Changing jobs
Get clear on why you want to leave
A simple exercise to sort out what's really driving you to leave, before you decide anything
List what's pushing you out and what's pulling you elsewhere, then mark which pushes could change where you are.
- 20 minutes
- Just you
- Once
- Worksheet
Why this can work
Before you decide where to go, it helps to know exactly what you're leaving. Some reasons would disappear at a new job, some could be fixed where you are, and some would come right along with you. Sorting them first means you don't solve the wrong problem with a big move.
Read moreHow to figure out why you want to quit your job
You’ll come away with a sorted list of your reasons for leaving, and the few that could still change.
- Pick a calm moment.
Twenty quiet minutes on an ordinary day, not the evening after a bad meeting. What bothers you on a bad day is real, but it's loud, and you want the whole picture.
Tip: If you're very upset right now, jot the one thing on your mind and come back to the rest in a day or two.
- List what's pushing you out, and what's pulling you elsewhere.
Be specific. Not my manager, but my manager moves my priorities every week. Not more money, but pay that matches what similar roles get. The pulls are usually the harder list to write, and they count just as much.
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- Mark which pushes could change where you are.
For each one, ask whether it could change if the right person knew about it. Mark it could change, won't change here, or would follow me. That last mark is for things that come with the kind of work, or with you, rather than with this company.
Tip: If you've never told anyone who could change it, mark it could change. You don't know yet.
- Look at what's left.
The pushes that won't change here, and the pulls you can't get here, are your real case for leaving. The ones that could change are your case for one more honest conversation first. The ones that would follow you are worth working on wherever you end up.
- Choose one next move.
Raise one push with someone who could change it, start looking with your pulls as the brief, or put the list away and read it again in a month to see what still holds.
Good times to repeat it: whenever the urge to leave gets loudbefore you start applyingbefore you answer a recruiter
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
A brutal quarter, a reorg, a hard stretch at home. They count, but they may pass, and it's worth asking whether you'd still want to leave in six months.
What might make this harder
That's information too. Write the three that would bother you most on an ordinary Tuesday, and start there.
Questions people ask
How do I figure out why I want to quit?
Separate what's pushing you out from what's pulling you elsewhere, then ask which pushes could change where you are. What's left, the things that won't change here and the things you can't get here, is your real case.
What are good reasons to leave a job?
Reasons that won't change where you are and that a new job would actually solve: no path to the work you want, a pay gap the company won't close, a direction you don't believe in. Reasons that would follow you are worth working on first.
How do I know if the problem is my job or me?
Ask whether you've felt the same thing in other jobs, or would expect to feel it in any job. If so, it may be about the kind of work or your own habits, and a new employer is unlikely to fix it on its own.
Is it normal to want to quit?
Yes, and it's worth taking seriously. The urge usually carries real information about what isn't working, so understanding it before acting on it tends to lead to a better move.
Why this works, and where it comes from
It's usually easier to say what's wrong with a job than what you want instead. Frustration is vivid; hopes are vague. But a move built only on what you're escaping tends to fix less than you'd hope. You can end up at a new company, with a new manager, and the same feeling on Sunday night.
Sorting your reasons changes the question. Instead of should I leave, you get three smaller ones you can actually answer. Which of these would a new job fix? Which could change here if someone knew? Which would come with me anywhere? The third group is the one people skip, and it's often the most useful, because it's the part that's fully in your hands. Being honest with yourself comes first, because every conversation after this one depends on it.
From the company's side, a lot of what you'll list is invisible. Your manager may not know the churn in priorities feels chaotic, or that you've outgrown the work. That doesn't make it their fault or yours. It means some of the list is still open.
This is for the ordinary, slow-building wish to leave. If what's pushing you out is something that isn't safe or isn't right, like harassment, discrimination, or being asked to do something you believe is wrong, a worksheet is the wrong tool. Talk to HR, someone you trust, or a lawyer, and put your wellbeing ahead of a tidy decision.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Changing jobs
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.