Time to quit.

I knew it was time to quit.

After college, I filled the gap of “figuring it out” as a food server. I like people, it was easy, and the money (honestly) was great.

But the moment a guest asked for ketchup…or an extra napkin…and my first thought was get it yourself—I knew. Not my finest moment (I know)….but definitely a signal.

And it’s a signal I’ve been hearing again.

Like the builder who said, “Just do it so it can be done.”

My thought? Sure. And while we’re at it, let’s head to the big box store, grab whatever’s in the sale bin, and call it a day. (Eyeroll implied and executed.)

Or the time recently with a client who realized she made a major purchase mistake and then wanted to design the entire room around it. Wait, what?

My ears are ringing.

And here’s what nobody talks about: that ringing has a cost. It costs you energy you could be spending on something worth protecting. It costs you the version of the work you actually wanted to make. And over time, it costs you a little bit of yourself.

So the question really becomes: Am I listening?

And honestly— I haven’t wanted to answer that. Because answering means admitting that something I’ve invested in no longer fits the way it used to. That the thinking, the decisions, the expectations have drifted too far apart to close a now widening gap.

And, the ick.

It’s that feeling I have when I’m not willing to compromise the outcome. And, I’m not interested in shrinking to fit someone else’s version of “good enough.”

Good design matters. A strong point of view matters. Knowing the difference between a real constraint and a lazy shortcut that won’t deliver— that matters too.

When alignment is off, the work…the emotional temperature…the result shows it. Every time.

So, no…this isn’t about quitting. Quitting implies giving up.

This is about recognizing when something no longer fits — and choosing, intentionally, to step away. But not out of frustration….out of knowing.

Stepping toward something that doesn’t require constant negotiation just to do good work. Toward rooms that are worth the effort. Toward clients and collaborators who show up to the process the way I do— with a real investment in getting it right.

Some things aren’t meant to be worked through. Some things are just meant to be left behind…so you can get to what’s actually waiting for you. And I think one foot is already on the other side.