July 2016.
I was on my way to work. It was almost 9 am, just a couple of minutes before entering the huge black tower where my office was located in the financial district of Paris.
The moment I realised that if I didn't do anything, I would be a corporate person for the next 27 years, immediately a voice in my head said "no".
Like every morning, I was waiting to get on the escalator, queuing with hundreds of people like me, and in a lightbulb moment I realised that I was about to do this over and over for the next 27 years (I had just turned 40).
Immediately a little voice in my head said “no”.
Loud and clear and that was it. As simple as that, this part of my life was over.
My dream place... January 2016
Seems too good to be true? Well, wait for what is coming next.
But how to? I wanted to change my life but I did not know "how" and "where" to start.
The only thing I was clear about was that I did not want this corporate life any longer.
But apart from that, I was completely lost.
The WHAT, the HOW, and the WHEN were totally out of my reach.
So, I did exactly what you should NOT do in this situation: I quit my job.
It was obvious to me that the reason why I was so unhappy in my life was because of my awful corporate work and that if I changed careers, I would finally get the life I wanted.
Long story short: I was wrong and it took me years to understand it.
A beaming corporate tax manager
My life advice / real-life experience takeaway for you: don't quit your job right away.
Maybe your job is horrible, and maybe you feel that is not what you are meant for, but changing life is much more multifaceted.
Don't get me wrong if your job is toxic: quit or negotiate your leave (there is no reason why toxic management could flee their responsibilities). Then get a job enjoyable (or at least safe) that will give you brain space to think about the life you want to live.
Before understanding the HOW, the WHAT and the WHEN of your life change, you need to discover yourself and this will not happen in filling a job application.
So the very good news is that this incredible self-discovery journey can start now, whatever your professional or personal situation is. You don’t have to quit your job to move forward in life. Maybe you will at some point, maybe not. Right now, this is not the priority.
The priority is to know yourself and here are 20 life-change ideas you can do to start. All are “small”, doable and simple.
Believe in yourself.