Don’t Be Afraid to Start Over — Quit Your Day Job

3 reasons why trading your corporate job for your passion can be the winning decision

Smart people tell you not to leave your cushy day job.

And if you’re in a golden handcuff job, your decision can become even more conflicting.

Holding on is comfortable when you think you should make hay before you’re old or a 60-something retirement.

I know this because that was my story at 35 years old. I was comfortable and fearful something better wouldn’t come along.

Then as I switched to better, abundant thinking, I thought: this is the only fleeting moment that matters. You will not get this time back, and your tomorrow can change drastically in and outside of your control — so you might as well pursue the life you want.

Looking back, I’m grateful I entered a smart career in a lucrative industry, even though I wasn’t fully passionate about the work, and as time went on, that became more apparent.

Then, the 2008 economic crisis ended my daily ho-hum work dissatisfaction.

Reflecting over a decade later, I don’t know how much longer I would’ve lasted inside me had I not been laid off. I would’ve delayed discovering other passions.

Have you been there?

Leaving a cushy job on your own can be a hard sell to yourself and the people in your life, like a spouse or family you report to with personal obligation (and feelings of guilt for not honoring their wishes).

If you’re lucky, your loved ones may support your side hustle or passion if you keep your responsible job.

This takes the pressure off of you, to test the waters and be responsible until it’s the right time to gracefully exit the old work-life and enter the new work passion at full throttle — that could lead to a hidden talent, new career, business venture, or all of the above.

You think you’ll know when that pivotal moment is, as you’ve identified milestones and benchmarks that have to be met (just like you do in your day job).

That is rational thinking that needs no poking holes.

The problem enters if you have other passions and desires that keep calling or tugging inside you.

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” (Oprah)

Your dream desires may never happen for you if you don’t live fearlessly on the edge, as you get comfortable and leisurely thinking about a nice-to-have side passion. People who risk everything can all-in commit their mind, body, and soul to their passion, and get it going.

Comfort and pleasing others, on the flip side, can kill aspirations and dreams.

But — if you do dare to take great risks, you can reap great rewards.

If you take the leap of faith and exit your job prematurely, then you have skin in the game. Where one door closes, another can open fully.

So if you’re on the fence about what to do in your work unhappiness, here are some reasons to leave your day job now, especially if you’ve identified a passion that you haven’t let go of.

Having a nudging idea, by the way, is a sure sign that you’ve stumbled on a passion that if ignited, will grow to something greater (or something else) when you take your next steps.

Firstly, your passion requires your productivity, creativity, and your mindful activity for more than a few hours per week.

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” (Theodore Roosevelt)

Finding more time and taking more action means getting crystal clear clarity, faster.

With a day job, finding spare time is a challenge. And finding your passionate energy is the steeper climb.

After you’ve finished your paying-the-bills work, then you have other time hogs: chores, eating, relaxing, or spending time with loved ones. The time vanishes.

It’s then time to go to bed if you don’t want to be a walking work zombie the next day, even though staying up is where you know you can gain a few side passion working hours.

Then the weekend rolls around, and the weather is nice outside and you’re invited to a social activity or family time. You get to decide to commit to giving up a beautiful afternoon of hiking or leisure time for your indoor work side passion. You almost wished it were raining outside.

With lacking time or energy, you start to wonder how you’re going to give consistent attention to a new passion project.

As other busy parts of your life get in the way, you may start and stop and have a tough time getting in a consistent groove to gain traction for your side passion.

So, then you never give your passion the real chance it deserves. Slow-moving growth in your nice-to-have passion career could take years for you to uncover the full potential, as you spend more time figuring out where you last left off.

That’s common and is a good reason why most people quit or start and stop their passion work. And never discover a better, more fulfilled life they could’ve had. Passion requires sacrifice.

Secondly, love is in the details.

“Whatever the question, love is the answer.” (Wayne Dyer)

Your passion career will grow if you pour love into what you’re doing.

Love is in the details, and catching attention and eyeballs in 2020 and beyond takes extra effort, creativity, and breaking through the noise and information overload.

It’s not all about the hard work and output. It’s the life-giving energy you associate with what you’re growing and how it’s received. And if you lack energy, the slower the growth can be.

Plus, energy impacts the feelings you have working in the intricate nooks and crannies of your passion work. We’ve all heard overnight success luck stories from just spending a few hours per week on a side hustle that grew a business from zero to 100.

Those are usually snippet stories, sparing the details of the years it took to happen. It’s easy to forget the messy process and the failures, where the magic happens if you don’t give up.

Imagine trying to go up a steep hill and sliding back down. If and when you get enough force to go over the hill, that may seem like just one try, but in actuality, that came from many failed attempts. Those who keep trying and don’t give up, can succeed and feel victorious.

And for those few who have beginner’s luck making it over the hill the first time on the first try, can miss the point as it was easy, so they can easily move onto another challenge, never growing what could’ve been found on the hill.

Every little action, wrong turn, and lesson learned helps deliver the result and that requires the process of practice and fine-tuning to know the detailed nuances, and ins and out.

Olympians get their winning edge in their sport knowing how many different ways the pin can drop.

Wherever your mind is, grows.“Where attention goes energy flows — where intention goes, energy flows.” (James Redfield)

There’s an inner game played in your mind, that at the beginning of any opportunity worth pursuing hasn’t yet kicked in. It’s like the honeymoon period of the relationship. You’re wrapped up in the future possibilities, the dreams, and the loving feelings from hormones.

Constantly reminding yourself of staying focused on the big picture and keeping your eyes on the prize (goal) is how you win. You can create reminders with a vision or visual board of photos, sticky notes, a productivity tool, or in your intentional yoga practice.

Reminders of your why help because the bliss feelings you have when you start your passion work, one day can be replaced by your mind’s natural way to protect yourself with self-doubt and Impostor questioning, what am I doing? how did I get here?, or am I good enough?

With whatever flavor the negative thoughts show up as, they have a time and place, serve a purpose, but aren’t worth keeping.

Maybe you do pivot again and again with your ideas. As long as you don’t quit, you’re in the game.

By being fully enthralled in your passion by revisiting and knowing deeply why you’re all in, if you have uninspired days or dry spell seasons, you will still have enough oomph to keep going.

If you have to take a step back, you can get back to equilibrium and higher self-worth thoughts, by observing and acknowledging your mind’s limitations, listening to uplifting messages, and finding ways to pick your self-esteem back up.

Watch tear-jerking, good story-telling movies, journal your thoughts, practice self-affirmations in the mirror, and get advice that boosts your self-confidence. Check-in with your higher inner self, and get to the root cause of your feelings.

After you bounce back, get back to what initially drew you in to your passion, get out of your comfort zone because that’s the enemy to growth. Soar higher (two steps forward). Realize you’re further than when you started.

You’re the only irreplaceable asset in your life.

If you’re not happy with your job, then you probably have chronic stress, which is hurting your healthiest years. You’re putting in time for an employer that can’t be loyal to you or anyone because ultimately those they report to and their customers decide their fate.

They’re at the mercy of how well their business is doing and selling (by definition).

Everyone is replaceable in a work setting and the IBM days that your parents or you lived in, are gone. That’s what got me to rethink the way my work life and future life should go.

And, if you’re still not sure, sit on the idea a little longer, and see if those thoughts are still viable for you in a few weeks… if they are, don’t hold back and just go for it!

You won’t get this time back.