to do next, the answer when to quit becomes easy: as soon as practicably possible.  Just remember, always give proper and professional notice to your current employer.  The old addage about 'not burning bridges', although not always one hundred percent relevant, is generally good advice, nonetheless.  You will never regret quitting in the 'right way', but you may have some regret quitting in the 'wrong way' (although you'll probably get over that, too).

Being a renaissance man inherently means that you will naturally become bored with your job and want to move on eventually.  Hopefully you will be moving on to something completely new, stimulating, and exciting, and it is an opportunity to explore an entirely new field.  The important thing to remember is that it's never a good idea to stay at a job you hate just because you need the paycheck.  Earning money is important, and you will need to make money somehow (unless you are one of the lucky descendants of the [enter name of fabulously rich or royal family here]).  But, trust me, your happiness now will lead to a more fulfilled and meaningful life, not just now, but also in the long-run, even if you do need to take a pay cut from time to time to get there.  You will spend up to a third of your adult life 'working'; it is worth spending that time doing something you don't hate.  All the previous statements about proper planning aside, if it comes down to a choice of going to work today, quitting, or taking an ice-pick up the ass, go ahead and just quit.  You'll figure out the details later.

Just try not to yell at your boss like a crazy person.