To myself at 42, wavering about changing jobs. A letter from my future self.

You are currently struggling with whether or not you should change jobs, aren't you?

Should you let go of what you have built up over 15 years at your current company, and
dive into a new environment?

Or should you stay at your current company as things are?

You are receiving a salary.

You don't have any major complaints.

But somewhere in your heart,

“Is it okay to stay like this?”

I think you are feeling that sense of unease around this time.

In the end, you chose to change jobs.

Was that decision the right one?

Even now that I am 46, I honestly don't know.

Perhaps that answer will only be known when you quit the company, or
when you reach the end of your life.

But there is one thing I can say clearly.

That is,

I am glad I took action.

By changing jobs, my environment changed,
my work changed,
my relationships changed,
and above all, I myself changed.

Because by starting the job-hunting process,
I was forced to face myself, whether I liked it or not.

What can I do?
What have I experienced?
What do I value in how I want to live?

I thought about those things over and over again.

I learned about society,
I learned about companies,
I learned my own market value,
and I learned how to proceed with a job search.

I have come to see scenery that I could not see before.

If at that time,
I had not taken action and thought, "I'm fine as I am,"
I don't think I would have gained this learning.

Life is always a trade-off.

If you choose something, you lose something else.

If you take a chance, risk comes with it.

If you choose stability, you might lose the opportunity to change.

That is why there is no right answer in life.

All there is, is the path you chose yourself.

The risk of changing jobs
The risk of not changing jobs

There is risk in both.

That is why I think.

What is important is not to avoid failure.

It is to think for yourself, decide for yourself, and act for yourself.

If you do that, even if things don't go as planned, you should have fewer regrets.

To myself at 42.

It's okay to be hesitant.

It's okay to be anxious.

Take proper action,

and in the end, please decide for yourself.

You'll be fine.

Your future self is smiling just fine.