Why the Hell Would I Walk Away From My Comfortable Six-Figure Job?
And Related Questions That I Received Today.
I had to make the hardest choice of my life today. And in a lovely paradox, it was also the easiest. I have been hedging my bets. I was trying to let myself grow while keeping my security net under me.
But when it came down to it, I was given a very clear choice. Stay or go.
I was told that I had a choice. I could either go full bore on my startup or I could continue working for my employer and they would get to control any product I developed. In that moment, I knew there was only one thing I could do.
I Quit the Next Day.
It took me some time to work up to the idea of what I needed to do and to muster the courage I needed.
It is amazing what goes through your head when you get told that you have to choose between your dream and anything else. The answer is always your dream. That is how you know you are on the right path.
The answer is always your dream.
Whatever You Want in Life, Go For It.
The key is to be safe and use the buddy system. Find someone who is looking for the same thing. Hold each other accountable. Try to find someone who has the same goal but an opposite background. This is where innovation comes in.
Innovation is the result of people from different backgrounds coming together to solve a single problem.
Or There is Another Option.
If you don’t have anyone in your life to share your dreams with, post them on the internet somewhere. You don’t even have to advertise them. Just put them somewhere. It turns out, someone will find you. That is the coolest part of the internet.
If somebody has the same dream as you, the internet will build a path to connect you. All you need to do is put the dream out there.
Ok, One More Option Too, If Those Don’t Work For You.
You can also search the internet. Find communities of people who like the same things. Don’t waste time on hate. You can use that time to make yourself rise above your haters.
The internet is an amazing place if you let it be. The problem is that it also houses everything bad for us.
With great power comes great responsibility. Somebody famous said that once. But who is in control of that great power?
You.
Therefore, I also need you to be responsible. Responsibility is accepting your part in any negative interactions and understanding what rules of the community you broke. Once you do that, you can be forgiven and welcomed back into the community that you want to be part of.
How do I know this?
Because I put my dreams out there. I did that about 3 months ago. And I have been putting my dreams out on the internet regularly since. Today, I got told to make a choice. And because I put my dreams out online I knew now that I had a support system online. I found others who have started and are looking to launch startups. This told me that I wasn’t alone in my dreams. We are fighting the same issues so we can bond over them and help others avoid them.
I also had some issues with community rules. I ruffled some feathers when I dropped into various communities on the internet. Social skills have never been my strength. I am working hard at them but in trying to learn, I inadvertently kept overwhelming people with my ideas. That’s why I started writing.
Writing forces me to slow my ideas down and focus them. It isn’t always easy for me to start writing but once I start I find it hard to stop. Writing is much nicer than taking medication. It’s helped me in conversations. I am learning how to focus my ideas into words, both written and verbal.
So I battled through some issues to prepare myself for today. I knew back in August that I had an idea that was worth something. I have spent almost every minute of every day focused on achieving my goals. When I was given a simple choice between my dream and my comfortable life?
