Went from corporate rat race to doing my own thing

Mar 81 min read

Spent 12 years climbing the ladder at a big company. Long hours, constant stress, all of it. Made good money though. Finally hit a breaking point where I realized I was exhausted and my kids barely knew me. Cashed in some retirement, sold some stuff, and started a small contracting business 3 years ago. Make less money, no benefits, way more responsibility. But I work 6-7 hours a day instead of 10-12, I'm around more. Miss the steady paycheck and the team honestly. Miss not having to hunt for the next job. But I don't miss the Sunday dread or the feeling that I was wasting my one life. This is better.

4 comments182 views

Comments(4)

TTony M.RegularMar 10

How long did it take before you felt like the financial stress was gone? That's the part that keeps me up at night when I think about it.

KKeithNew DadMar 10

That takes guts. Did your family freak out when you told them? I've thought about doing something similar but I'm too scared to actually pull the trigger.

AAlexRegularMar 9

This inspires me. The constant hustle at my job means I'm missing so much. Did you have another job lined up first or just leap?

SSteve K.RegularMar 10

Props for doing this. More time with your kids has to be worth something. What kind of work are you doing now?