5 Unexpected Things That Happen When you Quit Your Day Job
Entrepreneur, Life Improvement, Motivation No Response
You did it! You are a complete and utter badass. You took the plunge, the leap of faith and left the security of your day job to pursue your own creative and entrepreneurial endeavor. Congratulations.
Here are 5 things that you didn’t know would happen when you quit your day job and ways to remedy any distress:
5. You freak out about being your own boss
If you are anything like me, you’ve fantasized about being your own boss and setting your own rules for years. Finally when you’ve shed your old role of worker, and stepped into the light as a solo entrepreneur, that transition can be more difficult than expected. You are accountable for yourself and that can be anxiety-provoking.
Just because you are the sole leader of your business it doesn’t mean you need to be isolated. Hire a coach, supervisor, or mentor to help guide you through this transition. They can help you with the nitty gritty details, support you emotionally, or give you advice, but the exciting part is that the final decision will always be yours!
5. You don’t know how to handle the flexibility
Before I left my day job, I was working 70+ hours a week including my commute, my full time job, and my private practice. I couldn’t wait to be in charge of my own schedule and bask in the flexibility. That is, until I quit my day job, and had so much flexible time that I didn’t know what to do with myself. This can be really nerve-wracking. When all of your time is your own, how you get things done?
Set your own structure. You know yourself and the way that you work better than anyone. That’s why you can easily determine the best way to structure your time. I set intentions for my day and a number of small goals with the purpose of fulfilling my intention. Remember to take your personal priorities and needs into account! Love the gym? Schedule time for it! Wish you had more time for your dog? Schedule time in the middle of the day for walks! The time is now yours so use it in the ways that make you feel your best!
4. You have survival’s guilt
This is a tough one. When you are in a job for so long, you make deep connections with your co-workers and it can be really hard to say goodbye especially when they are still doing the 9-5 grind. It may feel hard to enjoy your freedom knowing that people you care for are not enjoying their work.
Forgive yourself for leaving and remember to have compassion for yourself. Your choice to leave was all about you doing the best thing for yourself and is in no way a slight toward your ex-coworkers. Your bravery may even inspire others to do the same. Keep your connections with people who mean a lot to you, but don’t get sucked into feeling bad for making a choice that positively changed your life.
3. You might not be able to relate to your friends
Most people don’t work for themselves and are not entrepreneurs. The majority of people work a 9-5 job where they report to a superior and are able to leave their work at the office at the end of the day. As you venture into your own business, you may find that it becomes more difficult to relate to your friends around work. You don’t have a boss to bitch about, a workload that is out of your control, or your days being dictated by another person. You may start feeling like you don’t have enough to contribute when venting at Happy Hour.
It may help to focus on things other than work when connecting with your friends. While work is definitely something that comes up in conversation, try to connect with your friends on deeper levels. When work is the focal point of conversations, sometimes we miss really amazing opportunities to relate with others on topics such as music, philosophy, science, politics etc. Our friendships should be more than just people to vent about work with. Deep connections become even more important when it’s difficult to leave work at the office.
2.Your new life becomes the new normal
Before long, your new schedule, work/life balance, and day-to-day activities will start to feel normal. You may even forget what it felt like to have a long commute, deal with supervisors who didn’t get it, or hustle for money that didn’t go into your pocket. While this new normal can be a great feeling, there may be aspects of your life that you are starting to accept as “normal” even if they don’t make you happy. For instance, you may be working late nights and thinking you are okay with it even though you may not be.
Make sure to keep yourself accountable for your own happiness! Take time to reevaluate how you are spending your time and how you run your business to make sure that you are continuing to make the decisions that are best for you. Stay reflective. Remember that you have the power to make changes in your business and that it’s ok to change your mind.
1.You experience happiness on a new level
The amount of bliss, gratitude, and wonder that you can potentially experience after you decide to leave your day job can be immense and even overwhelming. Some days you might be in such awe that you have the power to change the course of your life and happiness. This feeling is powerful and amazing, but may also be overpowering as well.
Many people have been conditioned to not expect happiness, especially in their work. They were told things growing up such as, “If it was fun, it wouldn’t be called work” or they watched TV shows where the characters all hate their jobs. It might feel a bit uncomfortable to be so happy with your work. If this feels distressing, try to acknowledge what deep-rooted beliefs you may be bumping up against and use your support system to work through them. Stay humble and grateful by engaging in a gratitude practice, giving back by volunteering, or helping others who following down a similar path.