Photo by David Fitzpatrick.
If you ever wondered what a mid life crisis looked like just follow me – I’m well and truly embroiled in one.
I couldn’t afford a sports car and I don’t have the energy for an affair so I did the next best stupid thing – I quit my job.
My very nice four-day-a-week, one week of the school holidays off, job.
My boss was a lovely person (she made me coffee of a morning – what more could the woman do?).
My colleagues were supportive (they laughed at my jokes – that’s all I need from those sharing an office with me).
The work had rewards.
Yet still I handed in my resignation.
So here I am, with a blog going nowhere, a book half written and a lot of time on my hands.
I’ve got four to eight weeks to sort myself out (that’s when I’ll have run out of the cash for the mortgage payments). So it’s going to be an interesting ride.
How did the family take it? Well let’s just say I’ve got the cardiac specialist on standby for the husband. The children had a meltdown – “we had no money WITH you working, what the hell are we going to do now?” Then they recovered with – “so now you can drive us to school every day, right?”
My first act as an unemployed person? I decided to keep a visual diary of my flying-high uplifting journey to ultimate success and fulfilling life (or my dive-bombing demise to a homeless derelict depending on the way the cards fall). You can follow along at instagram.
So have you ever done anything crazy that worked out? Please tell me it worked out!!!
Hi Janine,
Congratulations on such a brave and bold move! I can relate, but with a slightly different story. My job was made redundant-it was such a great job-had all the perks and great pay to go with it. Little did I know there were to be no other jobs like it, so with encouragement from family and friends, I became a full time business owner! One year later and its starting to show the benefits of hard work and persistence. Stay focused in your dreams and it will all work out!! Good Luck x
I’m so happy to hear you business is going well. Congratulations to you for the all the hard work you have put in. Thanks for the support. I have loads of ideas, I just need to but some focused effort into at least one of them.
When I was much younger I quit my job in Sydney and moved to Hobart – completely on the spur of the moment – I knew no one down there, had no job – just seemed like an interesting place to live for a while
It kind of worked out – eventually found a job – made some friends – quit the job a year later – moved back to Sydney. I lost a bit of money with all the moving and what not, but the experience was really good for me.
Hope your adventure works out for you too!
I’m glad to hear someone has done something crazy and it worked out!
You are not alone. Having finally realized that I was not happy in my 12-year marriage, I ran off my with my first and true love, and got a divorce from my husband. I went from a comfy house to living out of an 18-wheeler, and I haven’t looked back.
Wow!!! I’m glad you are happy now.
Oh wow. I’m excited for you. Fingers crossed, and hopes of many awesome things to come 🙂 have fun with it.
Wow Janine, that’s huge news! I am looking forward to following your mid-life adventure! xxx
I now sit here all alone no body to laugh at….opps did I say that our loud… I mean with!! I look up from my desk and now see a very tidy desk next to me and know for sure Janine is gone…
Good luck my former colleague!! A little poster on my wall now seems so prevelant to you “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be”………..xxx
Thanks Sharon, it must be very quiet in there this week!
hello janine,
i’ve missed visiting.
one book i recommend is david allen’s “ready for anything”
http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Anything-Productivity-Principles-Getting/dp/0143034545/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373558097&sr=1-3&keywords=david+allen
also, do you remember me suggesting “full catastrophe living”? might be helpful for the former (only former, not current!) cardiac patient. jon kabat-zin is the author.
you are a wonderful writer. best wishes for the next step.