Have you ever had the experience where you’re cruising through life – you’ve got your daily routines, you’re doing well at work, you’ve got a great bunch of friends, everything seems peachy, and then…
…something happens that changes your life forever?
It may not even be a massive thing – just a small realisation or occurrence. Or maybe it’s a series of small things.
That happened to me.
I want to take you back to June 2013. A few things happened that triggered my utmost dissatisfaction with my life as I knew it. As soon as I realized I wasn’t happy with my existing situation, I started working towards a life I DID want; one that would make me truly happy.
Trigger 1:
I read Tim Ferriss’ The Four Hour Work Week. The only reason I picked it up was because I enjoyed his The Four Hour Body and was curious to read his other work.
I saw the cover with its tagline: “Escape the 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich” and thought ‘It’s not for me; I love my job!’ but I started reading anyway.
One chapter in, I was ready to quit my job.
I won’t go into detail here, but essentially Ferriss got me thinking differently about work, productivity, retirement and the time-for-money exchange.
Trigger 2:
I started studying to become a registered architect.
This had been my number one professional goal for the 2.5 years leading up to it. I had decided there was no way I had spent so many years at university to NOT become fully qualified.
Ironically enough, once I began studying and learning about what it’s actually like to practice as an architect – I had serious doubts about my chosen career.
You see, construction projects are expensive and time consuming with a relatively high margin for error as there are a lot of unknowns. Mistakes are costly to fix, and architects are often the first to be blamed. Plus, you’re often working (unpaid) overtime to strict and stressful deadlines. And when budgets are tight, the architect is the first link in the design/construction chain to get the boot. Enough reasons for you? (I’ve got more if you want!)
Call me crazy, but I didn’t want to be an architect anymore.
Trigger 3:
As the construction industry shuts down for a month over Christmas, my company forced most staff to take 3 weeks off over the summer break.
Not wanting to waste my precious annual leave sitting around in Melbourne, I looked to fly to the coolest place I could think of: New York City.
Upon checking the flights, I saw peak season prices started at an outrageous $3000, which was way outside my budget.
I threw a mini tanty. “Why should someone else be telling me when I can take a holiday??” I recall fuming to my housemates at the time. “I should be able to take a holiday when it suits me!”
That did it.
By the end of June, I had decided that I was going to work for myself, make millions online and never work 9-5 again.
I had no idea how I was going to do it, but my mind was made up.
I finished studying for the registration exam, passed all the tests, and finally became a qualified architect. It was a huge achievement, but I had other things on my mind.
It was time to launch Operation: World Domination.
In February 2014, I handed in my resignation. By 1 March, I was on a plane headed to New York City on a one-way ticket.
And after that? Well, that’s for another post 🙂
