I go through a three-year cycle with jobs. It’s three years working full-time, three years working part-time, or three years training to be something that I eventually decide isn’t really for me. Today, I’m looking at a few signs to help me decide if it’s time to quit my job.

Currently, I’m at the end of a full-time working cycle–a legit 40+ hours a week situation. I know I’m at the end because all the signs are waving at me–furiously.

Sign #1: Pantry Dis-function

Pantries, as you may know, must be both functional and aesthetically appealing. These are the two qualities that can get you a spread in a home decor magazine if you play your cards right. So, I try to be ready for such an opportunity at all times. Usually, my pantry is the awe of my friend group because of my awareness and implementation of these two concepts. Once, someone even called it a work of art.

Disarray

These days, my pantry is not a work of art, but a work of messy disarray. I first noticed it when I couldn’t find a place for a new box of Texas-style 2 Alarm chili mix. The container that should have welcomed it was filled to the brim with things other than spice packs and mixes.

Gluten-free flour was the second indicator of the disarray. As I was putting away groceries, I placed a new bag of gluten-free flour on the floor right next to another full bag of gluten-free flour. It was then that I became truly aware of my pantry’s state. My number one rule for maintaining a pleasant pantry is that nothing should be on the floor–ever. Yet, there on the ground were two full bags of flour, a bag of tostada shells, an unopened Brita pitcher, and unsightly boxes of crackers and popcorn.

Sign #2: Porta Potty in the House

The second tell–or smell–was and has been the toilet in my master bathroom. If you’ve ever been to a carnival, or an outdoor craft fair, or flown in an airplane and had to use the bathroom enclosure provided, then you’re familiar with this odor. When this smell reeks in your own private personal toilet area, you’ve got a problem. The problem originates from the lack of routine cleaning. Toileting is still happening and happening often in my house because the two money-making adults who live here work from home. The sanitizing that should accompany this heavy traffic area, however, is just not happening. If you continue to use the facilities and ignore the smell while repeatedly telling yourself that it’s surely not that bad, or that you’ll clean it the next time you have a 3-day weekend, it’s time to re-think your work situation.

Sign #3: Cast Iron Crustage

The third sign is one of the hardest to ignore–pans that have been sitting out on the counter for two days–maybe more. Whenever my husband cooks, the proof is evident. There’s a lot of grease splattered on the counter, the stove, and the backsplash. But, most of all, there’s a lot of black crusty stuff left in the cast iron skillets, the stainless steel skillets, and every other skillet he thinks he needs. He means well; he’s helping. Although I am frustrated every time I see this happening to my kitchenware, I do not point out the carnage. I say nothing because I know that my husband has figured out dinner for 4 days in a row and can’t be expected to clean up too. Since I lack the energy to tackle them, the pans sit and wave to me as I walk passed.

Sign #4: Empty Costume Bag

For Halloween this year, I was a Ghostbuster. I wasn’t just any ole’ Ghostbuster, though, I was a Mexican-American version of Dr. Jillian Holtzmann, Kate McKinnon’s character in the 2016 film version.

Inside out

Once Halloween was over, and I’d washed the hairspray out of my hair, what to do with the costume I’d purchased online became an issue. It did make it to the closet–although I left it turned inside out. That’s how I hang clothes when I’m too tired to deal with them. The alternative is that they end up on the floor or piled on top of my already full hamper. The inside-out method is my way of knowing that I’ve worn this garment, it’s not dirty, and when I have a moment (which is never), I need to hang it properly.

Bag it

The bag to the costume had no actual home and was thrown onto the floor on my side of the bed. And there it has stayed for 4 1/2 months. In March of 2024, I did manage to get the jumper out of the closet and into the bag–which I had to wipe off because of the dust it had collected. Then, I put the costume in a box with other items headed to Goodwill. That box is still sitting in my front entryway. I think you can agree that this is a problem.

Sign #5: No Empty Containers

I use glass containers to store leftovers. Plastic stains and also retains smells, but more importantly, plastic touching your food is dangerous. Glass storage costs more–especially the ones I got from Bed Bath and Beyond that have lids that fold over and snap on each side. These are far superior to those glass containers with rubbery lids you can get at any old grocery store.

The last sign yelling at me to quit my job is that I’m consistently out of refrigerator containment. Whenever I want to save half a can of beans or the remaining guacamole from a dinner my husband has alchemized, I have nowhere to store these food items. The few expensive, non-toxic containers we have are all holding onto expired cuisine. So, I either end up sending the valuable food down the garbage disposal or busting out a plastic container. That’s right–the enemy of health and safety.

Conclusion

The people who live with me don’t complain about me or the chaos around them. They don’t point fingers at me and make me feel like a poor keeper of the home or a bad wife or mother. They’re so used to my cycles. When I quit a job, I have a new fervor for life. The house will be clean, meals will be made and planned, and Goodwill items will be dropped off around the corner. But, at some point, I’ll get bored and insist that it’s time for me to start a new job or throw myself into learning to be something new. It’s repetitive. You can count on it. I know my patterns. But, for now, I must put myself out of this misery. I need to embrace the end of this work cycle and admit that it just might be time to quit my job.