If you or your partner has been asking, "Should I quit my job?" here are three steps you can take together today toward leaving. A big thank you to Brooke of Happy Simple Mom for sharing her journey today!
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I quit my well-paid career to stay home and start a business from scratch, AFTER my youngest started school. Who does that?!?
It was crazy. Friends and family doubted our sanity.
I am happy to report, we are almost two years into this new adventure, and it’s been the best decision for this season of life. I was miserable before I quit my job. I was pretty decent at my job, but I got no joy from it. That’s not the legacy I want to teach my children.
It’s time to bring joy back into your life
Are you at a similar crossroads? You could be in a job you hate or so overscheduled with other obligations that you’ve forgotten what it is like to love life.
If you are on the fence for doing something different, leaving a life that makes you miserable, please let me be the catalyst that pushes you off of that fence. There is a simpler, more joyful life out there, waiting for you for whatever season you are in right now.
You don’t have to quit your job, although if you hate it, I dare you to try finding something else that brings you joy. You can quit anything that makes you feel too busy, too tired, or too miserable.
Money isn’t everything
Before we started on our simple living journey, money was everything. I needed another promotion, my husband needed to work a few more hours, and we definitely needed a bigger home. Our friends were all moving into 4,000 square foot homes. Our kids had play dates where the kids seemed to have their own toy stores.
Money dictated every decision, and our precious time together as a family was becoming lost in stuff. It was only after we took giant cuts to our income that we realized just how much happier we could be.
Now we play games on Saturday night, take homemade cookies to birthday parties, and hike rather than go buy more toys. This time is so precious, and living without money has taught us how great life can really be with each other.
3 Things To Do When Asking Yourself, "Should I Quit My Job?"
Below are my tips for being bold enough to quit:
- Before you quit your job start to pursue a simpler lifestyle.
- When you or your partner is considering quitting, you need to crunch the numbers...again...and again.
- Be ready to embrace being different once you quit your job.
1. Before you quit your job start to pursue a simpler lifestyle
If you are wanting to quit your job, I get there are some practical matters involved. Really, I do. It’s called bills.
In two years, we took a seventy-percent income reduction. That’s not easy. If you are considering a job change because you are miserable or get no joy from what you do every day, there may be some practical matters to consider.
Start preparing now for your new lifestyle. If it’s a lifestyle that involves less income, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
What did we do? We embraced a simpler lifestyle to make it all possible.
Here are ways to make transitioning to a slower, more passion-filled life possible (without as much income):
- Move into a cheaper home.
- Trade-in childcare costs for your time.
- Invest in learning a side hustle doing something that you are passionate about.
- Eat lots of dried beans.
- Find a joy for cooking at home.
- Trade services and time with friends.
- Cut your monthly expenses.
- Get a cheap, yet reliable, paid in full vehicle.
- Stop hoping material things will bring you joy.
- Save your money.
2. When you or your partner is considering quitting your job, you need to crunch the numbers...again...and again
My guess is, if you crunch the numbers, you will be surprised by what you are spending your money on that you don’t need.
Do you really need childcare if one parent stays home or starts a side hustle from home?
Do you really need to eat out as often if you are working fewer hours?
Do you need as large of a clothing allowance?
Can you make food or luxury drinks at home?
When we first crunched the numbers, there was no way I could quit my job or entertain the idea of my husband changing jobs. It seemed impossible.
Our desire to be home more and give our kids the life we wanted for them all seemed to conflict with each other. What was enough?
We crunched the numbers. Then, when that wasn’t enough, we crunched them again...and again. We took baby steps, and then we took giant leaps.
It’s amazing how simple you can live when the money isn’t there. Also, it’s amazing how much joy you can get without spending much money.
We found new things to do for fun, and we gave up luxuries we once thought were impossible to live without.
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3. Be ready to embrace being different once you quit your job
When you are bold enough to quit what you are currently doing, you will be different.
People will question you. They will want to know why you are being different. We are a society of conformists, so being different is uncomfortable. You need to get into the mindset now that you are different, and that’s OK.
When people confront you, you will sometimes feel fool-hearted, especially if you were brave enough to share your dreams, passions, or desires for your time. Know this, you are brave, or you wouldn’t even be at this crossroads. Don’t let comments that showcase the insecurities of others keep you from stepping boldly forward.
Embrace what you want from life
If you want to live a slower life, that’s totally OK!
If you are brave enough to pursue what brings you true joy, you are what everyone secretly wants to experience. Go for your joy-filled life. Go for the passion. Stop chasing money or doing things because you think you “should”.
Make deep connections with others around you. Invest in friendships and time with those that matter the most. Be intentional with your time. You won’t always have it. Now is the time to be bold.
Meet Brooke of Happy Simple Mom. Brooke believes whole-heartedly that minimalism and simple living are essential to mothers who are feeling bombarded by all the things we feel we are “supposed” to do. She helps moms stop feeling so overwhelmed and weighed down by emotional and physical clutter! She encourages you to give yourself permission to be intentional with your time, and enjoy your family in ways you never thought possible.
Find Brooke online: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest