The Decision to Quit my Job
Not sure exactly when the idea came to me, but in October of 2017 I decided that it was time to leave my cubicle and start a completely new chapter of my life. More specifically, I decided that I wanted to quit my job to play
Tennis full time for approximately one year, and
Then
Travel around the world for another year
Confusion at the Workplace
My colleagues didn’t believe me the first 30 times I told them. Eventually they got the message that I was leaving, and then the inquiries began:
“Why tennis? Did you play in college?”
“No.”
“Oh… so you played in high school?”
“No, I played lacrosse in high school and club lacrosse in college.”
“Wait… so you are quitting your job, moving, and spending your life savings to play tennis and you aren’t even that good?”
“Yes. That pretty much sums it up.”
Who is Tanner anyway?
I was good at my job. I am driven, detail-oriented, diligent. And, I like to think that I’m pretty good at finance, accounting, consulting, Excel, PowerPoint, etcetera. But, after 4.5 years working day in and day out trying to be the best at what I did; to exceed client expectations; and to continuously step-up and deliver, I suddenly realized it was time. I have always taken my work to the next level when I could focus on one task at a time. When I am able to truly focus all of my efforts on one assignment, I won’t sleep, don’t work-out, forget to eat, but I will destroy that assignment. If my sleep deprivation, lethargy, hunger, etc. impedes my performance than I will eventually cave and make sure that my body gets the minimal attention required to crush the assignment.
But, I have always imagined, what my work performance could be if I didn’t let my mind and body well-being take a back seat to the work assignment on-hand. I believe the fact that I was always able to get my work done well, was a reason that I never forced myself to reconfigure my habits and refocus on my body, mind, and health. Also, I believe the fact that I didn’t necessarily want to be the best at what I did anymore, that I wasn’t sure I wanted to reach the pinnacle of my firm’s corporate ladder, hindered me by not providing the impetus required to create a better self.
Why not try to Become a Tennis Pro?
So, come October 2017. It wasn’t a tedious client ask or an impossibly short deadline, a lack of sleep, or a boss not appreciating my hard work, instead I suddenly realized that it was time for a change. What if I could focus all of my efforts on something that I love. Something that I want to be the best at. Something that requires me to rewire my mind, and refocus all of my efforts on nutrition, sleep, and fitness. How about Tennis! Yes, there is < 1% chance that a 28 year old who is decent at tennis can become a professional tennis player, but why not try?
“Tanner Sponsored”
I have learned a lot at my job over the past 4.5 years. I have had great mentors and I believe I have formed strong relationships with my colleagues, bosses, and clients. Hopefully, if down the road I want to come back to my old job, the company will take me in. As far as funding my dreams, I have saved every penny I possibly could since I was 8 years old. I didn’t know exactly what I was saving for, but it’s finally being put to good use.
Although quitting was a huge life changing decision, I realized that I didn’t have much to lose. I believe I can always go back to my job, and I have the money necessary to follow my dreams for a few years. Following the advice of Jeff Bezos and what I have heard him describe as the “regret minimization framework”, if I were to project myself forward to 80 years old, would I regret quitting my job, playing tennis, and traveling? If I “failed” after two months and decide to scrap the whole adventure, would I regret giving my dreams a shot? Or, would I regret quitting my job and delaying my ascension of the corporate ladder.
In all honesty, my decision and the framework that I followed would be upended if I had a family or was in a serious relationship. Then, I think I might still be in the cubicle in NYC.
I decided that my last day would be mid-May 2018. It was a long 7 months of waiting, but I needed to do a bit of planning, make sure I said the proper farewells, and collect the bonus money I had earned at work over the past year.
Tennis Then Travel Blog
During the first portion of this blog, my goal is to chronicle my tennis journey. During the second portion, I plan to write about my world travels. For at least a couple of months during these travels, I would like to give back by performing community service. I have always wanted to help build houses, schools, or aqueducts for people and communities in need. My intention for this blog is to chronicle my journey for myself, family, friends, and those with a thirst for adventure and self discovery.
