Career Break 2023
I left my well-paying startup job in June and have been on a break since then.
Few reasons that led to this:
Mental Health: My health's been screwed up for years now, and I have always played around on the border of burnout, never really unwinding, never really taking a break.
Physical Health: Those who know me know about my myriad physical ailments, the most recent being shoulder impingement. I kept delaying the treatment for the condition, citing work reasons, and my body couldn't tolerate the abuse.
A Feeling of Aimlessness: Be it job or life, I was starting to feel lost and felt it was time to take a break.
I put down my papers around the end of May, requested an expedited exit, and got it, with my last working day as June 16th.
While it was a conscious decision to take a break for at least a couple of months before planning the next stage, I interviewed at a few firms in between since the thought of being without a stable paycheck was stressful. Of course, given the current market conditions, all those attempts were unsuccessful.
My wife kept pushing me to enjoy the break. She's also reminded me of my original intent when I quit without a backup - startup and try something independently.
The decision isn't easy to accept; A very short runway (a few months of an emergency fund), my non-technical job experience, and the mental burnout state mean that I still need to figure out the direction I want to take.
Today's the first payday in 10 years when I didn't have a paycheck hitting the bank. It's not a great feeling nor a great feeling to see the savings come down.
The upside, though, is how the past 1.5 months have been the best days of my life in over 15 years. After a few weeks of stressing out, I stopped worrying. I have been enjoying my abundance of time by meeting friends I had lost touch with, grabbing a few drinks, and my toddler son. My son's finally getting used to having me around for him demands playtime with me and draws comfort from my company.
However, rash/emotional decisions have been my weakness in the past.
I'll continue the break for another month while weighing my options before committing to the job or indie-hacking route.
Let's see what the month brings.