Reframing Your "Job" After An Exit
Reframing Your "Job" After An Exit
After exiting your company, what does the word "job" mean anymore?
I was catching up with a friend who exited his e-commerce business.
I told him I stupidly sacrificed my health while running the business. Chipotle, skipping workouts, sleeping less.
Now I’m dialed. Food intake is much better, a little alcohol (2-3 drinks a week; I’m not a zero alcohol bro yet), and body fat is down. I’m strength training 3x a week, eating well, and improving my surfing.
After all, if you have money, there’s no reason not to be fit. Hire a trainer, chef, housekeeper, or anything to give you more time.
I told him, though, that I didn’t feel I had enough clarity yet on my next life steps.
Should I start a new business? What about buying a SaaS business? Completely leave the rat race? Will I ever be as fulfilled as I was before exiting? Does it matter?
I said, “I wonder if not working at all would give me a clear head to figure that all out?”.
He replied with something interesting. “Can your work be surfing? Once I’m done at the day job, I’m going to make my day job working out.”
That sounds ridiculous.
Surfing isn’t a day job. I need a real focus, like building the next big company!
He said a few more things: “I think it’s reframing a ‘job’ to mean how you spend your time rather than how people traditionally think about it. Still have goals to work towards, but they just may not be a title or money.”
He’s right. Ignoring society’s definition of “job,” it’s about making my life fucking awesome (more on that).
Let’s do it.