Today, I quit my job. I had been working as a waitress for the last three months at an Italian restaurant in Boca Raton. My experience since day one had been awful. I mean, you can’t expect every day to be roses and butterflies when you're waitressing in the rudest city in America, but I was flat-out miserable.

I stuck it out for as long as I did because I needed the money. Looking back, I should have quit sooner and made less money, because being happy at a job means so much more. I have felt so much relief, happiness and freedom ever since I quit waitressing for this particular company. However, I waited for the right time to quit and didn’t just make a rash decision.

1. I made sure I had a job lined up.

I still needed to have a steady stream of income for my bills every month. I couldn’t take the risk of going a month or longer without work. I would advise anyone that has bills every month to make sure that you find another job before you quit. Trust me, as much as I would have liked to quit on the spot, finding a new job first was the better decision. I have peace of mind that I will be making money and I took the time to pick a job that I know I will be happy at.

2. I talked to my friends and family about my decision.

I had originally turned down an internship at a company that I would have loved in order to accept the waitressing job. My boyfriend had advised me to take the internship, because he knew I would be happier and it would be a better opportunity to advance my career. But, instead, I decided to go with the job that ensured to the pay the most money - huge mistake. But, our mistakes help us learn how to make better choices in the future. Now, I take the time to really consult with my friends and family about my future decisions. We might think that we know what’s best for ourselves, but sometimes we need to consider taking advice from someone with an outside perspective of our situation.

3. I put my happiness first.

I had been working at a job that I despised and was stressed out all the time. All I did was complain about my job. Life is way to short to be stuck doing something that you hate – even if it is for three months. The stress and misery from work was affecting every other aspect of my life. I couldn’t wake up happy on days I worked because I knew that I was going to be unhappy the whole time. People will tell you, “just choose to be happy anyway. Look at all the other wonderful things in your life.” Well, if you are going to keep the job that you hate, then you should probably listen to those people. But, for me, I chose to quit, and I am so much happier.

Happy Quitting!