“Was it scary to quit your job and leave a stable income behind?”
It took me a while to recall my feelings from that time.
To see if I felt differently then compared to how I do now.
The answer was still the same.
“No.”
I’m dealing with a young college student.
For whom life after college is full of unknowns.
One who’s not used to independence yet.
“I felt it in my gut: it was time to move on.
There was more I wanted to do.
I desired full responsibility and authority over my actions and outcomes.”
She’s nodding along.
“I didn’t simply get up and leave.
I figured out what I wanted to do.
I prepared for it every evening and weekend.
I studied, I read, I listened.
Anything I could do to make the transition as smooth as possible.
I never let it affect my work.
During working hours, I was 100% focused on my responsibilities.
If it took more time, it took more time.
That’s just how I’m wired.”
Am I making sense to her?
It’s difficult to tell.
All I see is a black screen with a name.
“I made my projections.
How long my savings would last.
How much time I had to figure things out.
Until I had to be profitable.
I decided on the right moment to leave my job.
One that would do the least harm to my colleagues and employer.
Everybody who leaves hurts their employer one way or another.
At least in the short term.
Putting it all together, I felt quite comfortable.
I didn’t know what to expect.
But I knew it was the right decision.
When you’ve prepared yourself emotionally and know what you’ll do afterwards, making this kind of decision isn’t all that difficult.”
Question answered.
Very straightforward.
Just one thing was missing.
The inevitable plot twist.
“Quitting isn’t scary.
The time leading up to it isn’t.
Nor is the time after it.
Scary is when you realize a few days later.
That what you had studied and been preparing for.
Isn’t your cup of tea.
That’s scary.
The good thing?
I now had the time and flexibility to take a day off, go to the beach and ask myself: what do I enjoy?
The next day I was even more excited than I had ever been and I started working toward a new goal.”
She thanks me.
I know she doesn’t get it.
Yet.
How could she?
But I know she’ll recall this story.
Whenever she finds herself in this situation.
She undoubtedly will.
I hope it’ll give her courage.
To face her fears head-on.
Tackle them one by one.
My biggest lesson?
There’s nothing that some sand and waves can’t resolve.