I happened to bump into an old friend from high school last night, and she sparked the idea for this post (thanks Lauren!). I hadn’t seen her in a few years, and we were catching up about what we’re doing, and she brought up a crazy memory. The last time I saw her I had recently quit the accounting firm I was working at, and I was struggling financially. I mean, wicked bad. I was barely eating because I couldn’t afford food, and I was doing whatever I could to survive.
Flash forward to now, and things are a lot different. I was producing music outside today (the main picture is from that), without any worries at all. My journey last year, The Light Nearby, was a huge success, and now my life has been an upwards spiral with new things happening every day. It’s interesting to look back on what happened a few years ago, but even more importantly, it’s a reminder that I made the best decision.
When I graduated college I moved to Boston, and started at a huge accounting firm. It sounded great on paper (especially the pay), but it was the worst place to work at. The craziest part, which is even crazier to me now, is that everyone knows how much it sucks to work there (or any typical BS 9-5 job).
I remember considering quitting early on, and I heard this from just about everyone: “You should really work there a year.” And to be honest, I’m glad I trusted my instincts, because quitting after only 2 months was the best decision I ever made.
We all hear the cliche quotes about life being too short and everything, but the truth is, time is the most valuable asset we all have. Like I said in my Biggest Risk In Life post, I’ve met countless people who were a lot older than me, explaining how much they regretted never pursuing their dream.
When I was considering quitting, it really came down to time. If I had stayed an extra 10 months, my life could have been completely different. That was roughly 300 days I was just wasting away – not to mention the extra mental stress, discomfort, and neurological damage I would put on myself by working at a place I hated every single day.
What it comes down to is this: Staying an extra 10 months wouldn’t get me any closer to being successful. I’ve never been denied a DJ/Entrepreneurial opportunity because I didn’t work at the Accounting firm for a year (actually, if anything, I’ve been presented more opportunities). And I know it sounds obvious to say that, but too many people don’t think far enough ahead.
If your true passion is to work in accounting and finance, then it makes sense. I do have friends who love it, and working in a Big 4 Accounting firm is a great springboard to bigger opportunities. Most people, however, would rather not work in a 9-5 job, and yet they stay there with the idea that they’ll leave “when it’s the right time.”
I promise you this: The timing will never be right. You have to create that perfect timing, and the best way to do so is to tackle your dream head on and figure it out as you go. Yes, it’s going to be hard at first, but staying at your job for an extra 3 weeks/months/years is a horrible idea. Unless what you’re doing is correlational with where you want to be, you’re absolutely wasting your time.
You can try and tell me why you have to stay where you are, and make up all these excuses, but the first truthful step is telling yourself that you need to leave. Don’t get me wrong – there is some planning to make sure you have everything in order, but any dream worth pursuing will have crazy ups and downs.
It’s through those ups and downs that you’ll find true happiness, and you’ll be able to look back on the beginning of your adventure, being completely overjoyed about how amazing of a decision it was to pursue your dream.
