had this lightbulb moment recently – i don't actually want to stop working forever, i just want to escape the soul crushing corporate grind i'm stuck in right now
was at a game last weekend with pretty decent seats and found myself watching all the staff working the event. security guards, concession people, team employees – they all looked like they actually enjoyed being there. meanwhile i can barely drag myself to my desk most mornings
corporate life is just brutal when you really think about it. dealing with office drama, people throwing each other under the bus for promotions, endless pointless meetings about meetings, performance reviews that mean nothing. it's wearing me down
so now i'm trying to map out an escape plan to something that actually makes sense. want something with more freedom, less bureaucratic nonsense, and definitely no backstabbing coworkers. problem is i have no clue where to even start looking
anyone here made a similar switch away from the corporate world? what worked for you
figured out i don't want early retirement, just want out of corporate hell
byu/Training-Reporter315 infinancialindependence
Posted by Training-Reporter315
4 Comments
yeah this move sounds like CoastFIRE or maybe BaristaFIRE (stopping the corporate grind and doing something more palatable/workable for the life you want to live)
totally doable!
I went from corporate marketing to freelance graphic design and man, the difference is night and day. Still working just as hard but at least I’m not sitting through pointless meetings where Karen from accounting explains why the logo needs to be “more dynamic” for 45 minutes
The freedom thing is real though – being able to work from my home office with my shrimp tank right next to me beats any corporate perk they could throw at you. Started small with weekend projects while still at the day job, built up a client base slowly. Took about 8 months before I felt confident enough to make the jump but there patience paid off big time
Great! knowing what you want is the most important thing for FIRE and that will keep you going, next i’d say is figuring out “if not then what”.
I get you there. I just wanted the ability to not care anymore. I’m starting a new job soon, but I’ve been on vacation since August. It’s nice.