Today, that quote means more to me than ever. You see, since I started consulting in 2007, I’ve gotten on an early morning flight almost every Monday morning (besides when I was in business school). Well, today I’m not on a plane, and I’m not getting on one.
I have left my job. I am no longer a management consultant. And you have no idea how hard – and scary – it is for me to even type those words. I’ve been a consultant for my entire adult life, and (although I don’t recommend this) it had become a big part of “who I was.” As I mentioned in this post, I kind of chose my job because everyone else at my college wanted an offer from my company, and I was fortunate enough to get it. So, I figured it must be great. Over the years, I was fortunate to realize that it was great – I learned so much about business and the way various companies operate, got such amazing opportunities and responsibilities, and met such incredible people.
As of today, I am taking action. I am making a promise to myself to go confidently in the direction of my dreams, and to live the life I have imagined. And I will appreciate and enjoy every single moment of it.
So tell me in the comments … Have you ever left a job? What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever admitted to yourself? What can you do to make your life a little bit better today?
Wow Megan! I’m so so proud of you! That is a great and huge step in following your dreams. It may not be comfortable right now and actually quite scary but I know you are finally doing what you want to do! I know how scary being jobless is and that is awesome that at least you have a view. It is hard to know what to do sometimes – and you have done an AMAZING job! Good luck I know this is the start to a wonderful a new journey for you!
Thank you so much for the support and encouragement, Sara! I’ve been busy researching all kind of fun stuff like how to register/ license a business, how to pay taxes when you’re self employed, and brushing up on my marketing, so the fear was far greater when I was actually trying to work up the courage to quit!
My long comment just deleted thanks to airport wifi gah! I’ll try to retype it.
MEGAN! I could NOT be more proud of you. You know how I feel about taking risks and pursuing your dreams so I am so onboard with your choice. And don’t think for a second that you could ever disappoint your readers. You are by far one of the most impressive person and blogger I know. Your courage and strength to take the leap makes you even more so.
2014 is going to bring amazing things for you. I have no doubt about this! So excited to follow your journey. Know that I am always here to bounce ideas off of or to just talk through the scariness of it all. I SO get it.
p.s. I just read this to Curt and he said “damnnnn girl!”. That’s his way of saying you’re incredible, and I could not agree more!
Your support and encouragement means the world to me. Your comment was incredibly flattering and heartfelt – and then ended with a laugh … the perfect comment in my mind! I know that you know the exact mix of excitement/ fear/ relief that I feel, and I’m excited for us to help each other along on this fun journey!
Amazing…..so enjoyed this! Even happier that you were my “Elf” and now will have time to share all your knowledge! Bring it on, as I need all the help I can get!
Thank you, Janet! I’m excited to keep sharing some of my knowledge here – and if you ever have specific questions, feel free to ask!
Wow Megan! I’m reading this post and I’m smiling from ear to ear because I am so happy and excited for you! It is so rare to find people that let go of their current comforts(good job, status, etc.) and go for their dreams. You are a true inspiration! I hear way too many people say, “I will do it one day” or “next year” or “when the timing is right”. Those are the same people that are in the same place 15+ years later and wish they would of pursued their dreams when they had the energy, passion, and drive. You are young and the world is yours. Enoch and I could not be more proud of you!
My first job out of school was with GE healthcare and I was 1 out of 8 selected for a prestigious 2 year engineering rotational program. Long story short, I hated my job, barely slept, and was so stressed that I lost weight and my hair was thinning. When I told my family and friends I wanted to quit they didn’t support it at all, the only one who supported it was Enoch. They kept telling me it would get better, but it didn’t. I felt that if I quit I would disappoint a lot of people. One thing Enoch told me and to this day is the best advice I’ve ever received is, you can’t worry about what people will think (yes, this is easier said than done 😉 ). They will have their opinions but you can’t let that affect your decision. I quit my job 4 months later and felt a huge sense of relief. When I told the head of the program I was quitting she first tried to convince me not to, but eventually she realized my decision was made and I would not budge. Funny thing is when I handed her my letter of resignation the 50+ year old woman said she wished she had as much courage at my age to have quit her job. She admitted how she has not been happy for the 30+ years she has worked there. Quitting that job gave me the opportunity to find a different field of engineering that I was more passionate about and actually enjoyed. I will say that if it wasn’t for Enoch being my rock and supporting my decision 100%, that decision would have been a lot more difficult to make. We are very lucky to have the partners we have in our lives that support our decisions and dreams.
