Ending well or unwell

My first project manager was the type of man I got along with, but in no way wanted to be like. I got along with him because in same ways he had integrity. He knew what he was, knew what he wanted, and went after it. He did not dress up his desire to earn as much as possible, in any way that worked, as anything more than what it was. He had even written a book about how the types of consulting firms we worked for sucked young people in and worked them over, but decided that in the end he was okay with that.

On this project I was disillusioned in the truest sense of the word. I had glamorise consulting firms in my mind, and in understanding the reality of it I wanted out fast, any way I could. After giving me the book he had written as a young man my project manager counselled me that it was important to end things well, and that endings are often what people remember most.

I took his advise and stuck it out and ended the project well. In some ways it was good for me - I maintained many relationships that I could have burned, and I ended up having a second go at a career with many of these people. However, I ended up having a second go at a career with many of those people. That is, I didn't do a good enough job the first time of getting out of something I knew wasn't for me.

I wonder if ending a situation in an unwell way is sometimes okay, even though it can be abrupt and painful at the time. I may have saved myself some time and long-term pain, even while causing myself and others some short-term pain.

Either way, ending well or unwell, I am happy with where I am now because I have got to a place of understanding what I want and I am prepared to act on it. I think that the key to ending things well and in a timely fashion is knowing myself, why it is time for me to end something, and then communicating it well and with compassion with those who will be impacted.