Hello from the other side of unemployment. As of this week, I’m officially out of a real job – though right now it doesn’t feel much different from having a long weekend.
I’m currently taking a few days to relax before jumping into my new “work” day.
Living in the Question
One question I’ve been encountering a lot lately is: “What are you planning to do after quitting your job?”
Feeling obligated to give an answer, I’d reply with something along the lines of: “Well, I’d like to write a bit more, maybe do some freelancing, maybe travel too.” I’d struggle to come up with specifics that I wasn’t sure of myself.
Now I have a better answer. What do I plan to do now that I don’t have a day job? I don’t really know. I don’t have a 10-step plan for success – just a few interesting ideas in the back of my head. I don’t know What I Want To Do For The Rest Of My Life. Not yet, anyway.
And that’s okay.
I’ve been thinking about the paths we take in life. For most of us growing up in a modern country, the first twenty-some years of our lives are more or less planned in advance: twelve years of school, followed by about four years of college, then off either to graduate school or an entry-level position in the workforce. You always know what’s next and what’s expected of you.
For the moment, it feels good to have no set direction at all. To “live in the question,” as Jonathan Fields would say.
Is this for everyone? Perhaps not. For one thing, not everyone has the luxury of dropping out of the workforce (on their own terms) just to see where the wind takes them. I get that. I’ve gotten very lucky – I don’t yet have a family to support or any debt to pay off, and I’ve been able to save up enough money to keep me going for a while.
But in talking to several older co-workers with families and mortgages, I kept hearing the same thing: you ought to explore and experiment when you have the chance, because the window for that closes quickly.
So I’m passing this along to you: if you have the opportunity now, go out and explore. Few people regret not spending more time on conventional paths; many regret spending too much.
And yes, living in the question is a kind of luxury, but I believe it’s not that far out of reach. It starts with creating a little more space in your life, whittling away time wasters and deceptive obligations until you have enough room to add something new. It’s a tricky process, but you can usually find a path if you’re willing to look hard enough.
Getting Involved
Here’s what I do know about my post-job plans.
I want to spend a lot more time getting my hands dirty with different projects and different kinds of work. Writing is and probably always will be a big part of what I do, but I’d like to do more than that. On a broad scale, I’m planning to try a lot different things and see what opportunities reveal themselves.
For example, I’m part of several blogging networks, but I haven’t been as active lately as I’d like. Now that I have the luxury of time, I’ll be spending a good chunk of it giving back to and collaborating with these online communities.
I’d also like to spend some time helping you, friends and readers. If you’re working on something interesting and are in need of some assistance, encouragement, or advice, I’m happy to lend a hand. I’m willing to give most anything a try, so fire away.
Finally, I’d like to start featuring your inspiring stories here on The Art of Great Things in the form of interviews or profiles. If you have an interesting story, business, or philosophy to share and are willing to sit down for a brief audio, video, or written interview, send me an email at jeffrey at artofgreatthings dot com, with the word “Interview” in the subject line. More details to follow next week.
As always, thank you for reading. Let me know how I can help you in return.
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Some link love for today:
- Chris Guillebeau’s excellent piece on the realities of working from anywhere.
- This post and video about Dan Phillips, who makes affordable homes from repurposed materials.
- MarkMcGuinness on creative vs. reactive work.
25 Comments on “Out of a Job + Getting Involved”
says:
Your courage is inspiring Jeffrey! I truly feel that I’m leaning in the direction you are already living your life in.
I look forward to seeing how your life develops over the next few months, and how that affects your writing. I’m sure it will be inspiring and will be a true example of Great Things.
Jonathan
says:
Very inspiring Jeffrey. I’m going to get my daughter to read this before she sets off on a path that’s too rigid or too safe. I can’t wait to see what great things you do next. I have a lot to learn from you.
says:
Thanks for the inspiring article.
I’m basically in the same position as you, finished College, don’t want to go to university because education is so boring. The result? I’m unemployed, don’t want to become a zombie (traditional employment) and have only a few ideas.
The common life model feels so boring and predictable, people move through the various stages of life without actually achieving anything, then dying and being promptly forgotten. Living such a life is pointless when you can break the rules and contribute your own improvements to the world.
I only have one long term goal, do something worthwhile with my life. With the application of minimalism and focus, this goal should be possible.
says:
Living in the question really is a luxury, isn’t it Jeffrey? But it’s only a luxury to very few. To many others, for whatever reason, it’s a nightmare – the idea of living without knowing exactly what will happen tomorrow.
I don’t feel too bad for them, but I do have a sense of sorrow for those that want so badly to “live in the question” and feel they can’t for one reason or another.
We do what we can to help, but we don’t have all the answers and that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?
says:
What you are doing is admirable. You are living the life that you were given with a purpose and passion. I wish the best in all your endeavors.
10 years ago my husband walked away from a very lucrative position that one day would have given him ownership in what is now today an extremely successful company. He had done all that was ‘expected’ of him, traditional schooling, 6 years of college, climbing the corporate ladder….
Then he quit. His mission, to become a pro golfer. He had been accepted into PGA school (yes he was that good) so he passed on the ‘traditional’ job and we packed up, moved to another city and began a new life in the golf industry. His family thought he had lost it, I encouraged him all the way.