Following your heart and dreams is worth every risk. Looking forward to following your journey. I know it will be a success!
Ps: Love the above picture of you. You are glowing with happiness.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Angela. My father-in-law wrote me to say that your comment was so insightful and spot-on to my situation, and I agree! It’s SO nice to hear about people who were in similar situations and went with their heart, because (like you say) so many others don’t end up doing so. Also … your text yesterday morning meant so much! It was before many of the comments came in, so I wasn’t sure how people were going to react, and it was exactly what I needed. See you guys soon!
I’m going to stop letting fear of failure stop me and go confidently in the direction of my dreams. I admire you and hope to find it in me to live the life I imagine!
I hope you find it in you, too, Jill. Honestly just taking the leap is so freeing and wonderful! Get out there and do what you need to do for your happiness!
Ah Megan, my heart is so full as I read this post that I know I won’t be able to articulate everything I am feeling. I am so, so, SO happy for you. Not because I didn’t think you COULD live a healthy life while having a demanding job, but because it wasn’t what you WANTED to do, so you’re not doing it anymore. I can tell that you are so passionate and so driven, and I can only imagine how wonderful you were at your job. Yes, I admired (and continue to admire) you IMMENSELY for keeping the schedule that you did. But I admire you even more for taking this step. I’ve never had a job as demanding as yours, but I have loved people who certainly did. And let me tell you, all the money and prestige in the world really doesn’t make up for the time lost when that kind of job becomes your world.
You are going to be AMAZING in whatever you choose to do. Absolutely amazing. .
Amy, thank you SO much for your support. I admit that you were one of the “blends” I worried most about, since you’ve always been so nice to comment on how much I was balancing and are incredibly successful yourself. But hearing your kind words makes me even more relieved than I already was. And thank you for already helping me get up to speed on the corporate wellness industry by sending over the article today!
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!! we must catch up!
Thank you so much, Clare! Your support means a ton! And YES – I would love to catch up and hear about all the great things going on in your life. Give me a call or shoot me an email anytime!
Megan – I am SO incredibly happy for you and cannot wait to see what the coming weeks, months and years bring! While I am sad we will no longer see your smiling face around the office, I hope to see even more of you in Dallas!!!
Thank you so much for your email and this comment, Dawn! I really appreciate your support. So happy to have a yoga teacher friend close by :).
Thank you so much for your support, Maegan! I really appreciate it! Looking forward to being an SO with you, and would love to grab lunch sometime!
I am so proud and happy for you!! I know how scary it is, especially not having “it all figured out” but ultimately our number one priority is AND should be our happiness. Thank you for being such an inspiration.
ps. You look absolutely gorgeous!!
Thank you SO much for your support, Amy. I know you know how it feels! I’m excited to help each other figure things out this year. I know it’s going to be a great one for both of us!
Thank you so much, Jillienne! I hope you DO have enough guts to go for what makes you truly happy! It took me several years, but it’s never too late. I appreciate your support!
I am so thrilled and excited to be reading this – you have been hinting and poking, and I knew it was coming especially from one of your comments on my blog.
It sure IS scary – and while all of those people who will tell you ‘this is the time in your life to do things like this’ are right … that doesn’t make it any LESS scary!
And I have two opinions on the ‘you seem happy’ thing: first off this just means you are a good employee, keeping on a brave face as you work through things, only revealing your dissatisfaction to those like your husband or family. It is also one of those key phrases you never use with a depressed person because it ends up having the opposite effect – and as a result is just as ineffective on someone unhappy for any reason.
I am happy you are following your dreams, and also love the pics and motivational images! Great stuff and good luck embarking on this scary journey!
