<p>I must admit, usually I have required some final “push” to make a big leap. A couple I can think of:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>About 15 years ago I was working in a truly unbearable job (a boss that I felt physically threatened by AND a very unsavory/somewhat unethical business model for the business). I really couldn’t take it any more, and had to quit. I had been considering starting my own consulting business, and decided to give it a try. It was truly one of the best things I ever did, but I had to be in a really terrible job situation before I took the leap.</p></li>
<li><p>Building and moving to our current house also took a shove. Someone broke into our house in the city whie we were home asleep on the night before the first day of kindergarten for D2. They stole her backpack sitting by the front door (talk about trauma on the first day of school!) and my purse. We had purchased some property in a more rural area outside our city and had been weighing building, but were hesitating. That incident pushed us over, and we built and moved by the next summer.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>In both cases I had done some preparation, but was having trouble pulling the trigger. I have been thinking about this topic lately, as my nest is emptying in a few months and I am considering some serious changes in the next few years (both area of the country I live in and my line of work). It is helpful to know my own tendencies when preparing for a big change.</p>
<p>You’re not getting any younger. Being stuck in a job you hate just for the money can really take years off your life. Your husband is in a secure job and you can live on his salary, so there is no real risk- just your fear of change.
Do it. Life is short.</p>
<p>Intparent, I am also the kind of person who needs a push - I plan, scheme, and prepare, and yet I still have problems making the jump. You’re right, moonchild, I have a fear of change!</p>
<p>Kelsmom is right - I live in Michigan, where all high school students must take either chemistry or physics to graduate. On the plus side, that translates into a greater demand for chemistry teachers; on the down side, that means there are a lot more disgruntled, underprepared students taking chemistry. In the past, I always enjoyed working with kids who didn’t like science or who were intimidated by chemistry, but I’m guessing it would be different to have a whole classroom of reluctant students.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your stories and your words of encouragement. Garland, part of the allure of teaching is time to write. I have also always wanted to write, but my current loathesome job leaves me too exhausted and angry at the end of the day, and I dream of having free time during the summer to write, garden, and make lesson plans.</p>
<p>I live in a pretty big metropolitan area - there may be 40+ high schools within 35-40 miles of my house. Let’s just hope there are some chemistry teachers retiring at some of those schools.</p>
<p>I walked away from Wall Street 2 months ago and haven’t looked back. I had been really miserable for nearly 2 years and reported to an SOB in a matrix reporting structure where he had no control or connection to my actual work. He made my living a living he11 and required me to let him know my whereabouts if I was not in the office between 8:30am-5:30pm and did not allow me to work from home, although he did quite frequently.</p>
<p>What pushed me over the edge is realizing life is too short. In the past 18 months, I’ve had nearly 10 people close to me die - only 2 were cancer, the rest dropped over from heart attacks or strokes. All in their 40s/50s. </p>
<p>In the past 2 months, I have tended to my neglected garden, recycled at least 4 garbage cans of papers/old magazines, helped S1 focus on academics, ensured S1 has breakfast every day, helped S1 on Eagle project, started walking 2-3 mornings/week with a friend and launched a small side business. Still to go are closets full of who-knows-what and rubbermaid totes full of toys. </p>
<p>I expect I will start consulting in my former field in the fall, but if I don’t, I don’t care. I have brought my stress level way down and no longer get annoyed if I have to wait more than 2 minutes in a checkout line. (luckily blood pressure was never an issue). </p>
<p>I’m also trying to land an adjust position as a local cc in my field, but most seem to want PhD or ABD, not 30 years of industry experience.</p>
<p>Most people I know are jealous and I just tell them life is too short to be miserable. (it also helps that H & I had targeted to retire early and live very conservatively - this is probably 3-4 years before that date, but I just couldn’t keep the game face on anymore).</p>
<p>nj2011mom, I’m in the same boat as you. I was lucky enough to have a terrible boss who wound up harassing me and was able to maneuver a severance package so I could leave the job that required me to live during the week in another state. (And pay rent for the privilege.) I left in February of 2012 and haven’t had a moment’s regret.</p>
<p>I do, however, need some income. I didn’t plan to genuinely retire until three or four years from now. I’m networking.</p>
<p>Yikes, nj - your boss sounds awful. My problem with my loathsome job isn’t my boss (who’s weird but realtively benevolent) but rather the nature of the job itself. It’s just a horrible match for my personality and strengths.</p>
<p>And your situation didn’t sound much better, VeryHappy! I wish I could maneauver a severance package from this place - my last plan (winning the PowerBall) didn’t exactly work out…</p>
<p>I’m on the verge of a pretty major life decision and the way I’ve done it is…slo-o-o-owly. With lots of consideration about the pros and cons. Maybe that’s not the way to do it, but it’s the way I feel comfortable doing it. Plus getting feedback from trusted friends and a very good therapist.</p>
<p>Then after all the thinking and weighing your options, you just wake up one day and say “this is it. I’m doing it.” So maybe all the thoughts have to percolate for a while before you can take the plunge.</p>
<p>In my case, it was a fantasy for a while, then Hurricane Sandy hit with management’s position that I needed to be in the office no matter how long it took me, combined with the death of a very close friend put me over the edge to realize that life was too short to deal with jerks. </p>
<p>My job was well suited to my knowledge and talents, however I wanted a flexible work environment, as I dealt with people all over the world and had no problem getting on 5am calls with Europe or 10pm calls with Sydney, but management refused, so I played my card and resigned. </p>
<p>You know when it’s time to go. I just didn’t care anymore about what I was doing and wanted to tell management to jump off a cliff.</p>
<p>Three months ago, after a particularly horrible week, I told my supervisor and HER supervisor that I was leaving my job in January 2014 to student teach. They were both surprised (really? I hid it that well?) and tried to convince me to stay, but there aren’t enough kind words and compliments to change my mind. </p>
<p>At first I thought the anxiety would smother me, but over time I have mellowed out. Even if I never find a full-time teaching job, I think I can make enough money subbing and tutoring to keep my financial sanity intact. Plus, one of my co-workers has recently asked me if I could do some part-time writing and editing for him once I leave here (bonus!) It’s an avenue I hadn’t considered, but now I’m thinking I could actually leverage that into another money stream.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for all your advice! Even though I still sometimes feel like I’m stepping off a cliff, most of the time I feel so relieved and happy to be leaving - it’s almost like I’ve had a personality transplant.</p>