What Quitting My Job Taught Me About Myself

“I’m quitting my job.” Are you longing to say those words? Or maybe you recently said those words, and you’re in the process of creating a new normal for yourself. Either way, I can relate.

I quit my job — my career of over 20 years as a CPA (certified public accountant) — just over a year ago. I left that world behind to create this organization because I had this gnawing feeling all the time. The feeling that I was settling, that I was playing it safe, and that I could do more.

Maybe you’ve experienced this feeling too, and that’s the reason you’re willing to say, “I quit,” and face the roller coaster ride that you know is coming.

To help you face that challenge, I’d like to share three things quitting my job has taught me about myself. My hope is that you can come back to this post and find the inspiration you need when you’re heading downhill at 70 mph.

1. The role money plays in my life. I quit my job with enough money in the bank to support myself for at least six months. I found out that I could stretch that money much further; turns out I don’t need as much money to live on as I thought. But, I also found that I needed to make some money outside of this organization in order to insure its success. It was becoming increasingly difficult to make good long-term business decisions because I was becoming too focused on finding ways to make money quickly. I needed a little of the security that comes along with depositing money into the bank.
2. I needed that job I quit. I always liked the work I was doing as an accountant, but I had become resentful of the way I was required to perform the work, i.e. I wanted to do it my own way. And, accounting alone is just not fulfilling enough for me. Yet, I found myself missing it a bit. Couple that with the fact that I needed to make money, and it was only a matter of time before I started performing some accounting work again. And I love it! Because I’m doing it on my terms, and it adds a bit of stability and balance to my  life.

Keep scrolling to find the 3rd thing I learned.