You are very perceptive, Michael! I was hinting, you’re right, but I wasn’t sure if anyone was picking up on it :). What you said about ‘you seem happy’ was really interesting – I never thought ill of anyone who would say that, it was more of a sad feeling, like “ugh … I wish that were actually true …” The good news is, I already feel amazing. I’m so excited for this journey and the year to come! I appreciate your support, as always.
There was an article at Geekmom about this subject (http://geekmom.com/2014/01/say-this-not-that-depression/), and I have a running blogger friend who is struggling with depression, and our boys best friend from Massachusetts had her cousin (who they hung around with on our last visit back) kill herself this past fall … it is scary stuff.
Wow, that article is so powerful, thank you for sharing. There are several of them I relate to – when Kevin would remind me that many people were worse off than me, I would feel even guiltier for being down because I knew it was true, but yet it didn’t make me feel any better at all. I don’t take your post as a downer, but rather a serious thing we need to recognize. Thank you!
That (others are worse off) is one of those things meant to help but it is almost always hurtful and destructive. It makes us question the validity of our feelings. Yet it is done with the best of intentions.
I have always been good at compartmentalizing, and as a result I could never get too mad, because each little thing was held separate and I would say ‘not so bad’ … but when I finally recognized what was happening it was like the ‘death by 1000 paper cuts’.
Lisa and I struggled with fertility and multiple miscarriages (requiring too much time at Brigham & Womens) … and so many ‘helpful’ things were said. Even though our oldest is 17, you just never forget.
Wow, thank you for sharing this. I’m so sorry you had to deal with those struggles. Although you never forget, you have shown so clearly that you’re so grateful for your boys now, which is an amazing and inspirational thing!
Megan, I am sooooo proud of you and happy that you are following your heart.
I have felt helpless while standing by feeling your unhappiness and hurt.
Find happiness – YOU deserve it.
Megan, what an exciting change! I was very inspired by your post. Good luck, I know you will be successful!!
Thanks so much for your comments, Lara! I really appreciate it and hope all is well with you!
Of course I don’t think you are crazy, Rachel :). Like I told you in my email, it was perfect timing. So glad we’ve gotten back in touch!
Good for you! Life goes by so quickly, and if you can do something that makes you happier than what you were doing, I say go for it! Good luck in your future endeavors!
Thank you so much, Tempie! I really appreciate your support!
This is such a refreshing perspective to read – I’ve only recently found your blog but I have to say I admire your decision very much! I have been there just a few months ago – unfortunately I stayed in a job I hated for so long I still haven’t completely “detoxified” after 5 months of complete rest and immersion in personal projects.
Good luck in all your endeavors and I’m looking forward to reading your bog in 2014!
Thank you so much for your comments, Raluca. I’m so sorry to hear that you have experienced something similar, but I’m glad you’re finding your way to happiness. What you said about taking a while to detoxify and reset really struck a chord with me. I was thinking today about an analogy – see if it resonates with you. You know when you have a necklace that is incredibly knotted up? It’s just a huge bundle of knots and seems impossible to break free. Then you work on it for a long time, and you get to a mini breakthrough, and a big piece of it releases … but then you realize you still have dozens of other knots to work on. You have several more breakthroughs, but it really takes a while before the necklace is straightened out again. I honestly do think that’s like the stress that unhappiness and fear builds up inside of us – and I think it will take me several months to unwind as well. If you think I’m crazy for unloading this strange analogy on a new reader, I’m sorry :). Good luck to you in 2014!
Thank you so much for this reply! I love analogies and “story telling” – I think they are still the most powerful tools we humans have for learning and understanding new situations.
Wishing you all the best and I’m so happy I found your blog at this time – it must be some kind of sign.
So glad you don’t think I’m crazy! I’m glad you found me, too!
Hi Megan! I just saw this posted on facebook so I clicked over to read. I love your passion for nutrition and wellness! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist myself and got a masters in nutrition communication since we were in Theta together in college 🙂 If you ever want to talk about the field, let me know!
Hi Caroline! So great to hear from you, and thanks so much for your comments! I’ve been loving following your delicious looking recipes on pinterest, but I’m so happy to now see your beautiful website and blog! I would LOVE to catch up and hear how you got your start in the field; I’ll send you an email in the next few days. Thanks again!
