Let’s be honest, the first few days after quitting my job were pure, unadulterated bliss. Like finally booking that dream vacation you’ve been saving for, only instead of a beach chair and a fruity cocktail, I had a stack of unread books and the glorious absence of an alarm clock. Who wouldn’t love that?
But amidst the sunshine and afternoon naps, a tiny voice in my head chimed in. This MBA on FIRE adventure wasn’t just about escaping the grind; it was about building a future fueled by both financial freedom and a career I loved. And that meant building some healthy habits for the long haul.
James Clear, the author of the insightful book Atomic Habits, makes a compelling point: periods of significant change, like the one I was experiencing, are prime time for establishing new routines. It’s a chance to rewrite the script of your day, before the old patterns creep back in.
I knew all too well the negative habits that could easily creep in during my newfound free time: mindless snacking, endless social media scrolling, and the ever-present temptation to turn a midday nap into an afternoon coma. None of these were exactly conducive to conquering an accelerated MBA program.
But before I dove headfirst into habit formation, I also knew I needed a break. My brain, fried from years of working multiple jobs and side hustles, craved a chance to simply stop. No more deadlines, no more events to plan, just pure, unadulterated rest.
So, for a few glorious days, I reveled in the freedom. I slept in, read leisurely, and reconnected with the simple joys of not being constantly “on.” It was a necessary reset, a chance to hit the pause button before rewinding and fast-forwarding myself into this exciting new chapter.
The Fog Begins to Lift:
By day five, a remarkable shift occurred. The mental fog that had shrouded my thinking started to dissipate. Words I’d struggled to recall, those perfectly crafted terms that lingered just out of reach, began to resurface. It was exhilarating, like finally retrieving a lost treasure from the depths of my mind.
Sleep, glorious sleep, became my best friend. Each night brought deeper rest, and each morning I awoke feeling more refreshed than the day before. Yet, a persistent anxiety lingered at the edges of my newfound peace. The familiar echo of “what do I need to do at work tomorrow?” would intrude on my evenings. It was a conditioned reflex, a habit I had to break free from.
The Job Search Obsession:
Then there was the job search obsession. Let me be clear – my plan was a complete break from full-time work for nearly eight months. A part-time gig was a possibility down the line, but not until August. Six glorious weeks of freedom stretched before me, and yet, I couldn’t resist the constant pull of job boards.
It was almost comforting, this obsessive need to read job ads. envision if it would be my next career, to fill the void left by my old job. Is it ingrained in us, or at least me, to define ourselves by our work? I know I am not my job. Or for that matter, my salary, my car, my house. But this shift, that left me without two of those items, it shook me. How would I feel when I run into people and they ask me, “Where are you working now?”
Here’s the surprising thing: Everyone I’ve spoken to and revealed my “shameful” unemployment and student status has been amazing! “You go!”, “I’m so proud of you,” “That’s amazing” – you would have thought I had won an amazing, nationally recognized award! I am incredibly grateful to these kind souls in my life. And I’m even more grateful to face this challenge of learning who I truly am (vs what I think, people think, I am).