Maybe you need the paycheck. The health insurance. The mortgage payment. The stability. And every time you think about leaving, your brain immediately reminds you of everything that could go wrong.

About this episode

What should you do when you hate your job but can’t afford to quit?

Maybe you need the paycheck. The health insurance. The mortgage payment. The stability. And every time you think about leaving, your brain immediately reminds you of everything that could go wrong.

So you stay.

And then you tell yourself, “I have to be here.”

That thought can leave you feeling trapped, resentful, hopeless, and completely powerless in your own life.

In this episode of The Great Leader, Great Mom Podcast, Liz Jolley explores what happens when “I can’t afford to quit” becomes an unquestioned fact instead of a thought you’re willing to examine.

You’ll learn why your brain starts gathering evidence for everything that is wrong with your job, how feeling trapped changes the way you show up at work and at home, and why getting specific about what you actually dislike can open up possibilities you couldn’t see before.

Liz also shares her own experience considering leaving the security of corporate life to start her business—and how the fear of paying for health insurance went from feeling like an enormous barrier to becoming a practical problem she could solve.

This episode is not about convincing you to quit your job.

It’s about shifting from:

“I have to stay.”

to:

“I’m choosing to stay right now because I want what this paycheck provides.”

That small shift can help you stop reacting from resentment and start seeing the choices you actually have.

If you feel stuck in a job you no longer want but believe you can’t afford to leave, this episode will help you question the story, get specific about the real problem, and find your way back to your own agency.

In this episode:
• What to do when you hate your job but can’t afford to quit
• Why “I have to stay” makes you feel trapped
• How your thoughts about work can reinforce job dissatisfaction
• How to stop feeling powerless in your career
• Why financial security and career choice are not always either/or
• How to identify what you actually dislike about your job
• How to think about leaving a job without panicking
• The shift from “I have to” to “I’m choosing to”
• How to make career decisions from agency instead of fear

Liz Jolley is an engineer-turned-life-coach, mom of three, and founder of The School of Courage™. On The Great Leader, Great Mom Podcast, she helps high-achieving women lead at work and at home without losing themselves.

Want help applying this to your real life and career? Connect with Liz at lizjolley.com.