Since many of us spend most of our waking hours on the job, our overall quality of life suffers when we are unhappy at work. But in today‘s economy, it is critical to make sure that leaving your job is the best choice for your long-term goals and financial security. Make sure you have good reasons to leave your job rather than acting impulsively.

So, what are good reasons for leaving your job?

1. Lack of work/life balance

People should work to live, not live to work. If your job consumes so much time that you have little left over for your relationships, hobbies and non-work obligations, then you need to make lifestyle changes.

Every job has busy periods where you must devote extra time and energy to work. Maybe your company is in the middle of a major project or event, so you’re working nights and weekends. This is to be expected now and then.

But if your organization always expects you to put work before the rest of your life, change is in order. Otherwise, your overall mental health and your relationships at home will suffer.

2. Lack of interest or motivation in your work

All jobs come with mundane tasks. If work was always entertaining, then it wouldn’t be called work. There will always be times when you wish you were doing something more interesting.

But if you find yourself always watching the clock and wishing the workday would end, you’ve got a good reason to leave your job. Channel your frustrations into finding work that will provide challenges as well as a paycheck.

3. Lack of opportunity for advancement in your job

You must have realistic expectations about both financial compensation and opportunity for advancement in your job. But if you find yourself in a dead-end position with no opportunities to grow, learn and increase your income within the organization, you should consider starting a job search. Bettering yourself and your financial situation are good reasons to leave your job.

4. Seeing signs of trouble

Every organization goes through rough patches. If you are noticing layoffs, lack of raises, reduced hours, not enough work to go around, or other similar problems, that might be a good reason to look elsewhere. Or, on the flip side, you and your colleagues find yourselves being overworked as the company tries to do “more with less,” then it may be time to go as well.

5. Opportunity to pursue your passions

The happiest people are those who do what they love for a living. Trying to get closer to that goal is always a good reason to leave your job.

However, an impulsive decision to quite your stressful job so that you can write your novel may be too risky. Instead, plan out a more reasonable approach, like finding a more flexible and less stressful job that pays the bills but leaves you with time left over to write.

There are many good reasons to leave your job. The important thing is to make sure you have an action plan that will keep you financially secure and make you happier in your work.