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There’s something to be said for that mysterious span of time between the words “I have accepted a job with another company” and “Thanks for the goodbye lunch”…and sometimes what occurs during that span is good, sometimes it’s bad…but it continues to amaze me how powerful it is to actually leave a job. All of the “you’ll never do this or that again” such as drive a particular route to work…or get a cup of that hideous coffee…or see certain people you weren’t particularly close to, but will remember…at least for the short term. It’s no wonder that leaving a job is considered one of the most stressful things people have to do.

Of course, the most powerful part of leaving a job is sitting back and taking stock of what you’ve learned and how you’re a vastly different person/employee than you were when you started…hopefully more for the better than the worse.

Today I left a job of two years to begin a new job with folks from my past. These folks from my past have worked with me, trust me, believe in me and, even four or five years removed…still think I’m going to do a good job without a whole lot of question. Flattering? Of course, but it’s always sad when the employer you’re leaving doesn’t share those beliefs but alas…onward and upward!

So this morning, I go through the motions of a requirements meeting, a “farewell” lunch hosted by my closest work friends, one last trip to the car with my personal belongings and finally…the oft-mocked exit interview. My former company’s HR manager has always been an outstanding sounding board for me and I told him so. I was also frank with why I was leaving…and squelched some of the assumptions as to why I was leaving.

Me, being a complete weenie…opted not to go back to my desk after the exit interview but to simply ride off into the sunset with little fanfare because honestly, I have a hard time believing I make an impact on people’s lives and didn’t want to go back to my desk just to (in my opinion) show off that I was leaving and everyone else had to stay. Of course, that wasn’t my intent but in no way did I want to imply that it was…that just ain’t my style.

In two hours of retrospect though, it was rude of me to dismiss everyone else needing closure (even if it was just to simply say “Goodbye” or “Let’s have lunch.”). I wussed out…and I know it, and now I regret it.

But, that’s a story for my therapist…or Dr. Phil.

Even worse, I left my vacation countdown clock behind on my desk. Talk about irony. I think I’m down to 39 days or something like that. That clock got me through the last month and I just left it there.

LOL…guess I couldn’t cut the cord…now I’ll have to go back and get the d&*n clock, in spite of the fact that I said “I’ll never have to go back up to that office again” as I drove out of the parking lot today.

Never should have said that…Murphy’s law.