The end of the road

I've been waffling about when to retire from my current job for a long time now. I kept hoping things would improve to the point I could stick it out for another year, then leave feeling I'd accomplished something worthwhile. Sadly, that's not the way things are shaping up. There have been a few positive developments in recent months and plenty of promises, but not nearly enough real action, and I've little reason to think that will change anytime soon.

It might be worth sticking around for another year if I wasn't sacrificing quality time with Husband and the critters, but I am and that makes all the difference. No amount of money can buy back the time I'm losing with them. 

Today, I started the leaving process by telling a trusted colleague and friend that, barring some drastic change in the next few weeks, I'll be calling it quits by year-end. I'm sure it's the right call because just saying the words out loud made me feel lighter. Now, I just need to work out the best exit strategy. 

Two bits of advice I read lately helped me make the decision. The first was not to undervalue the life energy it costs me to keep working at this job. Yes, there'll be a major drop in my income when I give it up, but there'll be a much larger increase in the time and energy I have to devote to other things.

The second was that I don't have to explain my decision to anyone if I don't want to - least of all those who've made the job so distasteful. It's enough to say I'm moving on and leave it at that. 

So there it is. Decision made. The end of the road is in sight. From this point on, it's just about selecting a lane and keeping my eyes firmly on finish line.