January 3rd, 2017 I quit. 

Which means today marks exactly 6 years since I resigned from my last “corporate job.” 

At the time, it seemed like a daunting decision that was filled with a lot of risk and uncertainty. 

While it has had its ups and down…

I have found out who I am, why I am here on earth, and how I plan to help other people THRIVE because I took the leap of faith.

And most importantly, I regained my purpose to live. 

Here are a few things I learned along the way that I believe will be helpful to anyone who is potentially considering the same. 

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I no longer had to live up to society's expectations of me:

When I quit my corporate job, one of the biggest things I had to get used to was not living up to society's expectations of what success looks like. I had spent 5 years working extremely hard to get my Engineering degree, and quitting the "corporate" path meant I would no longer attach myself to this title. This was a big hit to my ego. But the pain of not following my dreams was hurting me more than the pain of not satiating my ego. While the world is full of people who think that success means having a high-powered job and being able to buy expensive things - this was never my definition. So I gave up the belief that society's expectations of me mattered, quit the sustainable career path, and started on my own journey.

I am more resilient than I first thought. 

Quitting your job, and starting a new chapter in your career, it can be really scary. And something I didn't realize at first is it can also be a great opportunity to test your own resilience. You will find that you are capable of handling challenges and setbacks in ways you never thought possible. Why?!? Because you have no choice. You either have to put on your “I can figure anything out” hat on, or you will end up right back at a desk that you despise. For me, this trial by fire happened during the pandemic, when I had an office/co-working space leased to my name, and I completely had to pivot how I was making money just to allow the business to survive. The reality? I was more scared of having to go back to a random “job” than I was of the very real problem of not being able to afford my rent. So I did whatever I needed to do… helped others with their health/fitness goals, consulted for other companies, brokered media deals, even did some drone photography for some extra cash. Fortunately, with some grit, and a small business 7k loan…I made it until the end of my lease and kept my dream alive. 

I had an abundance of transferable skills. 

Your corporate job should be teaching you valuable skills that can be applied to a variety of different careers. (If it is not, find a new job). For example, I learned how to work in a global team, manage large projects, and communicate effectively with clients. These skills directly transferred well into anything and everything I have pursued ever since. What skills did I pick up that were most valuable? Two things. One, I learned how to manage projects with multiple stakeholders involved (the internal team, the overall business, the client, contractors, etc) who all had their own desires/wants/needs for the projects. This caused me to level up my ability to work with a diverse group of people, as well as understanding how to build leverage and stick up for myself even at a younger age. The second thing was cold calling. It taught me to detach the “process” from the results. 100 calls a day like clockwork will do that to you. You begin to realize that success comes from doing the 100 calls EVERYDAY, whether you feel like it or not. This is such a great representation of how to find success at any endeavor that you pursue. Want to get fit? Eat well and move your body EVERYDAY. Want to make a lot of money? Practice strong financial discipline and engage in money making initiatives EVERYDAY. 

A lot of time spent does not equal time WELL spent. 

When you quit your corporate job, you have the opportunity to take control of your own schedule and work environment. This can give you greater flexibility and freedom to do the things you love, whether that's starting your own business, pursuing a creative passion, or simply having more time for family and friends. What does this make you realize? For me, it made me realize how much time I used to spend on things that didn’t matter. No more office banter talking about random things I didn’t care about. No more commutes that took hours from me every week. No more “happy hours” that I didn’t want to attend because they didn’t make me happy. No more tying my results to “8-10” hours spent doing the tasks. Today, I achieve more results in one day than I used to in a full week of “work.” Why? Because I block out the distractions that don’t help me get to the RESULTS I am working to achieve. A lot of time spent DOES NOT EQUAL TIME WELL SPENT.

You can make a bigger impact. 

By leaving the corporate world behind, you may have the chance to make a greater impact on the world in a way that aligns with your values and passions. This could be through starting a social enterprise, volunteering, or simply choosing a career path that allows you to make a difference in the lives of others. I have experienced this first hand through my brand THRIVEONLIFE. Everyday that I wake up, I am working towards fulfilling my mission to make a positive impact on this world, and help the people around me. From helping people transform their health, to helping small businesses and companies scale their own dreams, to providing free education through my podcast and social content, I have been able to help thousands more people than I would have if I stayed on my old path. 

Life is what you make of it. 

I learned that life isn't something that happens TO you; it's something you create for yourself. Sure, there will always be external factors at play, but ultimately how you live your life is up to you. This realization gave me the freedom and confidence to take control of my own destiny and start creating the kind of life I truly wanted for myself - without worrying about what other people might think or say about it! So if you read this and you love your current corporate job…GREAT!!! I am happy for you. Seriously. As long as you are the one CHOOSING your path, that is all that matters. Life is too short not to make it what you want. Whatever that path is, the corporate, the entrepreneur, the student… whatever it is… make it yours and give it your absolute best shot.

#thriveon

CJ

p.s. I am grateful for the abundance of time I was able to spend with Erin the past couple weeks. We are closing in on the baby blessing us with his presence, so I am doing my best to spend as much time with Erin as possible before we have our son here with us.