You Don’t Need to Quit Your 9-5 to Live Your Dream Life

In today’s world, everyone seems to be preaching the same mantra: “Escape your 9-5 job and find your purpose.” But I want to offer a different perspective. Finding your purpose doesn’t mean quitting your job—it’s about tapping into the things that truly bring you alive, no matter the setting.

The Problem

Mainstream personal and entrepreneurial development puts pressure on us to make drastic changes. “Influencers” you follow are constantly telling you that the only way to live your purpose and be “free” is to leave behind your “secure” job and go all-in on something new.

I’ve been in this cycle myself, feeling the need to escape my career in consulting and go all-in on Thriving Scholar. But here’s the problem: this creates a scarcity mindset, where you’re running away from something rather than building something greater.

When you’re chasing the dream of “leaving the 9-5”, you start focusing on what’s not working. You might even feel inadequate when comparing yourself to others who seemingly have more “freedom”. This often results in stress, pressure, and, most importantly, confusion about what’s right for you.

Let me tell you something: freedom is not quitting your 9-5. I’ve coached many people who have quit their 9-5, made millions in business and are still trapped.

Freedom is a state of mind not a career position. 

The Trap

The trap here is that by constantly focusing on the escape, you’re missing the opportunity to create something powerful right where you are. You might even think you’re not where you “should” be, creating a cycle of dissatisfaction and frustration.

I’ve felt this too—especially when I would stop freelancing in between consulting contracts and tried to force coaching to become my full-time gig. I learned the hard way that it doesn’t work when the energy behind it is one of scarcity and escape.

Purpose vs Calling

Chapter 3 of my upcoming book is titled “Rise to your calling”, where I explain how many ambitious modern millennial leaders are trapped in the cycle of trying to find their life purpose. Not knowing your purpose could make you feel even more lost, especially with this new level of self-awareness.

Mainstream personal development can make it sound like if you don’t know what your purpose is, you’re in trouble. Like there’s something missing. Like you’re not on track with your life. It can make you feel like you’re at the bottom of the massive mountain that you need to climb to find this one big massive purpose of yours, which is overwhelming and daunting.

I’m here to say you don’t need to find purpose. Finding something is what happens when you’ve lost something. Finding something is an intellectual exercise. You’re searching for something that’s lost and then once you’ve found it, you’ve got it for life, unless you lose it again.

You already have a greater intelligence within you guiding you at all times. It’s only when you slow down, go within, and allow it to show you the way you can navigate your life with ease, flow, and grace.

I call this a calling from within. A calling is already something you have within you. When you’re able to take out all the stuff that’s in the way, you are called by an energy within you to move in a specific direction, just as my own excitement about reading personal growth books called me to move into the direction of writing, coaching and speaking on such topics. When you get out of the way, you allow your calling to arise. It’s your job to follow this energy.

Aliveness as Your GPS

What if, instead of trying to find something, you simply followed what makes you feel alive?

You can feel alive right now. Within your 9-5 or whatever the context of your professional work situation.

Last year, I did something unexpected—I took a full-time job. For 6 years I worked as a self-employed professional and then had this full-time opportunity arise.

My mind initially resisted the idea, but my gut told me it was the right move. The idea of it made me feel alive. It turned out, it was the right decision for me in this era of my life.

I’ve grown so much in leadership and technical skills that my work in coaching has evolved too. It forced me to get smarter with how I run the coaching business and create leverage.

It also allowed me to approach my coaching work coming from a place of abundance. Knowing that I can take care of my family, bills are paid, nursery and school fees are paid for and I can have multiple holidays.

To me, this feeling of abundance is important. I serve my clients better from this energy. I live with greater peace in this place. I have received better ideas in this energy. I have a greater impact. I’ve also received so much clarity of direction in the last year and a half for the business too.

The lesson here?

Follow what feeds your energy, even if it doesn’t seem logical. That might be quit your 9-5. But know that you don’t need to. You don’t need to quit your 9-5 job to follow something that makes you feel alive. You can have multiple creative projects. You can even follow your calling within your 9-5.

Freedom is not quitting your 9-5. It’s having the courage to follow the energy within you. That will set you free.

Building Short-Term and Long-Term Projects

I mainly coach entrepreneurial-minded leaders either in business or in the corporate setting. We often discuss turning dreams into projects and also a couple of types of projects:

Regardless of where you are in life, you will always have these two projects. You have something you’re working on today that was once a dream. And you have a fresh new desire to create something tomorrow and beyond.

The cycle never ends.

Both of these are essential. Don’t treat them as separate. The real transformation happens when you appreciate that you can pursue both at the same time.

For some, the short-term project is a 9-5. For others it’s their current business or freelance work that pays the bills.

But there’s something brewing within you for the future. That big dream. The book you want to write. The next business you want to build. The big career move.

Whatever it may be: turn that dream into a long-term project.

Don’t wait until “the time is right.”

If you want to write a book, start with a sentence a day.

If you want to build a business, start by having one conversation today.

The dream doesn’t have to be fully realised tomorrow—it just needs to be given a little space today to come into form from the formless.

Practical Steps

30 Day Self-Mastery Course

I am developing a new 30 course that helps you with what I’ve written about today. It’s the perfect course for someone who is an entrepreneurial minded leader looking to make leaps toward living a life true to their calling. Reply to this email with “30 day course” to receive more details.

Ready for your transformation?

I also have two 1:1 coaching slots available. If you’d like to apply for a deep coaching experience with me, reply to this email with “1:1 coaching” and I’ll get back to you with a few questions to ensure we are the right fit.

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