Thank you so much, Arman! Like I said to Amy, you were another of my blends that I was most worried about, so I’m thrilled to see your reaction. I know you relate to the uncertainty and to the desire to follow your dreams (I loved your recent career post!), and I’m so excited to see where this year takes YOU, too!
Megan, there’e no need to be scared about failing or to be worried about what people will think — because you have already succeeded — by making the decision and taking steps to pursue what you feel will make you happy. The future is always uncertain, but you’ve got a heartfelt dream and you’re going to go for it. You’re not giving up — you’re standing up. Congratulations !!!
Thank you so much for your support, Dad. You’ve always been the biggest proponent of balance for me – and while I previously took that to mean balancing as many things as possible, I now understand that it means more than that. I’m excited to find the real balance in my life!
This is so amazing! I only started reading your blog a few weeks ago but I am so glad I came across it in time to hear about this! I love that you have figured out the direction you want to go in to find what makes you happy. I hope to one day be able to do something similar! Congrats and best of luck!
Thank you so much for your support, Lisa! I’m so glad you’ve found me, too :). And I hope that you do end up doing something similar in the future, if it makes you happy!
Congratulations Megan. I have read your blog every day but today? Was the best ever! Please don’t stop the blog because although I don’t respond every day I am motivated every day. Today I copied several of your sayings and intend to put them in my office…..
Follow your dreams…….believe in yourself and there is no doubt you will continue to be the shining star you have always been.
Thank you so much, Danielle! I love your thoughts on success – I agree!
Megan – I loved reading about your journey through discovering your passion and making a tough but rewarding decision! It’s true what they say…the greatest risk is not taking a risk at all! You go girl…it will all come together – the best is yet to come!
Thank you so much, Ruthie! I really appreciate your support!
Let Mike & I know if you are ever interested in a job in Atlanta. You would love Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s employee wellness program… Congrats and good luck!!
Thank you for your comment, Rachel! The employee wellness program sounds awesome, and I’d love to see more of you and Mike … if only it was in Dallas!
So very excited and happy for you – you are a true inspiration!
Thank you so much, Laurie! I really appreciate your support of the blog and my decision!
This post makes me so happy for you!! What a bold, wonderful move! CONGRATULATIONS!!
I’m sure you will figure out and be successful at health coaching. Passion and dedication will pay off….enjoy the adventure!
Ashley @ This is the Place recently posted…2014 – New Year, New Race Schedule!
Thank you SO much, Ashley! I really appreciate your support. I’m so excited for the adventure!!
I am so thrilled you took control of your life and left the job you were NOT happy with – even if this means not knowing where you’re going to go next!!!!! I cannot believe you had to fly every Monday. I am TERRIFIED OF FLYING so holy hot damn, I give you even MORE CREDIT!!!!
I am so excited to see where life takes you!
Thank you so much for your sweet comments, Gigi! I can’t wait to enjoy life more – like it looks like you are always doing :). I was never scared of flying, just didn’t enjoy it!
Congratulations on making that leap! And yes I know it’s scary. I was thrown into the world of freelancing five years ago after I was laid off. I knew nothing about running my own business, yet here I am living in an expensive city (LA) and managing to do it. If you have a will, you find a way. Life is too short to not try something you are passionate about and just settle for something you’re not! Good luck, and I look forward to following your progress!
Congratulations on finding your way, Tonya! That’s very inspiring! How do you usually find freelancing work? It’s definitely something I have considered trying to add in. I really appreciate your support!!
Saw this when you posted it, but haven’t had a minute to sit down and type out my thoughts.
I seriously had tears in my eyes as I read about your decision. You are such an incredible person, and this move will bring you so much happiness.
Best wishes in you new endeavors, and please let us know how we can help things along for you!
Robert, thank you so much. Your care and concern comes across in all your comments, and I really appreciate your support of the blog and this decision! I’m so excited for my next steps!