We only go around once, enjoy the life you have been given and make the most of it. No one knows really how much time each of us has here on this earth. Take advantage of it now, while you can. Care on Jeffrey!
says:
Pumped for you Jeffrey. Where are these places you’re going to explore? Is Indianapolis on the list (c’mon, you know you want to!).
I do think the “do this while you can” attitude is a little flawed. I mean why not live a life of exploration? I understand that some things (marriage, family, mortgages) complicate everything, but the idea that you only have a certain amount of time to live life like you want, I think is a little too conventional for my taste.
Can’t wait to see some of the things you’ve got in store!
says:
Hi Jeffrey,
I think that it’s awesome that you decided to take this time to figure out what you want to do next with your life and had the courage to make it happen. Too often we just go along with the flow and don’t examine what it is we really want to do with our lives to make it more meaningful.
Since you are young and don’t have a lot of dependencies, now is the time to devote to self-reflection and experimentation about what you want the next phase of your life to include. Not many people have this opportunity, so it’s great that you are taking the time-out.
Jobs come and go, but you have to be with yourself 100% of the time and if you’re not happy, then do what’s necessary to make it happen.
Good luck and enjoy the down-time.
Karen
says:
Congrats on your decision and your upcoming freedom. While you don’t have the whole thing mapped out, and as you said, that’s ok, at least you have some activities planned.
I always remind folks that when quitting a job, or following a passion, inactivity isn’t the goal, instead it is getting to choose the activities that you want to do, instead of being forced to do.
Good luck to you!
says:
Hi Jeffrey,
Smart move not pinning yourself down with a pat answer as to what you plan to do. I’m a huge believer is allowing your intuition to guide you – that’s why I write Powered by Intuition.
I believe if you follow your gut you’re going to be shown an entirely new path you never would have forged for yourself. It’s going to be incredible and I’m so looking forward to see where you go next.
This is going to be the most exciting time of your life!
says:
Jeffrey: Congrats on starting the next phase of your journey. I know you have been planning for some time to do this and that you will be amazingly successful at whatever you put your mind and energy toward. I think also you are a great example of what it means to really take advantage of life and whatever comes your way. Thanks for being that inspiration.
says:
Aha ! I’m so jealous of you Jeffrey…But it’s ok, I am in the midst of establishing a Freedom Fund to help charting my own path in life ! :-)
says:
It’s all too easy to jump from one rigid, over-defined career path into another. There is so much more curiosity in a simple “I don’t know.” I hope your exploring leads you somewhere wonderful!
says:
Jeffrey,
I haven’t been on you blog in a longtime and I see that you have a lot of changes going on here. The new design looks absolutely great (I am not sure though how new it actually is :-)) And your new job situation is a big step too. I am glad that now you have all that time to devote to your projects. Working from home is a blast (though it has its pitfalls too). I hope you’ll enjoy this new lifestyle as much as I enjoy mine!
says:
I really enjoy how you are sharing your journey with us readers. It’s exciting and insightful.
says:
Each and every moment of are lives are opportunities to expand ourselves. Even if we have obligations to attend to, there will always be room for exploration. The only thing we need is the will to do it so, if we don’t have the conviction to explore what is beyond our comfort zones, we will be stuck with the limited world that we know. :-)
says:
I think your approach is right on Jeffrey. Give you mind and thoughts some space to breathe for a while and see what comes of it! Your plans are invigorating and I will be keeping close track of you on your journey. Great thinking about profiling others and their plans, etc. That’s also a killer way for you to get more ideas for what’s next.
Happy searching and ‘living in the question’
Scott
says:
Jeffrey,
I really like the post. Having an impacting moment of transition can really be a powerful experience, and it sounds like your transition is more than welcome. :) I wish you luck with this next phase of your journey. I agree that it is okay to not know what we want to do. That is part of growth and development. If we become totally satisfied what else is there to strive for? We are made to strive for more.
says:
Congratulations
says:
You are in an enviable position, Jeffrey, you can choose. Few people are able to do that. You can ditch the ‘oughts’ and ’shoulds’ of life and take your time to decide how to use your time.
There are probably too many choices and you’ll have towait to see what emerges as the path most suited to you.
We’ll all watch and wait with interest!
says:
Hi there,
Good for you. I quit my high paying Wall Street job in March and couldn’t have been happier. There are so many wonderful opportunities to explore one’s interests thanks to the internet. Endless possibilities to grow and prosper. I hope more people take this leap.
says:
I think of the quote “Fall in love with the process.” Of being blissfully free, of being able to choose how you spend your day, of not knowing what you will be doing a few weeks from now because the opportunities have yet to be realized. You are in an enviable state!
says:
That’s one of the big lessons I’ve been learning over and over: enjoy the journey. It’s good to chase a dream or a destination, but you don’t have to be in a rush to get there.
says:
Hi Jeffery,
Thanks for this inspiring post. I would like to be interviewed a year or so from now… (smile but I mean it) when I will be much better in pursuing some of my dreams.
says:
I’m really excited for you! Looking forward to following your journey. Thanks for sharing.