When Negotiations Fail Know Your Worth

Decision to Walk Away

There comes a time in life when you must choose to walk away. It’s never easy to walk away. Walking away means leaving the familiar. Walking away means doubting the decision is right. Walking away means accepting that some may not understand. Yet when an environment begins to shrink your sense of self, you owe it to yourself to step aside. Growth often starts with the courage to let go. This was going to be yet another turning point on my journey.

After working in the same clinic for 7.5 years, I realised it was time to move on. Why? Because every attempt to negotiate fair pay had failed. It began when my request for on-call payments that truly reflected my worth was rejected. I was expected to accept less than a quarter of my hourly rate, something I simply couldn’t agree to.

Valuing Life Energy

Inspired by Vicki Robin’s Your Money or Your Life, I asked myself: “Am I getting full value for this precious resource called life energy?” Valuing my life energy means honouring my time, effort, and expertise. I wasn’t willing to settle for less.

Ironically, the employer I’m moving to now is one I walked away from five years ago, after being lowballed at half my worth. Fast-forward to today, I was headhunted by the same organisation with an offer 1.3 times higher than my previous rate. I was able to increase income by moving on.

Freedom to Walk Away

Financial independence isn’t about numbers. It’s about having options. Having built up savings and investments that meant I could walk away. Even if there was nothing to walk to, I would walk away. That’s what freedom looks like: the ability to make choices aligned with your values, not your fears. When you know your worth and that worth is not valued, there will always be another door to open where your true worth is recognised and appreciated.