When to call it quits.

Have you ever suffered the terrible misfortune of being promoted beyond your competence? I mean one day you discover that you’re in over your head at doing something you just aren’t qualified for and can’t get out of? What does it feel like?

Well, you constantly get frustrated because of things beyond your ability to control effectively. You feel stress because expectations from others and yourself are not being met. You feel ashamed and guilty because you know you just aren’t getting the job done and you’re letting everyone down. You certainly feel tempted to pretend as if everything is much better than it really is, irrationally hoping things might just magically improve. But they don’t, and the only feasible solution is to request a demotion so that someone competent can step in and take over, right?

Funny thing, though. Don’t most of us often have precisely this sensation about our own lives? And wouldn’t that lead to the conclusion that running our own lives is a tragic case of overpromotion? If so, maybe the only solution is to resign the position and let Someone qualified sit in the big chair.