Often, I reflect on where our mission is at, and my personal goals. This can lead to asking the inevitable question: is it time to move on?
Well, I reflected on this recently, and in the end, came up with a decision set I go through — what matters and what doesn’t. Here it is :)
First and foremost, what does not affect the decision
The Money — Ethics and relationships trump Money
- What is the point of money, if you sell your ethics for it? Over the long term, this will burn your self confidence and your relationships. By ethics, I mean, if you end up “resting and vesting”, becoming a negative influence on your team and culture.
The Inconvenient Things — Little things should never affect big decisions
- The “I have rent to handle”, a “personal trainer to pay for” kind of stuff. Sure, it may be inconvenient, but these kinds of things have a way of working themselves out. Besides, there’s inconsequential when it comes to the larger problem.
What the Future Holds — Ambiguity is good, you will figure it out
- The question, well “what else would I do?”. This almost makes one feel stupid, as it seems weird to give the financial side up, without any competitive thing to do. But, this kind of thinking can get you stuck forever. Know you will figure out what to do, and quite quickly at that, and this will have to happen at some point.
Fear completing your large projects — Large, ambiguous, hard projects are where true learning comes from
- Sometimes, you may feel stuck with a large project, the desire to leave is caused by some sort of blame avoidance. Remember you can’t fool yourself, if the project fails after you leave, that’s even worse. The best course of action is to share where you’re at.
Now, what does affect my decision
Honor and Ethics — What is the best for my team?
- All in all, I want to do what is best for the team. Is staying, at the level of contribution you think you can make, good or bad for the team?
The Difficulty — In reality, what is the harder, more learning filled path?
- In life, the long roads are often shorter, and what seems daunting is often the most personally rewarding. Learn to love these dangers and difficulties. When you ask yourself What is more difficult — what’s the natural answer for you? starting the adventure now, or pushing through?