This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

How To Quit Your Job And Chase Your Dream

A dream stays a dream if you are too scared to pursue it.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
?smail ?iydem

Do you remember when you grew up and you wanted to become a fire fighter, musician or maybe a professional athlete? A passion that you wanted to pursue because you loved doing it.

But then, you grew older and were told that this profession wouldn't get you anywhere because it is just not a 'career' and doesn't earn you enough money to start a family and buy a house. So you settled for a job you are not passionate about but with a solid paycheck and a promising career track.

Soon you realise that this job doesn't fulfill you, you don't see the outcome of your work because you are just a small wheel in a big engine. Sometimes you wonder if your work even matters at all.

You clock up the hours in the office, eight or more hours wasted per day. You give a third of your day to something that you don't really enjoy and doesn't fulfill you.

That was my experience working as a management consultant for one of the biggest IT companies in the world. I was a small wheel and my only reward for the job seemed to be that I wasn't fired yet. Finally, I decided to end the rat race -- I quit my job to live the life I really wanted.

Most people's dream job remains just that. Fear of failure or rejection keeps them away from truly unfolding the possibilities in life.

Now eight months into my journey, I am doing all the things I love doing: epic cycling events and adventures, video shoots, and writing for international magazines.

Every day looks different, I have no idea what will happen in two weeks. I don't have an apartment and live out of my suitcase. I travel and cycle throughout Europe meeting incredible inspiring and like-minded people and come across opportunities that I never thought would be possible.

No words can describe how much richer, fuller and happier my life feels right now. I can truly say, I am living my dream.

However, I have found there are some crucial conditions to successfully quit a job and pursue a dream. Below are six aspects I found to be important:

Have no baggage.

Literally and figuratively. This is a prerequisite for quitting your job and doing what you want to do. Don't have debt and reduce your reoccurring costs.

I managed to decrease my monthly costs to only my 30 Euro phone bill. I don't rent a room or apartment currently. Thus, the only costs that incur are what I do right in the moment. It comes with an awesome side effect: it creates a complete sense of freedom as you are not owned by a bank or material possessions. It also means that I don't need to have a high-paying job.

Even if you are not looking to pursue your dream job, I would highly encourage you to reduce your material needs. We don't need most of our stuff. It is a perception that we require a lot. Sometimes, people only own things to show off but that is a different issue.

You don't need to prove your worth through your belongings. Evaluate what you truly need -- I bet you don't need most what you have.

Be fully dedicated.

I wanted to pursue my passions so many times in the past. But I failed. I failed because I thought that a partial dedication to pursuing my dream job would suffice, like working for four days and having an extra day to explore my passion.

However, the only way I could truly make it happen was to commit 100 percent. The reason is two-fold; first, since there was nothing else to focus on, I could work solely on making my dream happen. I had no excuse to do anything else but pursue my dream.

The second and even more important reason why 100 percent 'all in' is important -- is that you are now free. There is nothing holding you back from trying everything out, succeeding and failing. When I quit my job, I knew my passion, but wasn't exactly sure what my job would look like. I needed the time and energy to try everything out without any constraints or drainers.

Opportunities arise when you expose yourself to them. I would never have received any of the opportunities given to me if I had another commitment because I would not have been available to do it. Now, I receive offers to projects and events because people know I am completely free and not tied to a normal job.

You must have the passion for it.

Without a fire in your soul you will not get anywhere. Just quitting your job to laze about at the beach doesn't get you anywhere. But, if you have a vision and you can't stop dreaming about a different life, then you are on the right way.

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." If every day you want to jump out of your bed and work on your passion, you will have so much fun pursuing that passion. And, you'll never have to 'work' a day in your life. Confucius was right.

Stand up for yourself.

Go your way. While you are creating your own path, your own way, your own life, there will be many, many people telling you what you should and shouldn't do. The more you do your own thing and the more you don't go mainstream, the more people will question (and admire) you.

But don't feel offended by the people who question you. Listen, understand where they are currently in their life. They might be scared or jealous but by no means shall they take you off your own path. As Churchill said: "You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks".

Be able to handle failures.

The good thing about doing your own thing is that you are responsible for everything you do -- your successes as well as your failures. There is no boss or other authority that takes the hits. Everything comes to you directly. I have sent hundreds of emails out and received many, many rejections. But the few successes I get I celebrate them as it is Christmas, New Years and my birthday combined.

It is an incredible feeling to claim the successes as yours. Sometimes the failures are just rejected emails, sometimes the failures are bigger. But never let them get to you and if they do, it is the next key aspect that will get you out of it...

Have a support network.

A support network is absolutely crucial. It can be one person, or a few, but your support network should serve multiple purposes and since they are fundamentally different, I would encourage to have at least two different supporters.

Have one emotional support person. Someone who loves, likes and/or appreciates you for the person that you are, no matter your successes or failures. That person doesn't necessarily need to know in depth what you do but can listen and say all the right words. This person could be your mom, your partner or a close friend from your childhood.

Another important person is your 'business adviser', someone who is genuinely interested in your business success. That person can give you advice about your work and your path and will share their wisdom. They will also challenge your thinking in a positive way.

Have a few close supporters who are 'joining your journey' by listening to your updates and sharing your ideas. These supporters have to be carefully selected because they should be genuinely interested in your success and stay positive. You don't need people telling you that you can't achieve something; you will have plenty of them telling you that anyway without you asking for their opinion. No, these supporters shall give you energy and strength while also giving you positive criticism and challenging your thought process so you can see your path from different angles. These supporters could be your siblings, your bestfriend or former colleagues.

Don't be afraid.

A dream stays a dream if you are too scared to pursue it. Most people's dream job remains just that. Fear of failure or rejection keeps them away from truly unfolding the possibilities in life. Don't fear the unknown. That's what makes life exciting.

I always ask myself when I am scared of failure: When I am 90 years old and look back at my life, would I regret my decision of not trying something out? Life is there to be explored, to be used. As Abraham Lincoln said: "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years"

These are my seven key aspects to successfully quit a job and live the dream. If you have a strong desire to life your dream, then don't hesitate and go for it!

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.