“You should just quit your job and follow your dreams!”
People told me that for three years, even after transitioning to a new job. It sounds fantastic, even romantic this idea of giving your boss the what-for, boxing up your cubicle, and hitting the exit with your dreams throwing doves in the air and fireworks erupting overhead. Life couldn’t be any better!
The problem is, it doesn’t work that way. Quitting your job doesn’t put food on the table and pay the mortgage. In fact, one of the best ways to fuel your dreams is to make the most of your day job while working on your dreams. Hustling your butt off with intentional dream-chasing on the side is what will elevate your reputation with your day job boss. It will also build skills and perspective that will better fuel your dream job.
In Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job, Jon Acuff gives his own insight into dream-chasing while in a day job. If quitting jobs were an Olympic sport, Jon Acuff would be somewhere between Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. He quit six jobs in eight years. Six full-time hours, 401K-matching, benefits-providing jobs. His journey from cubicle copywriter to renowned author involved a long trek through Day Job-land (not a real land, I just made that up). Quitter is his testimony to those wanting to hit eject from the 9-to-5 but without the right roadmap to succeed.
I thoroughly enjoyed Acuff’s exploration of the tension between day job and dream job. It takes time and sweat equity to create a side hustle that can become a dream job. I also appreciate how he doesn’t just encourage readers to quit their job today. The ultimate goal is to quit your day job, but you need an action plan in place to give your dream job as much chance for success as you can before you quit.
If you’re caught in a day job you hate and want to leave, Quitter is for you. If you having a dream you want to pursue, Quitter is a must-read. Don’t quit your day job, at least not yet. Create an exit plan, do your best at the day job you already have, and work your way to the work you love. Being a Quitter takes time and your time may be right now.
- Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job may be found at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other popular retail sites.
- Follow Jon’s writings at acuff.me.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”