How to Quit Your Job and Start Your Own Business
In: Advice By: Brian Armstrong
28 Aug 2007
One of the best parts about quitting your job to work for yourself is that you suddenly find time to do all the wonderful things you always wanted to do.
Sure, I was able to do some of these while working 10 hours per day, but I was frequently too tired or ill-prepared to get the full benefit until I started working for myself.
And when you build an active and interesting life by doing these activities on a regular basis, you can’t help but make a lot of friends along the way.
You see, the group activity is an excuse to see the same people on a regular basis – and really, if you hang out with someone more than a few times in the span of a month due to a shared interest, then by definition you are friends.
Some of those people you will naturally start to see more often, by meeting outside of the original activity (grabbing a drink, at a party you host, etc).
I think everyone should pick at least one item from the active category and one from the mental category. Or if you want to really kick it off, do at least half a dozen each week. I’ve listed some below, each of which I’ve done at some point in time. I typically try each one for 6 months to a year and then try another to keep things fresh and interesting. Some that I really love, I’ve been doing for longer, but you’ll never find out that you love it until you try.
Pick something that makes you a little bit nervous and realize that it’s ok if you aren’t very skilled yet. You might feel like an idiot for the first few months when getting started in any new skill, but that’s ok ;) Often it’s easier to find someone who has already gotten started in one of these sports, and ask to join them for the first time. Don’t worry about holding them back, they will feel great finally knowing more than someone else and getting to be your teacher!
Active Items (Exercise)
Mental Items
Everybody has that list of things in the back of their mind that they always thought sounded cool, but have never gotten around to doing. Whether that is joining a book club or building custom race cars, you need to start doing it.
One final benefit: once you have an interesting life, you now can now invite every new person you meet to join. Inviting a new contact to try rock climbing is much more memorable and exciting than inviting them to “do lunch” or “keep in touch” (they won’t).
These are just examples, and there are PLENTY more. What two items are you going to sign up for today?
Breaking Free is a blog for people who'd like to quit their 9-to-5, start their own business, and achieve financial freedom. It's written by web-entrepreneur Brian Armstrong. You can read more here »
Mysty1O1
January 1st, 2008 at 5:46 pm
… god, where do you live?! Brazilian Jujitsu, break dancing classes, personnal trainers, sand courts everywhere, yoga and pilates, indoor wall climbing, community theater, local comedy club, Toastmasters, wine tasting club… geez… are you out from a palace or something? Maybe some rich kid that thinks the world is all pretty everywhere? Educate yourself a little, your readers do not have it all easy and surely do not have all this luxury aroudn them… you could learn a lot by going to some small town lost in Pennsylvania or Maine… could lower you ego a bit…
Ash. Davis
November 7th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
…going through reading some of the older posts on this blog. Brian listed some basic activities any even medium sized city (pop. 500,000 or so) will have. Even a small town would have at least a YMCA that offers yoga & pilates.
Or you could move