I debated even writing this post. Part of me wanted to be all mysterious about my exit from the corporate world. After all, I see you, LinkedIn connections … I see you being all nosy by checking out my profile, wondering where the “next step in my journey” has taken me.
Well, I will tell you: Nowhere.
On April 15th I left my corporate job of over thirteen years. (Actually, I’ve been working in the corporate world since 1995.) I planned for this. And I can tell you that after nearly a month of freedom, I have zero regrets.
I’m not going to write any attention-seeking LinkedIn post, because honestly my heart just isn’t in it. Just like my heart isn’t into applying to another corporate job. At fifty-two years old, I can now afford to take this “sabbatical” and figure out what I want to do. I am very blessed to have a husband who supports this and realizes how important this was to my mental health. I can now focus on doing the things that I love, and that includes writing and creating more content for this site. It also includes finishing my second book and publishing it later this spring/early summer. I have also joined a wonderful company called Main Street Vacation Planners as an independent travel planner … something that is fun and rewarding.
In the meantime, I have given myself a little grace to frankly just relax for a little bit. I went to Walt Disney World twice (I live fairly close and have an annual pass). I took naps and didn’t set an alarm. I played tennis on a Wednesday morning for two and half hours. I painted and read and listened to audiobooks on long walks. I watched all my shows: The Pitt, Abbott Elementary, Shrinking, DTF St. Louis. I caught up on paperwork and realized that a huge part of adulting is all the admin work. (p.s. now I realize why people go off the grid: it’s the paperwork, I tell you!) I started playing Wordle. I learned to play Mah Jongg but decided it’s not for me. I’m researching volunteer opportunities. I realized that days went by super fast now.
Life goes on when you quit your job. I was at the point where even though I had many years of “sunken costs” in my role, it just didn’t matter to me anymore. I am not mourning the loss of my identity, because “IT Applications Manager” does not define me. If anything, I’ve always felt like kind of a black sheep in my profession anyway … I always seemed better at the developing and engaging people part … so now I am getting back to the things that really bring me joy.
The older I get, the more I don’t care what other people think … it’s a work in progress, but I’m getting there. When I told folks I was quitting my job, some people just looked at me with a confused, blank stare. That’s okay. Some straight-up told me they were jealous. That’s understandable. Others celebrated right along side me and were my biggest cheerleaders. Case in point: my exercise class buddies. Most of the ladies in these classes are retired, and while these classes usually started their days, by that time I had already been on my computer for an hour. I’d do class, then rush out and run back across the street to go back online. One day the instructor asked us if we could stay a few minutes longer so he could teach us proper technique on one particular move. He told me it was okay if I left since he knew I had to get back to work. I said “Actually I don’t, because I quit.”
And you know what those ladies did? They all clapped. And hooted and hollered. That filled my heart with joy.
This next month will be jam-packed, but I refuse to be one of those people who doesn’t know what day it is, or who says, “I’m even more busy now than when I was working!” Because how annoying is that, right?
Maybe in a month or two I will wake up in a cold panic because I don’t have as much money to buy nice things. But I doubt it. I’m figuring it out.
And in the meantime, if there are any Gen X related topics you’d like me to write or chat about, please drop me a line.
Cheers to new transitions.