My Confession

I have a confession to make.

I quit my job.

In fact, I quit my job almost two years ago. I’m not sure why I’ve had such a hard time putting this down in writing, but this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for a long time. It’s been written, rewritten, and rewritten again.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been hiding the fact that I quit to a lot of my family, or because there has been something lingering (something I can’t disclose publicly) for a long time – making it hard for me to close the door on my past.

Well, that thing that was lingering is now over and I finally feel like I can put my past behind me.

Letting Go

I had a pretty good job. It was a pretty well paying gig, and I worked with some great people. For most, it will serve as their lifetime career. For me, it was just a job. I meant to either use it as a stepping stone, or as just a way to make it through school.

Unfortunately, being in the Army delayed my education – so I ended up graduating at the height of the recession several years ago. Having a degree in Finance with no working “experience in the industry” was quite detrimental when it came to finding a new job. So, I stayed at my job much longer than I wanted to.

I probably could have stayed at my job for a lifetime as well, but I absolutely hated it. It wasn’t the job itself. It was the politics and the management. Without getting negative, I walked out on a bad day. I was told to think twice about my decision, but I haven’t turned back – and I have not regretted the decision for a single moment.

Taking The Leap

I didn’t plan on quitting. So, in hindsight I probably could have planned a more graceful exit. Most importantly, I probably could have discussed it with my wife first. However, I didn’t quit without a plan.

During my extended stay at my old job, I started this blog. It got me on the road to learning new skills that I didn’t have before. I learned a lot about web design, development, and online marketing; all of which I translated into a side gig while I was still employed full-time.

I had a complex master plan that would have me scale back on my regular full-time job, while scaling up my own business. Because I quit without notice, I had to jump off the cliff.

Starting your own business is a big risk, but if you never take the leap, you’ll never know if you can do it. I think the biggest lesson learned from this experience is that there is never a good time to start a business. There will always be reasons as to why you shouldn’t do it or venture out on your own. You can fail, but you can also succeed.

The Next Step

So that’s where I’ve been for the past two years. Finding time to blog has been tough while getting my primary source of income moving, balancing family life, and a multitude of other responsibilities.

I’m finally starting to feel like I’m in a good place again and am becoming more motivated to take on extra activities. I’m hoping to contribute more time here, building this blog, and working on some other projects that are truly my own.