For 9 years my wife told me, “You can get into that business, but don’t quit your day job.” I was working at EDS. I wanted to start my own company.
I matured over those years. I learned a little about business and life. I started and failed at a few small part-time businesses. Then one day I said, “I want to leave EDS and start a company.” My wife said, “I think that is the right thing to do.”
I was surprised, but she was right. It was finally time to make a change. I was finally ready. My wife helped keep me in touch with reality.
Spouses motivated by love and in a spirit of honesty can be great counselors. As a recruiter I have repeatedly seen spouses give counsel that I personally disagreed with. Then later it turned out they were right. I misread employment situations that they saw clearly. The person closest to the candidate knew what my candidate wanted much better than I did. Often a spouse “just knows” when something isn’t a fit. On the other hand, they also are pretty sharp about pressing people to leave a bad situation too.
Value the counsel, hunches, and assertions of the person closest to you. A lot of times it is the best advice you can get.
Something to do today
Have you talked with your spouse and family about your job situation lately? Ask them about quitting, relocation, companies and career paths. You may be surprised at what they really think.