Mike & Mike
“Do I really need a new pair of shoes?”
“Yes, they’re cool.”
“I agree, they are cool. But do I need them? I am trying to save money right now. I don’t know if or when this metaphorical tap will be turned off and I’m going to be income-less. I’m planning on the end of the year but…”
“Go head, they’re on sale for PLUS they’d be awesome for the 4th of July party! You’re not gonna quit anytime soon, you need to stay through the end of the year to get your bonus. You’ve got at least 8 more months before that even happens. And you know they won’t have your bonus ready till February.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be on the hook for another tax season after that. There’s no way I’ll be able to walk away during February, I’d be an idiot to stick around that long and no reap the benefits of tax season.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That I might never leave?”
With a simultaneous, forced exhale, “Sh*t…”
Timing Is Never Perfect
This is a legitimate conversation I had with myself during the spring of 2013. I was torn because I wanted to leave and it was one of the scariest things I’d ever done. I knew my time had come and I was ready to move on, but I didn’t know when it would happen.
In my mind, I’d stay for another few months, earn a few bonuses, keep to myself and grind it out. If things were patched up in the meantime, so be it. There are worse things in life.
When I ran through the upcoming months, I realized I could easily end up staying on the hamster wheel for another year. Which could turn into 2, which would turn into 5, and before you know it I’m 40. In that moment I realized there is no “safe” time to take a leap. If I wanted to leave, it would be before I was ready.
Whether it’s leaving a job, starting a business, or asking someone out on a date, there’s no such things as a “safe” time. If you wait till things are safe, the opportunity will pass you by.
I was waiting for my financial situation to be just right. While staring at those Vans I realized that whatever arbitrary number I set for myself would never make me feel secure. I pondered the number I could realistically reach if I crushed it that year. It didn’t feel warm and fuzzy so I doubled it. Eh, that was a little better… But it was like looking forward to sleeping on a bed of rocks, not something I would enjoy.
This revelation hit me only days before I had a falling out with the people who signed my paychecks. I knew that I could go round and round in circles for months, years on end. I wasn’t prepared to do that.
The bottom line was I was about to go from a steady paycheck to no paycheck, there was no comfort in that. So like a polar plunge, I decided to hit it hard and go head first. No time to look back, no time to second-guess. Think about what’s at your fingertips and what’s in front of you because there’s nothing you can do about what’s on behind you.
Think about your situation. That “perfect scenario” when the “time is just right” and the “stars are aligned” for your big leap. Forget that unrealistic story line and do it today, it’s perfect timing.
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