> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 12 Questions to Ask Before Quitting Your Job - URL: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/12-questions-to-ask-before-quitting-your-job/ - Published: 2026-01-17T16:23:52.000Z - Updated: 2026-01-17T16:23:52.000Z - Author: Matt - Tags: Career Quitting your job can feel like progress. It can feel clean and decisive. It can also be the best way to dodge a challenge. Before you hand in your notice, pause. These questions will help you decide if quitting is the right move, or a rushed on. ### 1\. What problem am I actually trying to escape? Most people don’t quit jobs. They quit one specific pain. A manager who drains them. A workload that never ends. A culture that rewards noise over results. **Name the real issue, or you’ll carry it with you.** ### 2\. Have I said what needs to be said? If you’ve never clearly asked for what you need, you haven’t truly tested the situation. [Great feedback is the key](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/tag/feedback/). Direct beats polite. Closed mouths don’t get fed. **If your company won’t meet reasonable requests, that tells you something too.** ### 3\. If nothing changed, how long could I tolerate this? This is your truth serum. A week is panic. Six months is frustration. A year is a slow leak. **How you spend your days is how you spend your life.** ### 4\. Am I burnt out or under-stimulated? Burnout feels like dread. Boredom feels like numbness. Both push you towards the exit, but they need different fixes. Y**ou might not need a new life. You might just need a new plan.** ### 5\. What would a good version of this role look like? Define 'better' in writing. Clear responsibilities. Clean handovers. Fewer meetings. More autonomy. **Without that picture, you’re not leaving a job. You’re leaving a mood.** ### 6\. What am I hoping the next job will fix? Be ruthless here. New jobs do not fix weak boundaries. They don’t fix avoidance. They don’t fix fear of conflict. **Wherever you go, you are there.** ### 7\. Have I tested alternatives inside this job? Before you burn the bridge, try small moves. A new project. Different stakeholders. A reset with your manager. **Quitting is a big bet.** [**Experiments are cheaper.**](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/the-power-of-side-quests-small-experiments-big-shifts/) ### 8\. What evidence do I have that leaving will improve my life? List it like an adult. Money. Time. Learning. Energy. Health. Be specific and exhaustive. **Feelings are real, but they are not always true.** ### 9\. Am I running towards something or away from something? Running away creates urgency. Running towards creates direction. If you’re only escaping, you’ll grab the first offer that is presented. **Relief is not the same as progress.** ### 10\. What will I regret more in twelve months**?** Staying too long or leaving too early. Imagine the future version of you looking back. **Which decision feels heavier to carry?** ### 11\. What is the real risk if I stay? Sometimes staying costs more than leaving. Confidence erosion. Skill stagnation. Quiet resentment. **The longer you stay somewhere that shrinks you, the harder it is to grow again.** ### 12\. If I could not quit, what would I change first? This question cuts through the fantasy. **If quitting wasn’t an option, what action would you take tomorrow?** That answer usually exposes the real move you’ve been avoiding. Quitting may well by the right thing to do, just don;t let quitting be your first strategy.