How I Finally Found The Courage to Quit My Job Without a Backup Plan
To be honest, it wasn’t my finest hour, I was shaking, there were tears. It started like any other day, and then somewhere just after lunch, I thought to myself, what am I doing here? For once, I listened to my heart’s desire and I made the conscious decision to honour this.
For a very long time, I resisted this desire, I always felt like I was living someone else’s ideal job. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy to leave a secure position, regular income, especially when you have a young family and a mortgage. Some might say it was foolish.
Let’s go back a few steps. After the birth of my 2 boys, spending a large portion of time on maternity leave and literally questioning what on earth my purpose in this world was supposed to be, I fell into a spiral of PND and Anxiety. This left me feeling so lost, and so far removed from reality. My recovery lead me to dig deep, to really evaluate who I am inside, what is important to me right now, what is causing me unnecessary stress, and ultimately, what is preventing me from moving forward?
After becoming a mother I felt as though I had lost my identity; in fact, I would say that was the catalyst. The truth is, I started to lose myself when I fell into a career that just did not align with my core values as a person. But I was in too deep, I had a family to support now. Could I really be so selfish to pursue a “dream” that may not work out?
After 4 months back at work part-time, and feeling as though I was back to my “old self” I just couldn’t shake this feeling of sadness each and every day I walked into the office like I was lying to myself. I wasn’t being true to Me. I don’t think many people are, but those of us lucky enough to be in tune with our higher self, aware and honouring our true heart’s desire really value staying true to ourselves.
To me, it was worse walking into that office every day and doing work that I truly didn’t agree with, that I wasn’t excited about and that I didn’t feel completely comfortable with than risking financial burden.
I knew eventually I would plan my exit from my job, but what was holding me back right now? (Other than the financial aspect). I was seeking permission, but from whom? The universe? My husband? I was definitely worried he would talk me out of it.
So how did I do it? I did what every smart entrepreneur would argue you SHOULDN’T do… I just quit! I made the decision even though I didn’t have another job lined up, I had no income to replace the one I was about to lose. All I had was a fierce passion and a very strong belief that everything will work out as it is supposed to as long as I stay determined.
Now, I don’t exactly have zero plans. I do, obviously, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here reading this article from me. I have a plan to grow this business to an amazing thriving community of women supporting women, and Mum’s supporting other Mum’s, I have a role within our small digital marketing business which gives me the creativity I crave.
I also made sure that I ended on great terms with my previous employer. Afterall, I had no reason to end on bad terms. It wasn’t their fault that I was in a job that I wasn’t enjoying. I value every opportunity that came my way through my job, I value the friendships that developed and I value the experience, the knowledge and the skills that I developed that have now given me leverage to pursue my own business.
I learned to trust my intuition, I learned that life is far too short to worry about what could go wrong, and to start thinking about what could go right!
“The things that excite you are not random. They are connected to your purpose. Follow them”
One month on, I wake up every day excited to get stuck in MY work, I want to immerse myself in the possibilities of my new career. I can’t wait to start delving into the possibilities of the new business venture of that of myself and my husband.
To me, the 2 days a week at my day job were two days less for me to be focussing on those things. It was getting in my way of achieving great things. I decided that I wasn’t going to ask anyone for permission to quit my job and start a new career. I wasn’t going to let the fear of going broke, or not being able to pay the bills get in the way of me giving this a red-hot crack. Ultimately It’s going to be bloody tough and perhaps a significant step backward financially before we can go forward. But it’ a step I was absolutely prepared to take, and just trust that the rest will fall into place… eventually. I just needed my family to support me, and trust me. Not necessarily agree with me.
“Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you”
So, what are my tips for taking the leap to change something you’re not happy with?
- Really listen to what your heart is telling you, ignore the inner chatter and put down on paper why you believe that you are still in the same situation. Put down the reasons why you FEEL stuck in moving forward.
- Is there something else you want to pursue? If so, then start to map out how you can transition into this. Just make notes of potential people to connect with, utilise social media to reach out to groups in your field or subject of interest, listen to podcasts and read articles for as much inspiration and motivation as you can manage.
- Law of Attraction: Visualise what your life will be like once you have achieved what you say you want to achieve. Take note of how you will FEEL, where are you? What are you doing with your day? Stay connected to this on a daily basis.
- Talk with your partner/family about your intentions. Don’t seek permission, instead go into the discussion with the view that you have thought about this, and have a loose plan of what you intend to do next. Explain how you are feeling, and what you want to feel.
- You may also like to read my article on self-discovery.
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