Why I Quit My Corporate Job & Took an Adult Gap Year (aka Mid-Career Break)

Reflecting back on my Adult Gap Year and talking about what inspired me to quit my job at Amazon. I took my Adult Gap Year on July 2018 and am about to conclude it July 2019.

LINKS
**The Fun Shoot Podcast Episode 4

**Diary of an Old Millennial

**My Website

**Instagram

[jenna]

One thing I learned in life is there is no one job category for the rest of your life. My Father received his Bachelors Degree at the age of 22, and worked as an Engineer in his 20s. He went back to school at age 30, became a a Lawyer in his 30s and early 40s, by his mid 40's he had decided that he wanted to change careers again... and went back to school and became a Doctor in his 50s and early 60s. When he turned 65 he retired but by age 68 was bored and decided to go to Bartending school to become a Bartender, he said the Bartending job was more enjoyable than all of the other jobs he held before. Life is a journey and you only get one life, so live in without excuses or regrets!

[Addylabs]

Every 3 to 5 years I take a 4-month gap and relax, realign myself and approach work with new energy, so far I have got good jobs after the break and I have no regrets for taking breaks. I become more creative when there is no boss on my head and it really feels like living life and enjoying my hard-earned money. :) We as humans are not designed to work non-stop and work is just a part of life not everything. :)

[hankmoody]

I work in corporate right now and it's soul destroying. I'm quitting next year to do online school, travel, explore. I'm excited and terrified.

[ajjames]

Truck Driver. 14th year. Wore out. Planning to take a year off very soon and regain my health/sanity.

[allforclout]

I’m doing it now, for physical and mental rest. Not having to listen to the bullshit, getting up super early, being worked like a dog! For years. Loving it atm

[cheneaprilsevilla]

I took twice of an adult gap year and I was able to figure out what I really wanted to do in life. It was a great reset for one's mind and body. I'm glad to know that a lot of people were also experiencing this.

[shirleyduffer]

Glad I came across your video. I’m resigning after 20 years of teaching kindergarten. My mom passed away 6 months ago (in the middle of a pandemic) and her passing was a wake up call for me. Teaching in person was stressful already and doing it online made me lose sleep and anxious. I took a FMLA to focus on my grieving and healing and realized I don’t have to return to a job that wasn’t fulfilling for me.

[cmfsobl]

Fuck yeah girl. Never ever take time off high high school. I took my gap year June 2018 and was 29! left the agency world; quit with no plans and best decision I’ve ever made in my whole adult life with zero regrets. Learned A LOT about myself and what I’m willing to tolerate.

[sarahphillips]

i quit my sales job fall of 2019, then got a part-time job at a nonprofit right before the pandemic. I am not rich in money anymore, but my mental health and happiness are better than they have ever been before!

[paigeb.]

I took a gap year and went back to uni for a master degree to pursue wat I really want

[jordanbatka]

Corporations are way too stressful! You almost need to completely neglect your own self to work under those circumstances. I feel bad for the people who are paycheck to paycheck and they have no option but to stay because you can tell it just eats them from the inside- out

[SurpriseMeJT]

I did work I hated for 9 years. It was torture. People sucked, management sucked, company sucked. I could have totally sued my company and won but I was too burned out to do it. I ended up forcing a raise from them instead. Luckily I invested enough to walk away and move to Europe. Back in the corporate world, but people are better, work-life balance is way better and because I have a good safety net established, I can quit at any time.

[travellingshoes]

Never heard a good thing about Amazon. Good for you.

[wendyzhoudesign]

I’m quitting my job next month, and taking a gap year for the first time in my life. I’m planning to slow travel (post-covid), work on my own business, read so many books, and just enjoy my life every single day.

I’m so excited to explore myself more, without the constant hustle for career, money or status. I’m planning to do some freelance work for fun and to make my savings last longer.

No idea where this will take me, but hopefully to a happier life and allowing me to find out how to live a blissful life. Thank you for sharing this😊

[user]

Yea, I took a year off after I burnt out, it was the best year of my life in terms of finding myself and learning about what I want to prioritize in life. And to avoid burnouts in future, focus on myself.

[sli]

I took mine in April 2020, and then COVID hit and that gap year becomes two years...

[jameshizon]

Thanks for this. I have been burnt out trying to land a data science role, yet I still don't have a position. I just think that I need time off to reset my mind, focus and regain motivation in my career field. What we forget in the midst of a hustle culture is the importance of reseting our minds as a way to hack into higher productivity.

[geeked-outbasketball]

Love this video -- after 18 years in corporate America, I left in March 2019 to take a gap year as well. Here I am, 2+ years later, and I haven't returned. In fact I decided to follow my dream of developing a mobile basketball sim game and I'm getting set to launch within the next couple months :) Hearing your story is great as I know I made the right decision, but I still have doubts every now and then, despite the fact that my quality of life is exponentially better now.

[afonsoalmeida]

Thank you for sharing this! I can see that like myself, a lot of people in the comments are also considering/about to go into their mid career breaks, and it's great to hear about your experience.

[mirageleung]

Thanks Tawn, it's refreshing to hear somebody in the same position. Currently, in the process of finding a job again, good luck on your journey!!