Conscious Quitting is on the Horizon

Despite the increasing layoffs, a new study finds that quiet quitting is now replaced by an era of conscious quitting.

The researchers of this study never fully define conscious quitting; it is simply implied. The closest they get to saying what it means is: “It’s not just quiet quitting CEOs need to worry about. Thousands of employees told us that their company’s values and impact are now a resigning-matter. Welcome to the era of #ConsciousQuitting.”

The experts created Quiet Quitting and the Great Resignation as the trends of the future of work. But as a futurist I can say that more and more of us are questioning everything—regardless of what generation we get lumped into.

And that more of us are becoming aware that there is only life to experience. Meaning is becoming increasingly important, which is making us aware that we need to make conscious decisions about who we create with.

When we fully embrace responsibility for everything in our life, we claim our power to change anything, especially how we react. The decision to no longer settle for mediocrity in our life has the potential to completely transform our entire existence.

When we free ourselves from our own fears, there is a ripple effect on those around us, empowering all of us to also break free.

The Net Positive Barometer

The Net Positive Employee Barometer includes the opinions of 4000 US and UK “workers.” It claims that it should “make C-Suites everywhere sit up and listen.” Here is a summary:

• While many people want to work for companies that make a positive impact on the world, two out of three employees feel their company’s efforts to address societal and environmental challenges are insufficient.
• This creates an “ambition gap” where employees are looking for their companies to step up and take action. Many share the CEO and senior leaders don’t care.
• Despite the challenging economic climate, around half of employees would consider leaving their job if their company’s values do not align with their own. And a third have already done so.
• Being paid well and flexibility continue to be important. But now many dream of work lives that provide a sense of fulfillment. They are particularly interested in companies that are dedicated to focusing on the world’s opportunities instead of contributing to the same age old problems.

The authors of the study caution C-suite executives. They believe they run the risk of losing their appeal to current and prospective employees, which will hurt the organization.

Conversely, companies that take action can spark people and accelerate their ability to build a sustainable, responsible, and profitable business. A company with this quality is what they call a “net positive” company. It thrives by giving more than it takes and delivers long-term value and lower turnover.

Conscious Living

Given the choice, most of us want to be fully aligned to an organization’s mission. Who doesn’t want to live a fulfilling life?

If someone is ready to consciously fire themselves because an organization is causing harm in the world, then it says a lot about the the organization’s ability to live up to its values. To have conscious leaders and employees is a valuable asset. This is an opportunity for leaders to demonstrate their commitment to values by aligning actions with words.

When we become more conscious creators on the planet, we can no longer ignore what’s important. And it’s shifting quickly. We are becoming aware that we can decided how we experience situations by choosing how we react. Is it an opportunity to choose ourselves instead of waiting to be picked?

We know our lives matter when we make an impact and let the world hear our heartbeat. When we feel that our actions have positively impacted others or the world, we experience a sense of fulfillment. This sense of purpose and meaning is vital for our wellbeing and drives us to creating a healthier future; not just dream about it.

Our current circumstances are a reflection of our past actions and decisions. However, our future trajectory relies on who we choose to become starting from this very moment. To bring about conscious living, we need to be willing to take healthier (and often more conscious) actions than those we have taken before.