Quitting my job to be a different person

Spoiler: it didn't work as expected

It sounds stupid.

But I thought the months after quitting my job would transform me. I thought I’d smoothly ooze into a new identity. I thought I’d automatically embody the independent lifestyle because of this one decision.

It did not happen.

At least not as much as I would like and expected.

It sounds obvious in hindsight.

As I’m having this trivial epiphany, I’m wondering, “Did I miss an important opportunity to transform myself?”

Yes.

Too much freedom

I had a lot of freedom and that lead to chaos.

I was fine with the chaos. I had this discussion with my wife that I’ll need to embrace a chaotic life for a while before I figure things out. I’d work late and on weekends.

As I had more clients and raised my rates, I’d stopped working on weekends. I became better with communication as well. Talking about rates, about my capacity, about my days off, etc.

But some other stuff didn’t go as well. My schedule is still complete chaos. We didn’t go on as many dates. I still spend way too much time on my phone as a mean to relax. My exercise routine has been shattered in a thousand pieces.

I made work an easy excuse to not do all those things. A really cheap excuse if you ask me.

There are only a few pivotal moments like that in life. I feel I blew this one because I didn’t know exactly what to expect and I had a lot to figure out.

Here we go again

I’m now faced with the exact same situation. Another rare pivotal moment. The birth of my first child.

This time I intend not to miss the shot. I’ve always wanted to live an intentional life instead of being carried away by the flow of life and my short-term impulses.

The priorization is going to look something like:

1. Take care of myself

2. Cultivate my marriage

3. Be there for my kid

4. Sprinkle work on top of that

It’s going to require good coordination with my wife and family.

We’re already working on a schedule (a flexible one), and work will need to fit into what’s left. I’ll need to be ruthless in the way I spend my working time to make sure it has the highest impact. In the past year, I said “yes” to too many things and worked on stuff that didn’t bring enough revenue or didn’t bring joy.

Let’s change that shit!

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What about you? What’s one expectation you’ve had after quitting your job? Reply to this email or leave a comment below. I read and reply to everything!

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Newsletter Spotlight

Ken Seals

went on a sabbatical to take care of his two boys. He’s been interviewing a variety of entrepreneurs to learn from them. His goal is to build a business that enables him to sustain his family and have ample time with his kids. He was working as a VP of Product and Design so he has a very insightful perspective on those businesses. Check out his newsletter here:

Everyday Empires

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3 juicy links of the week

1. How to Value a Website or Internet Business in 2024

   1. As I’m continuing my search and discussions to buy an online business, this article has been helpful in framing a good perspective throughout the process. We’re about to make an offer to a business owner. Let’s see how it goes!

2. Namecheap Auction Marketplace

   1. I discovered Namecheap's auction marketplace a few months back. It’s been fun to check out some domains. I bought 0to10k.com at the end of last year and desjeuxdecartes.com today. I’m thinking of eventually transferring this newsletter to 0to10k.com and making it a realistic resource to help you get to 10k per month independently, far from sensationalism.

3. Poor Charlie’s Almanack by Charlie Munger

   1. I’ve wanted to read his book for years but never got to order it. And it’s now available for free online. I’m quite excited to dig in!

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