When I quit my well-paid corporate job nearly 9 years ago, a lot of people called me brave.

(Except my parents. They thought I was being a bit silly)

In reality, I didn’t feel brave at all. I was quietly panicking on the inside.

I didn’t have a steady stream of paying clients or a formal business plan. Although that doesn’t mean it was an impulsive decision – I’d been thinking about resigning for around 12 months.

During that time, alongside completing my coaching qualification, I worked on my vision. I got clear on the kind of coach I wanted to be, who I wanted to help, and the problems I actually wanted to solve.

But it wasn’t just about big ideas and vision boards. I did some practical things too. I saved up some money and explored freelance options in my old career so I knew I could support myself while I built up my client base.

For me, leaving my job wasn’t about feeling super confident and brave. I just felt so clear on what I ultimately wanted to do, I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t give it a try.

Quitting a job shouldn’t be rushed. It’s a big decision, and not the right one for everyone. It deserves time and planning, rather than an impulsive resignation after a bad day.

I shared more of my thoughts on this with The i Paper recently, which looks at what we often get wrong about quitting and how to do it better.