Remember The Movie, Office Space?

I’d just like to preface today’s post with an acknowledgment: I wasn’t the greatest employee known to man. I am stubborn, have flaws, made life tough for my bosses (sometimes), and probably could have been a better employee at all of my past jobs.

Are You a Quitter?

For many years of my life, I wasn’t either.

I worked at jobs that I hated; I’ve worked for bosses that I dreaded seeing. I was the guy that screamed “TGIF!”, that celebrated each hump day, and the one that hoped Monday wouldn’t come so fast.

I’ve had bosses that micro-managed (it got so bad that I literally felt like the guy was my daddy), I’ve had some that never carried their weight and barely lifted a finger (aren’t they supposed to lead by example?), and I’ve had others that criticized and chastised you right in front of the whole office (I forget that being a “manager” doesn’t automatically make you a leader).

Picture by prettylibby

Have you ever seen the movie, “Office Space”? Well…that’s what my life was like. And I’m not exaggerating. For 1 year straight I watched that movie every 2 weeks so I could at least laugh at what my life must have looked like from the outside.

A co-worker/friend and I even started referring to our boss as “Lumbergh.” To help make light of the situation, he went so far as to leave voicemails on my cell phone impersonating Lumbergh; of course always starting off with the popular ‘(smacking noise) Uhhhh….yeahhhh….hiiii.’ Looking back, I’m very thankful that he helped get me through the situation and even enjoy some laughs out of it.

However, I could never tell my bosses how I felt and stand up for myself. No, I’m not a masochist. Like everybody else, I could never do what we all dream of: going up to your boss and telling them that you QUIT!

That all was true until I finally was able to get my financial life straightened out.

What I’ve found is that a majority of Americans work jobs that they despise…all for 1 reason: the paycheck.

We’re tied to our miserable existences because of our financial obligations and lifestyles.

We spend the majority of our lives doing something we dread and we justify it by saying that it will provide a “better life for our family.” You have to pay the bills, right? Or you may tell yourself that ‘it will only be for a short period of time.’ Yeah…that’s what I said too. Yet months turn into years and before you know it it’s time for somebody to start changing your diapers.

Ok, so maybe that isn’t what you think, and maybe you LOVE your job (or you just try to tell yourself that you do), but that would put you with about 10% (probably less) of the population.

Something Changed

Fortunately for me I started to dislike my jobs so much that I really began to wonder: ‘does life have to be like this?’

‘Do people really waste 40-50 years of their lives dreading Monday and celebrating Friday? Do people really wake up in the morning and are sick to their stomachs because they’re worried about what their boss is going to say to them next?’

I wondered if there was more to life. I wondered if I had really been put on this planet to live a miserable existence and live day-to-day with no hope.

I started to ask myself if it was possible to be happy and to pay bills at the same time? If so, why doesn’t anybody do it? Impossible…right? What a stupid question…I know. Sorry that I asked.

After years of being miserable, things finally started to change for me. I began to notice that the transformation in my financial life was going to allow me to have the freedom to choose what jobs I wanted to work and which ones I didn’t. It took days and months and many small steps in the right direction, but I was able to get there.

Feels Good To Be Free

A few years ago I was able to tell that boss – the one that made me sick to my stomach every morning – that I QUIT!! It’s no joke…I did what you dream of doing. I walked right into his office. I told him that I needed to speak with him. I sat down and told him that I could no longer be a part of his “team.”

I remember that day like it was yesterday. I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. It felt like all of my worries at been lifted off of my shoulders. I felt…FREE.

Okay, so maybe my emotions were a little over the top, and maybe you don’t feel that opposed to your job. But that’s how it was…that’s how much I disliked that place.

After bouncing to another job (and staying there for about 1 year) in an industry I cared little about, I was finally able to pursue a job in a field that I’m passionate about. I was able to find something that I love to talk about and to help people with.

I no longer have Mondays that I dread. I no longer lie in bed in the morning dreaming of what life would look like if I could only be happy.

Finding a job you love changes everything about you: you’ll talk to your wife differently, you won’t be as impatient with your kids, you’ll have more energy and smile more, and you’ll have a purpose and a reason to get up every day!

Stop buying the lie that the job you’re working is “providing a better life for your family.” If that’s what you tell yourself, I just want you to take one minute and reflect: are you really happy? Do you love your job? Does it bring the best out of you? Do you look forward to going to work each day?

If you don’t answer “yes” to all of those, then how can you really tell yourself that you’ve providing a better life for your family? If that’s your only justification then I’d argue that you’re merely placing all of your happiness in material possessions.

There is far more to life than “stuff.”

Join the band-wagon, become a Quitter!

If you’re not sure how to get started with finding your dream job, then please come back on Monday as I’ll be giving away 5 free copies of Quitter by Jon Acuff. I have no doubt that it will help you to “close the gap between your day job and dream job.”

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• Money Won’t Make You Happy…But It Will Buy You Stuff!