Doing the “Pope Thing”: Lessons From the Day I Walked in and Quit My Job

 When I got in my car the other morning, the news flash that came through was that Pope Benedict XVI had resigned.

This was big news since apparently a pontiff has not resigned in the past 600 years. That is quite a record since the last resignation was by Gregory XII in 1415.

As I drove along my HR mindset kicked in. Although it was reported that the Pope resigned for health related reasons, I was fixated on the act of resigning. We have all at some times is our career had jobs that we could not wait to resign from.

When I walked in and did the “Pope thing”

I remembered one job that I had, and I realized over a weekend that I just could not do it anymore. With no job in sight, I walked in on a Monday morning and said that was it. I did the Pope thing before there was a “Pope thing.”

However, the thought of that resignation hovered like a dark cloud over me for close to a year before I finally did it. Trying to decide what to do, and trying to find a job, was all consuming.

In hindsight it was the best career move ever. Sure, it was scary but I had a plan and with adjustments, it did work out although not quite the way I expected. Still, it was a successful career move overall.

Back in those days before I resigned, there were days that the sun shone through the clouds and I would rethink what I wanted to do. But just like a summer rain storm, that would fade away and it was back to reality.

Not an easy decision to make

I am sure there were thoughts in the heads of a lot of people I knew when I resigned, and a lot of them may have wished that they could do the same. Walk in, hand over the letter, and the load would be lifted like a huge weight from their shoulders.

But having been there, it is not easy to arrive at that decision. The reason is that it builds up over a period of time. Sometimes, we rationalize over and over about the pros and cons. Other days we see clarity, and still other days, the clouds reappear.

When I was in corporate HR, one of the defining questions that I would ask that would open the flood gates was this: “Tell me about the day that you made the decision that you were going to leave. Walk me through that, if you will.”

What I was looking for was the trigger that caused them to make their decision — because everyone makes the final decision at some specific point in the process.

For me, it came when I was sitting in my backyard having just finished reading The New York Times. I remember it as if it was yesterday.

When one becomes mentally unemployed

I had become mentally unemployed, simply going to work and going through the motions until the end of the day. What I found, was that I was not the only one.

Workforces today are made up of lots of employees that are mentally unemployed. They have already resigned and mentally checked out while they try to figure out how to get out. They’re just waiting for that phone call or email that would serve as the lever to pry them away from their job.

They just can’t walk away for numerous reasons either sound or unsound. Being in that orbit is not a pleasant spot. The sleepless nights, the loss of energy, the constant fog — they can all play a role in a person’s well-being.

Yes, lots of employees continue to go to work every day, but it becomes harder to give 100 percent attention and commitment. Their heart is telling them to resign and devote time to looking for a new position where there may be some job satisfaction, but that voice also says that leaving a steady job in today’s economy is dangerous, and, that interviewers may reject me for a new position because I’m unemployed.

You need a game plan to do it

Before resigning, consider how you’ll react to being unemployed. It may feel like a relief to be out of a non-productive situation, but you’ll also lose your sense of purpose and structure — unless you can handle waking up in the morning with a “What am I going to do today?” feeling. Strategically, you have to have some type of game plan if you do decide to make your move.

Unemployment can be mentally trying, and you may feel that getting a little frayed around the edges is a small price to pay for the chance to escape your current job. But, feeling good about yourself and your decision is key.

So if you are in the Pope’s mindset, I know what you are dealing with. I wish I could tell you that it will get easier, but it won’t.

There is no easy way to do it like the Pope did unless you have something waiting. If you don’t, you are like so many others trying to figure it out how to make a smooth transition.

Good luck.