Why Escaping The Rat Race Was The Best Thing I Ever Did And Why You Should Consider It
Price Pritchett, an internationally-recognised expert on change, once said “Change always comes bearing gifts.” I believe this to be true although the gifts may not always turn out to be what you expect.
My decision to leave the rat race over a year ago was not an easy one. Despite growing tired of the office politics, the actual work and the long commute I had a lot of good reasons to stay in my job:
- I earned plenty of money
- I had great career prospects ( I still do!)
- My social life thrived
- I lived in a nice part of town
But I found that there was a price to pay for all these good reasons - I became institutionalised. My daily working life was run by someone else. Decisions that shaped my future were not made by me and I was deluding myself that I was in control…
Now that I’ve left the corporate world I’ve realised that I can still have the money, the social life, the nice house but earn them on my own terms. What I’ve gained most since leaving the rat race is not something tangible but a growing ability to think for myself and to be true to myself on a daily basis.
It’s this honest thinking that has led me to change my business interests and align myself with people who share the same values. As a result, this year I’m spending most of my time on beautiful locations in Switzerland, Thailand and Brazil.
Whilst some of you can’t wait to leave the rat race and are actively planning for the time when you can escape the cubicle, others amongst you might still be struggling with the decision…wondering whether the grass really is greener or whether you’re better off staying with something you know.
If you’re not enjoying your time in the rat race - and are still unsure about whether to leave, here are a few positive things to consider when you’re making a decision…
1. Freedom
Outside the rat race you have the freedom to make the decisions that benefit you the most. It’s true that some decisions are hard to make, and I’ve made plenty of wrong decisions, but isn’t it infinitely more worthwhile to make and follow your own decisions than simply following the instructions based on the decisions made by someone else?
2. Variety & Choice
With a location independent business you can enjoy different climates and cultures throughout the year and still earn a nice lifestyle and living.
You can choose how to design your day. This takes time to work out but I find that when I work according to my own natural rhythms (I’m a morning person) then things tend to flow more easily for me.
3. Your Values
When you’re working in the rat race, words like “personal values” don’t feel so important. It’s only when you leave the rat race that your values often become an important guide to what you do. Personally, the values by which I lead my life are important to me and guide many of my key decisions.
By leaving the rat race you can disassociate yourself from any corporate values you don’t agree with and live more fully according to your own values.
4. A Worthwhile Challenge
Without meaning to sound as if I’ve just come out of a Personal Development seminar all hyped up and full of the joys of life, living and working outside the rat race is challenging me and as a result I’m growing as a person, learning new skills and enjoying new experiences.
All of which, by the way, are valued in the corporate world. So, even if, God forbid, I end up going back to the world of finance, I’ll return far better equipped to succeed in that environment than I ever was.
As with anything that’s outside the norm for most people, leaving the rat race can require a lot of hard work, determination and courage. Many people have questioned my sanity as I invest in my new future and the next few years will be very interesting and stimulating both personally and professionally.
Could I say the same if I still had my old job in the corporate world? Probably not.
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Comments
Great post, Greg. I’m also finding that as I work more and more from home has been a huge boon to my personal growth, merely because I have to each day decide what it is that’s important to me. Over the long term, choosing what you do each day is choosing who you will become. Not to get all existentialist.
Another thing to add: working outside of the ratrace is generally less expensive, since you’re not paying the opportunity costs of external work.
Greg - Excellent post. Inspiring and very timely for me. As Lily Tomlin famously said - “The problem with the rat race is - even if you win, you’re still a rat.” To extend that, I have found that as an independent consultant, if all of your clients are still in the rat race, then so are you - and without the safety net of a salary. I’ve spent the past 18 months evaluating my clients, my channels, and my work products for fit with personal values, professional respect, and interest/passion for the work process and product. It was a stressful time period and many difficult choices were made. I have completed the process in the last 60 days. I’m just starting to enjoy a new freedom, focus, and energy! Thank you Greg for sharing.
Lea–
Agreed on all fronts. I am so glad you are keyed in on the positives. My first attempts at the lifestyle went very, very well but I have to credit the state of the economy and that I had a couple of clients in the US who took on the task of organizing my next assignments on my behalf.
My clients turned into half agent/half client. I would be, say, in Spain and I’d write in informing them I could go north on my way to Denmark or Northeast, toward Prague and they’d write back with an assignment saying, “Head toward Denmark, we have something in France and the Netherlands…”
It was easily the most interesting way of living I’ve ever encountered. Playing tourist for weeks and suddenly finding myself commuting the next few weeks to an office in Paris with my morning Yop (yogurt drink) and baguette.
Looking back, though, I could only have done it with that sort of help and without the dollar being where it is compared to the Euro. That’s not such a factor for you being UK-based, right?
In any case, stellar work and stay positive! It’s a wonderful life.
Sean
Greg,
Well written and concise post. It takes choices to get anywhere in life and you guys obviously made some damn good ones along the road. Keep up the great work.
Nice. Its just so important to live life on your own terms rather than having your circumstances dictated to you by employers, social networks, community expectations. I believe one of the greatest benefits of Lifestyle Independent living is purging yourself of these “normal pressures” and living freely on your own terms. Congratulations.
Thanks all - I’m thanking you on Greg’s behalf seeing as he’s currently skiing in the Alps!!
Funny to think though that soon we’ll both be sunning ourselves in Thailand (with our other halves) in one spectacular piece of LIP “synching”!!! Anyone else care to join us??
I hear you with this one. I am on my second career after having graduated with two different degrees from University.
Both careers felt the same. Dragging my self to work and back only to sleep on the weekends, or having no time to do what I really wanted to do: golf and travel.
I wish I would have known that this was possible before I spent 10 years doing a great job but feeling unappreciated and unfulfilled.
Thanks for all your comments everyone!
@Coach Kip:
I know how you feel. It seemed like a big waste of time but someone wiser than me once told me that perhaps I needed to plough through the years of corporate drudgery to realise something better for myself. I didn’t appreciate my days in the corporate environment at the time but now I’m thankful for those years. They’ve taught me a lot about how I want to live in the present.
Hi Lea.. Great post, thank you…
In terms of the freedom aspect, I think there is also a huge element of freedom to be gained by leaving the UK..and experiencing other cultures. hmmm - in fact - I feel a post coming on
Thanks also for the inspiration…..