In our professional lives, we dream of an abundance of opportunities to grow our experience, status, and income. We get excited when new things are on the horizon — and who wouldn’t? I for one find myself energized by new opportunities. I get to test my knowledge, hone my skills, and grow my experience.
However, I also recognize that not every opportunity is worth pursuing. Some opportunities may be worthwhile for a time, but stop paying their dividends before the end is in sight. As professionals, leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs, we’ve got to recognize when to walk away.
Whether it’s a job, a client, or a company, here are the signs you need to walk away, even when it seems like it should be an ideal opportunity.
It’s Okay to Fail
So many times we allow ourselves to get trapped in a sunk-cost fallacy. We see all the time, effort, and money we’ve poured into a job or a business and don’t want it to go to waste. We think it’s better to stick it out and continue on that to quit. After all, isn’t quitting failure?
Listen to me: there are worse things than failure. Digging yourself into a deeper hole in the name of not giving up is foolish. Failure is not indicative of your worth or your chances of future success. We know that some of the biggest names in finances, some of the greatest successes in business, failed and failed hard along the way.
When you recognize that failure is not the end, but an opportunity, you will be more able and equipped to walk away when you must.
4 Signs It’s Time to Walk Away from Professional Opportunities
1) It’s not worth it anymore.
Projects, businesses, and jobs need constant re-evaluation. Just because something sounded good on paper, or the number checked out in the beginning, doesn’t mean that it will continue to make sense. Sometimes scaling, labor, supplies, whatever the costs are — don’t make sense. The project fails to result in growth or real rewards. A project that you expected to become more sustainable over time never grows in the way it needs to.
Be willing to step back and re-evaluate where you are. Don’t just accept a venture that no longer makes sense for your goals, finances, or capacity.
2) Your values don’t align.
One of the greatest things to guard is your reputation. Your integrity. We do this by working within and in accordance to our values. If you value honesty, a job done right, and sustainable practices, don’t accept a partnership or project that forces you to compromise on those values. It might not be evident in the beginning, but these issues can grow over time. Don’t be afraid to fail if it means preserving your integrity.
3) There’s no opportunity for growth.
Are you reaching your full potential where you are? It’s true — not every job, project, or venture is going to push you to new heights. But it’s important that, overall, you are being pushed towards growth and towards new goals. Work should be, in an ideal world, something fulfilling. Something that brings out the best of your skills, talents, and abilities. Though realistically speaking, not all jobs will do this — and that’s not necessarily a reason to jump ship — a lack of growth opportunity is definitely a red flag.
That could be a lack of challenge in your work, a lack of opportunities for promotions, or just the stagnation or underutilization of your skills. Regardless, this lack of opportunity can kill your drive and desire — not to mention stunt your career potential.
4) Your health is suffering.
Your physical, mental, and emotional health (and that of your team) matters. Needing to step back or step away from the sake of your health is not a weakness — it’s a sustainable strategy.
Opportunities may seem like they pay off well, but if you’re trading in the quality of your sleep, your heart health, your relationships, or your mental wellbeing for a chance at success...it’s probably not worth it. Be mindful of your stress levels. Be mindful of how many hours your work takes from you. It’s one thing to go through periods of work stress during crunch time, but it’s another to find yourself dreading work every day. Toxic work environments exist, and they’re the ones you have to walk away from.
Have you ever walked away from a “good” opportunity? Share why in the comments.