The Great Resignation

Why are so many people quitting?

December 06, 2021

Hey there —

Who hasn’t thought at least once about quitting their job?

It’s the classic fantasy: you hit the lottery. Newly (and fabulously) wealthy, you walk into your boss's office and bid them adieu.

But actually walking away from a job - that’s always been a little harder.

Until now.

The Great Resignation is underway, and millions of people in the U.S are quitting their jobs in record-breaking numbers. In September, 4.4 million workers said sayonara and clocked out for the last time, according to the Labor Department.

The pandemic served as a nationwide awakening about how we work. People finally had time to reflect, and they asked themselves:

  • “Where is my life going?”

  • “Do I even like my job?”

  • “Am I living for work? Or the other way around?”

During this widespread self-reflection, new priorities have emerged. People are demanding more autonomy, respect, and the capacity for growth. The bare minimum doesn’t cut it anymore.

So, where does The Great Resignation leave us as we make fewer Zoom calls?

If you feel like you can do better than your current job, you probably can. According to CNBC, there are about 1M more job openings than people looking for work.

But while the deck is stacked in your favor, this doesn’t eliminate the need to come up with an action plan if you decide to quit. Don’t jump without a parachute.

Whether it’s moving back in with your parents, picking up a side hustle, or learning a new monetizable skill, detail your next steps so you know how to deal with the unknowns of unemployment.

In the end, The Great Resignation isn’t about throwing caution to the wind. To “quit” actually comes from the root word “quietus” which means to set yourself free. Maybe you can mention that if you ever have to explain a “gap in your employment history.”

We are now part of the first generation where work adjusts to our life - and not the other way around.

And that feels pretty great.

On Wasting Time

Article | by Sven Schnieders

Not all wasted time is created equal.

Scrolling your Sunday scaries away on TikTok? That’s lost time.

But wrestling with writer’s block or battling a creative drought for a few hours isn’t time wasted because even though you might not see results, you’re still putting in the effort. And that’s what matters.

In this mini-essay, Sven Schnieders reminds us that it takes a whole lot of “useless” hours until we can hit the creative motherload. As Sven says:

“To come up with great ideas, one has to waste a great amount of time.”

Whether you get your best ideas on walks, in the shower, or sitting at your desk, there will be lots of times where nothing happens. But every once in a while ⚡ zap⚡ you’ll get struck by an idea that jolts you into motion.

You just have to waste time like a pro.

How Losing Money Can Help You to Earn Money

Article | by Darius Foroux

Turns out that most of us would rather keep $100 than find $100 on the street. That’s because our aversion to loss is twice as intense as the feeling of gaining something.

While this is interesting, it becomes a real problem if you want to make money, because — as the saying goes — it takes money to make money.”

In 2008, Darius Foroux felt loss aversion hard when he lost 60% of his cash due to the financial crisis. So, he did what most people did: he swore off investing.

But Foroux soon realized he couldn’t win the game of financial freedom if he walked away from the table.

In this article, Foroux walks us through his formula to achieve a solid financial status. The biggest component? Learning to accept loss.

If you can master your own loss aversion bias, you’ll be a huge step closer to achieving your goals, whether that’s in the stock market or your freelance career.

Make My Move

Opportunity

If you’re a remote worker looking to move to Stillwater, Oklahoma, it’s your lucky day. They’ll pay you $7.5K to make the midwest your new home.

Make My Move is an online directory that matches U.S cities to remote workers. Some are paying up to $16K to move to their side of town, and it includes home buying allowances, free memberships, and even gift cards.

More than a catalog, this tool shows us how our attitude towards work and lifestyle is changing in real-time. People are looking to move away from dense urban areas so they can stop paying $3,102 for an apartment. (That’s how much people are paying in San Francisco).

Written by Alice Lemée