Write But Don’t Deliver Your Resignation Letter When You Want To Quit

Write But Don’t Deliver Your Resignation Letter When You Want To Quit

If you’re thinking about quitting your job, it’s easy to get caught up in the negatives, jot down a resignation letter, deliver it, then walk away. Writer Todd Henry suggests an alternate approach: write that resignation letter, but don’t deliver it.

Photo by Dplanet

The idea here is to take some time and really assess how you feel about your job. Writing that resignation letter allows you to look at your motives for leaving and decide if it’s worth pursuing. Once you get all that off your chest, Henry suggests you ask yourself a few questions about your job:

  1. How much of what’s in this letter could I change if I really wanted to? (In other words, where am I abdicating my responsibility for the situation rather than embracing my contribution.)
  2. Am I looking to my job to provide something a job cannot ultimately give me? (Identity, self-worth, etc.)
  3. How much of what’s in this letter is recent frustration, versus old wounds that haven’t healed?
  4. How much of what’s in this letter have I experienced in other workplaces as well?
  5. Are there any patterns I see within this letter?

You might find that you really don’t hate your job that much, or that those greener pastures aren’t that green after all. You might also still find that you’re ready to get the heck out. Either way, it’s a way to help solidify your feelings about leaving.

Write a Resignation Letter, But Don’t Deliver It [Todd Henry]


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