I Quit The Day Job!

A new writing career

Just over a month ago I shared my intention to quit the day job to write full-time — the article is below -

The background is that I have been in paid employment for the past forty years, doing work that has paid the bills, and provided financial security for my family, but if I am honest, rarely provided a buzz or inspiration in the way that writing does. There have been good moments, and some great colleagues, but the highs one might hope to experience at work have been few and far between.

Metro, boulot, dodo

I guess that many of us do this: we seek financial security and put our dream or passion on a shelf since it does not offer security. This comes with the risk, that I certainly fell into, of falling into what the French rather bluntly call “metro, boulot, dodo” — commute, career, coffin to provide a rough translation. After all, it is sometimes said that the only difference between a rut and a grave is how deep it is.

Life as an employee can be soul-destroying, the daily routine, perhaps a long commute. I made a couple of attempts as a publisher to break out of this rut, in parallel to having a day job, producing environmental magazines, but neither attempt was successful enough to take the financial risk of pursuing these initiatives further.

I quit!

Well, this week I did it: an email to my manager giving notice! It was quite liberating. For years as an employee, I have been at the beck and call of numerous different bosses. Taking control was empowering. Did they beg me to stay, with the offer of a pay rise, maybe a Tesla thrown in? No, that would have been perhaps asking too much, but would have been a nice thought!

The umbrella of security

Stepping out from under the umbrella of security that an employer provides is slightly scary, and I wouldn’t have dared to do it at a younger age. If one is lucky, employment comes with a range of benefits such as a steady salary, paid holidays, pension, sick pay, a team of good colleagues. But at the same time you sell something of your soul if the job doesn’t really fire your passion.

No parachute?

The step into the unknown is not quite as scary as a skydive without a parachute. I am in the fortunate position of having a reasonable pension, having paid into the system for many years. My daughters are now both adults and finding their own way in the world, even though I am still supporting the younger one (I am still seeking a pony assassin if anyone can point me in the right direction — I only recently discovered they can live up to forty years — ponies not daughters).

Infantalising

Being self-employed will be a challenge, perhaps familiar to some readers who have been in this position for many years, but new to me. I have always found being an employee “infantilising”. Instead of being answerable to a parent or teacher, you have to kowtow to an employer, sometimes having to bite your tongue or do things you don’t really agree with, constantly being monitored, reviewed and performance-assessed.

Self-discipline

One thing I may struggle with is self-discipline. Having a day job as an employee forces you to get up and turn up: it provides a structure. I am determined to make a go of writing full-time, so have been getting up a couple of hours early for the last few months to make time for writing, and provide a transition to a new world of work. I hope I manage to keep this discipline going forward. Resisting the temptation to lie in or watch too much Netflix will be a challenge!

A new career

When discussing this change with my older brother, he encouraged me to see this transition as being not retirement, but a change of career, and I like that idea. Retirement can sound like coming towards the end of life, and a slippery slope towards slippers and a walking frame, a care home in all but name.

A new career means a fresh start, and a chance to follow that early passion that was put on hold, so I like this idea! To give my employer time to recruit I gave notice early, but from the beginning of April I will be writing full-time.

Thank you

To conclude, I would like to say a huge “thank you” to everyone who has supported my writing so far, and I look forward to building a new career on Medium and keeping in touch with you all.

As always, thank you for reading.

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