Sticking It Out vs. Stepping Away

May 2025

Over 25 years ago, I landed my first full-time job as a high school math teacher. It was a proud moment. I was hired at a top-rated public high school in the county, surrounded by amazing educators, and given the autonomy to manage my classes and lesson plans as I felt appropriate. On paper, it was a fantastic opportunity. 

Reality Check

Once I started in the role, the amount of work involved became quickly apparent. I was given four different math subjects to teach (including calculus!) and had to build each curriculum from scratch. I spent countless hours prepping lessons, grading, and supporting students, often sleeping three or four hours a night, even on the weekends. I poured my heart into the work, but I was exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Despite the challenges, I kept going. Because that’s what we’re told to do early in our careers: sacrifice, push through, pay our dues. And I did. Although in my heart, I think I knew classroom teaching wasn’t my calling. Yet I threw myself into it with everything I had, because I didn’t know what else I wanted to do.

Breaking Point

Things caught up with me in my second year. Not only did I continue to get minimal sleep and down time, but my mom was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. The addition of this emotional strain combined with an already unsustainable workload was too much. I was completely worn out. I made the difficult decision to step away from teaching.

At first, I felt ashamed. I questioned myself: Was I not tough enough? Did I lack the stamina? Was I simply not good at this? For a while, I carried that guilt and judged myself for not sticking it out longer.

New Perspective

With time and distance, I began to see that decision differently. Choosing to leave wasn’t a failure; it was an act of self-awareness and self-care. I made a choice for me, even though it didn’t look like “success” to others. And that choice opened the door to a new path in technology and project management, which was actually better suited to my strengths and interests at the time.

Taking the leap to leave my first “real job” gave me permission to step away at other points in my career too. I realized I didn’t have to stick things out if it wasn’t working for me. I still questioned myself each time I was faced with those decisions, but I also began to trust that I would figure things out.

What’s great is that those choices of stepping away from what I didn’t want any more helped me to step into what I actually wanted for myself. It took some trial and error, but it was worth all the learnings along the way. And I never would have gotten to this point if I didn’t make some of those hard decisions.

Considerations

I’m sharing this because you might be in a similar place of questioning a decision point you are currently facing. Maybe you’re holding on to something that’s draining you. Maybe you're telling yourself that the struggle is part of the process; that you should endure it.

Don’t get me wrong. Hard times can be powerful teachers. But only if they’re leading you toward something meaningful.

It’s important to understand what those hard times are teaching you. If the struggle is building skills that align with your ultimate goals, then maybe it’s worth it. But if it’s just depleting you with no real reward or direction, ask yourself why you're staying.

Takeaways

I’m proud of how hard I worked in those early years and throughout my career. And I’m also proud of myself for walking away when I felt I needed to. Both were important parts of my growth.

There’s strength in staying, and there’s also strength in stepping away. The key is knowing which one serves you best.

So, ask yourself: What are you sticking out right now? And more importantly… why?

Make sure the effort you’re giving is leading you somewhere you actually want to go.