Why You Should Quit Your Job THIS Year….
Why You Should Quit Your Job THIS Year
Is Your Work Killing You?
I am very grateful to be celebrating 10 years since I quit my job!
It wasn’t even a bad job. In fact, it was probably the best job on the planet for most people. I had an unlimited expense budget, decent salary, bonus plan, 401K, inexpensive health insurance, and I got to travel around the world to wine country buying fine wines, doing something I absolutely loved. Yeah, that HAD been my dream job.
But ten years ago, I was stressed out to the max trying to be all things to all people. I found it really hard to tell my boss NO. I definitely didn’t want to tell my kids NO. So what suffered was ME. I was running around like a squirrel on a wheel. I kept picturing the gerbil I had as a kid and how amusing it was to watch them go around in circles forever thinking they were running ahead, yet going nowhere.
That was me.
That is what I felt like.
On paper I should have been so happy.
A husband who loved me.
Two beautiful, intelligent, amazing, warm, sensitive kids (I could go on, as every parent could…)
A high paying job in exactly the career I had wanted.
And yet, something was very wrong.
I was totally unhappy.
I was always stressed.
Stressed about work even when I was on vacation.
And I was definitely eating and drinking too much. My weight was out of control and I kept seeing images of myself having a car crash as I was racing up and down the highway trying to do everything. Taking care of everyone except myself.
In the end, the only person you NEED to make happy is yourself.
My mental, physical, emotional and spiritual bodies were being nourished by my new interest in Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Kung Fu for Healing. Yes those are actual things.
I had crashed and burned badly a few months earlier when I got pneumonia at our busiest time of the year. What allowed me to walk and breathe again at the same time was a martial arts instructor who taught me Qi Gong also known as Breath Work. And that was how I was able to start getting stronger and start saying NO. After six months of paying attention to ME and taking care of myself, I finally came to the conclusion that no job, no matter well paid, was worth missing my family over. It wasn’t worth the stress to my mental, physical and emotional bodies and spiritual bodies.
It wasn’t worth feeling like I was at the whim of a boss any boss who could dictate my next steps.
I was definitely in a cage. It might have been a gilded cage but it was a cage.
And finally after a blowup with my immediate supervisor on a Friday, I came in on Monday and said “I quit.” It actually took a full week of negotiations for them to let me go. It was as unheard of for anyone to want to leave what is truly one of the great companies in America. Yet, I had to choose MYSELF first.
If you have had these thoughts or been downsized or been dreaming of being on your own, know that you don’t have to quit everything right now.
Maybe you can just start on that business idea you’ve always had or start finding little ways to add income. Maybe it’s an extra $1K/ month more than you’re making now that will today transform your life.
In any case, I highly urge you to stop looking for a job, and start looking for how you can help someone else. I am sure you have many talents. What is a talent or skill that you have that can help someone.
Guess what people will pay to get help.
They could pay you!
They will pay you when you provide VALUE.
When you provide a service they have a hard time doing themselves.
As part of my 10th Anniversary of being job-free I am offering 5 people a chance to work with me one on one and create your own Business Breakthrough. If you think this might interest you, here’s a link to a quick survey, and I will pick 5 random winners.
Today, I’m writing this from my outdoor patio overlooking the Tasman Sea in the middle of the forests along the East Coast of Tasmania Australia.
I’ve totally revamped my life numerous times since I first quit my job.
And I can’t promise you that things will always be smooth sailing, but I promise you that it is time.
Choose YOU.
I would love to get your feedback on this.
And please share this with your friends who’s work is killing them!
