We all have been there. You know it is time to leave your job but it seems very challenging to actually do it. This will be the first of a series of articles that I hope will provide you with the steps needed to move in a forward direction.

First, let's look backwards in time.

Why did I even pick this job? Don't be too hard on yourself. Most likely you selected your position for a number of good reasons at the time you chose your position. Take pen to paper and write out at least 5 main reasons you selected this position at the time you accepted their offer. Looking back, you will notice that you had good reasons; faulty reasons; or maybe reasons that were valid at the time, but that no longer apply. That is okay.

For instance: One good reason is you were correct that you had significant client contact. One faulty reason is you accepted your current employer's offer instead of a competing offer because it had a higher initial salary. What you overlooked at the time was it had a poor record of moving employees forward in their career.

Take away: Learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them next time. Seems simple but many candidates repeat the same mistakes over and over as they move from job to job. Also, repeat what you did right.

Next Time: Can you fix what's "wrong" with your job instead of leaving?