A Life Coach's Step-By-Step Guide To Quitting The Thing You Hate & Creating The Life Of Your Dreams

While January 1 may be a popular time to wipe the slate clean and start fresh, there's something about the blossoms of spring that evokes a sense of newness. We clear clutter, go on non-toxic cleaning sprees, and take a moment to look at areas of our lives that could use a little spring cleaning.

Sometimes, that change is a big one: Like quitting a job that's making us miserable pursue something we love. The truth is, quitting isn't really giving up. Maybe, when you look further, the words "I quit" could really reflect a person's self-awareness, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence. What if we, as friends, family, and colleagues, looked at the act of quitting as empowered, one that creates space for self-reflection, dreaming, and appreciation for what no longer serves someone? Could the prospect of saying those two words inspire a healthier path? To quit might just be a lean into what is possible and hello to your next healthy step.

The unknown is unsettling. You know the feeling: You’re about to leave something and move on to the next step, but you’re not sure what’s next. Fear of the unknown is normal—we all feel it. As you dip your toe into unchartered waters, you might think, "Am I good enough? What if I fail? What if I don’t like it and then regret moving on?"

Longing for something different, better, or more is natural. We all want to feel happy, proud, important, respected, and loved. When we’re not feeling these things, it’s easy to slip out of the present and spend our time dreaming about something different. Unfortunately what that can do is make us feel like our day-to-day is less than, that we are less than. Instead of creating more of the "less-than" feeling, turn your mind to the present.

It’s often easier to stay comfortable than to make a big change. After all, you don’t know what is on the other side. Today, in stretchy yoga pants or the monotony of going through the motions, you know what to expect—you’ve been doing it for a while, and you’ve gotten pretty good at it. What’s on the other side seems shiny, elusive, far-fetched, unrealistic, and maybe even out of reach.

So you might spend your time researching and amassing information before you take an uncomfortable step. Or you might have to have everything lined up and perfect before you take action. You might blame someone else or something for why you can’t make a change. You might spend your time numbing out and trying to forget that you’re unhappy.

From yoga retreats and meditation to workshops on living mindfully, it shouldn’t come as a major surprise that living in the moment is a powerful tool for creating happiness. The reality and practice of being present, however, is much harder to do. Staying with your feelings, thoughts, and circumstances is tough. It brings up feelings we would rather ignore, like sadness, frustration, fear, anger—to name a few.