Dear Dr. Dana,
After weeks of sleeping late and working even on Sundays, I finally decided to quit my job. I told my boss that I couldn’t take it anymore. I thought about it, and now I feel sad and confused.
I knew I was suffering in my job because I hardly had time for my family. My officemates hate me because according to them, I ran away from my responsibilities. Maybe in a way they are right. And now I feel guilty I left them while here I am, finally catching up on my sleep.
I’m a certified public accountant but somehow I feel so unworthy of my title because I resigned at our busiest season. I feel both useless and a coward.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
It’s an issue of season and life purpose. If you’re a young CPA who just got your still-hot and unscratched license, then sleepless nights can be good training for both your competence and character.
This planting season for your career training can never be easy, and the only way out of it is through it. Then you reap the harvest of honed skills and strong character. But remember, this should only be a season and not a perpetual experience for you. Seasons always move on to the next season. If for many years you have not found peace and joy in what you are doing, then you may have to re-examine: Should you really be a CPA or not? From what I know, the work scenario you described above looks very typical for a CPA working for an employer (especially during year-end closing).
Your transfer to another employer can only change situations so much. Significant change can only happen either by shifting from regular to offering CPA consulting services or an outright career shift. What do you think should your career be that would lead you toward your personal life purpose? When you’re able to answer this and drive your life toward it, believe me, you may be dead tired physically but an invincible smile will be tattooed on your face that the world cannot take away.
Stepping aside from the pressure cooker and accepting temporary uselessness is the necessary retreat that prepares you for an even greater usefulness for God’s plan in your life. This definitely is not cowardice since it takes a lot of courage to take responsibility for your life, amid the comfort of conformity to expectations. You didn’t run away from your responsibilities. You simply chose your battles, and theirs is not yours. Others may not like your decision, but, as the English idiom says “You don’t need to stop at every dog that barks.”
Very truly yours,
Dr. Dana R. Sesante