Last week was a bit of a shock as Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand decided to resign from her top flight position. At only 42, but having served nearly six years in her premiership; she cited ‘burnout’ as to why she made this decision.  

Jacinda had it all, did an amazing job under unprecedented times and then decided to leave on her own terms. It was perhaps one of the most dignified resignations in international politics (other world leaders, take note!).  

This got me thinking about all of our wellbeing and working well. It takes a lot to decide to step away from a position. Whether it’s to pursue a new role, take some much needed time off, or to retire from the world of work completely; these decisions are rarely taken lightly. 

At the heart of all these decisions, we need to take into consideration what is right for us. This is not a selfish move, but we need to be aware of the impacts of our decision. 

Here are a few things you need to think about when moving on:

1. Making the right decision for you – make sure that this is truly the best decision for you. Chat to your family and friends about it. But also if you have a confidante at work, have them as a sounding board too.  In the end, it is only your decision to make – weigh up all the pros and cons, to make sure you are making an informed decision. 

2. Succession planning – even long before you have made this decision, think about your succession planning. Is there someone in the pipeline that could take over your role, or will go out for interviews? Helping for a smooth transition will be appreciated by you colleagues and organisation. 

3. Timelines – work out when you want to move on. Maybe you have a notice period you need to work. These can always be negotiated with your company and hopefully work to the advantage of both you and them. 

4. Saying farewell – depending on your reason for moving on, even if it’s under a bit of a cloud, keep your dignity. It’s never a good idea to burn bridges. In better circumstances it might be a fond farewell with people you want to keep in touch with. In a worst case scenario, there may be legal issue you need to deal with. Make sure you do everything by the book, in case of any compensation claims you may wish to make down the line. 

Change is inevitable; we cannot continue in the same role for ever and it can take us a while to get used to the idea of moving on in our careers. 

I’ll leave you with this thought… In Japan, there is no word for retirement, you simply move on to the next thing. I quite like that.