Embracing Casual Work: Finding Joy and Empowerment in Quitting Your Job

This is my breakfast view on a vibrant Monday morning overlooking Lake Garda. Did this experience come as a result of long, gruelling days sat in an office for years, doing work that exhausts me, with managers who limit my potential? No. Not one bit. This luxurious experience came as an unexpected bonus of quitting the rat race and stepping out into the unknown, all in the name of self-respect.

Some have always known what they want to do as a career, and have clear steps on how to achieve that. Others, like me, have a vague sense of what they would love doing, but it does not present itself as clearly as we'd like. This can make life really difficult and we can take job after job that feels so unfulfilling and suffocating, in environments that leave us feeling so depleted and hopeless.

It took a while, but in the midst of a very low point in my life (where my financial situation was a wasteland, my home life unstable, my sense of purpose down the drain), I made a really scary (but really brave) decision. I had built up great experience and skill in my charity sector work and so to choose to leave that in order to travel and work casually seemed really dumb. It had the potential to be pretty dumb for sure. But, what made it a really smart decision was that I learnt that as long as I felt lacking in purpose and meaning in my career (and life in general), whatever job I took on would probably suffer and leave me even more desperate and depleted! So, what did I have to lose?

I want to provide some supportive words to those who are currently facing a decision about leaving their 9-5 job to opt for a more casual lifestyle. If you feel scared stiff about the prospect, but it also excites you - do it! If you can no longer function under a normal working pattern, seeing little to no rewards for doing so because of rent and expenses and want more flexibility - do it! If you are judging yourself for taking up a lower paid casual job that requires you to do tasks that are 'beneath' what you were doing in your previous jobs, but that this work would provide so much more freedom for you - do it!

When I first made that decision, I spent the first month crying daily, panicking, doubting myself, wondering if I should return to the UK. I am so glad that I didn't. 7 months on, I have lived in a redwood forest in California, had spontaneous trips to San Francisco, San Jose and LA, lived in Austria where I was surrounded by mountains and could walk them daily, acquired a new family where I feel loved and highly valued, and had trips to Lake Garda, Milan, Salzburg and Hallstatt. My life is wealthy. My life is free. My life is full. My life is stable. My life is full of gratitude. The cleaning jobs, the childcare jobs, the early starts for catering jobs - the type of work no longer matters to me because of how much my quality of life has exponentially improved.

I am not advocating for everyone and anyone to quit their job and joy and empowerment will just float like a fairy your way. It hasn't been easy - lots of blood, sweat and tears! I'm currently reading Beth Kempton's new book Kokoro: Japanese Wisdom for a Life Well Lived, and it focuses on listening to that heart-centre: "Joy is one of the many feelings that blooms in the kokoro. When we make decisions guided by this sense of what blooms in us, we navigate life in a different way." Beth talks about how this word has so many different meanings to different people in Japan, and it is hard to translate as a result. But, I think for this topic, I see the kokoro as a really helpful word to encourage us to tap into that deep well of infinite wisdom that we house within us. That source needs to not be ignored. It is guiding you towards what ignites true meaning and passion for you, something I put a cork in and silenced for so long as I worked in jobs that harmed me and my purpose. Your body will tell you, your brain will even tell you sometimes, and your heart-centre most certainly will tell you.

So, in conclusion: start listening to your heart-centre more often, including the nudges that lead you away from what feels seemingly secure and safe, but is actually making you feeling consistently miserable and purposeless. Life is too short to put money and status ahead of your well-being and joy. It won't leave you feeling empowered if it is not directly in tune with your sense of true purpose and meaning. If you want any support and hand-holding as you embark on a huge move such as quitting your job, there are many professionals who can safely and lovingly guide you through it, including myself. I'm looking forward to hearing all about your exciting plans for your future!

*I would recommend you go read any and all of Beth Kempton's books, and she has a fantastic business which offers courses and guidance on topics such as doing what you love, writing, and finding meaning in life. You can find out more about her offerings here: https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/