I know it may not seem like it now, but you are such an inspiration! You are so strong and focused and great things lie ahead for you this year. I hope you find happiness in whatever you do.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Christine. I really appreciate them!! I have a great feeling that this year will be a very happy one for me!
I almost missed this big announcement – WOW & CONGRATULATIONS!! What a huge step in the right direction. If you have the ability to leave a job that’s not bringing you joy (and adding to the stress) and follow you passion, it’s something everyone should do. So proud of you for having the courage to act and do it! Excited to follow your journey this year!
Thank you so much, Heather! I really appreciate your encouragement. It was scary, but I can already tell it was the right decision – I feel amazing, relieved, happy, and like a normal person again – I can actually think about something aside from work! I do appreciate that I have the ability to do this and feel very lucky for it!
Thank you so much, Nithya! I appreciate your continued support so much! And I know we’ll keep in touch – I’ll be bugging you for more delicious Indian recipes, and I’ll be more than happy to reciprocate with tips for how to stay healthy while consulting. I know you’ll be amazing!
I needed to read this!!! I am currently contemplating a leap career-wise and am scared out of my mind. Davida knows this! It’s nice to know I’m not alone. And I think you’d be SO GREAT at corporate wellness!
I’m so glad it helped, Caitlin! If you ever want to chat about your decision, feel free to let me know and we can hop on the phone! I know that with an MBA there’s a lot of pressure to do more “traditional” jobs, but I hope your decision (whatever it is) makes you truly happy!
Awesome! There is no better feeling than taking a leap of faith and discovering so many new things! Good luck!
Thank you so much, Danny! Appreciate the wishes, and hope all is well with you!
So excited for you! For me, walking away from crazy long hours (attorney at a big firm) was the best thing I did in my life for my marriage, my health and my happiness. I looked around me at people who ate dinner with me more than they did with their spouses and I knew it just wasn’t the life I wanted. It took 2 tries, but I found a job that I love with the same intellectual challenge and dinner with my husband almost every single night. TOTALLY worth walking away in that leap of faith, knowing there had to be something better for me out there. And I think you’ll love getting certified as a running coach — I found it awesome for my own running, and helping others was almost just a bonus!
Thank you so much for this comment, Carina! It’s so nice to hear from someone who relates. Yes, I ABSOLUTELY spent more time with my colleagues than my husband – in fact every Valentine’s Day I would joke that I should gift my colleagues instead of my husband because I spent more nights in whatever city we were in than I did at home! Even though it sounds like an obvious decision to people who can’t imagine that lifestyle, it was still really hard to walk away. I’m so, so glad that you found the job that is perfect for you!!! And yes, with the running coach thing – it was something I wanted to do even before I considered that as an addition to my career, but now it makes even more sense!
Missed this post the first time but it truly resonates with me. I was a management consultant from 1995 – 2003 and prided myself (after early health/wellness failure) on staying in shape and eating right on the road. I ran over 15 marathons and tons of other races during that time and converted many colleagues to runners and healthier eaters. Last year, I left a very unfulfilling health IT job to go back to a corporate health and wellness job but it fell through. I am now blogging, doing some independent consulting and looking for the next “right” new thing.
I wish you all the best in your new career. It seems like you are meant for it and can only succeed!
Wow, Erica, it seems like you’ve really been through some ups and downs! I bet we’d have a lot to talk about – shoot me an email if you ever want to bounce ideas off one another. In the meantime, good luck finding the “right” thing! I’m pulling for you!
Meg: When I reread your incredibly inspiring and so very “from the heart” blog entry of Jan. 6th, 2014, it brings a tear to my eye = tears of joy for you and you courage to take such a wonderful and courageous leap of faith, with the conviction that you, and all of us, should do what needs to be done to find true personal happiness. You rock, Girl!
Thank you for your constant support, Gary. It really does mean a lot!
Wow Megan, I’m so happy for you. This blog post was super motivational. You are right, “dream jobs” don’t exist, we must create them. This is what I have just started and I feel happy for my first step. After being a teacher for 12 years, I decided to leave the school and become a writer. Maybe I am not best at it, but writing is what I enjoy most in my life.. After a month my first book will be published.