Dear Mr. Corporation,

Please accept this notice of resignation.  My last day with Corporate America will be 3/9/2012.  Thank you very much for all the opportunities I’ve enjoyed.

-Stewart

And with that, the Digital Nomad Path begins.  I quit!  I’ve said I was going to do it a million times, but I’ve finally done it.

The writing of the resignation letter was daunting, made me nervous, but that’s OK.  Soon after the little talk, you’ll have a nice… big… sigh of relief!  …and then nothing …and then “Holy crap!  I’ve got so much to take care of!”

Remember we took stock?  Everything’s OK.  It’s going to be fine.  In fact, it’s going to be awesome!

I asked my boss not to say anything to my team until later, so I didn’t have to spend two weeks explaining what is going to be viewed as psychosis.  But, this was wrong!  After a few hours, you realize you’re free.  It starts to sink in.  That’s it.  All those crappy projects you had aren’t your responsibility anymore.  You don’t have to worry about status reports that will be looked at during your review.  All those meetings scheduled will be quickly assigned to someone else.  It’s freeing.  Totally.  So, don’t hide it and you’ll spend the next two weeks talking passionately about the stuff you’re about to do.  It’s simple, but a brilliant way to keep focused on the positives of this change.

If you don’t start now, you simply live another day in regret.
– Henri Junttilla – Wake up cloud

Does this sound familiar?

I’m just wasting day after day. 

I know I’m tired of what I’m doing. 

I know I’m never going to live the dream I have without taking the first step.

Too familiar!

So, I gave my two weeks’ notice.

A flood of ideas start to rush into your head.  I want to write this, I want to do that, I’m finally going to have time to practice those things!  I can’t wait to build my masterpiece!  It’s amazing!  It’s a feeling you will never know until you just do it.

But why do it?

In order for you to understand, I have tell you a story.  Have you ever heard of the Great Barrier Reef?  One side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the other side is vibrant and colorful.  The coral around the lagoon side is in still water.  There is no fight to it’s existence.  It lives.  It dies.  The ocean side is bombarded by wind and water daily.  It fights for survival every second.  Every piece of coral is a testament to the storms it faces; It’s appearance is beautiful and stunning and magic.  It’s said tour guides point out that this is the way with ALL organisms.

You, too, are an organism.

Challenged and tested, you become vibrant and colorful.

A few weeks ago, I updated my status with “Stay Hungry.  Stay Foolish”.  This was really a repost from Glenn Allsopp of a quote from Steve Jobs restating the final words of The Whole Earth Catalog.  When four very astute people / groups find meaning in a phrase, it’s time to stop and pay attention.

We become so comfortable in our little worlds that we’re terrified to leave.  We give ourselves ulcers, we’re too tired to do anything, we drudge on mindlessly for days on end… praying for the solace of the weekend.  This instead of a little fear?

I can’t do it anymore.  I don’t want the stagnant stress, the boredom, the insignificance.  I’d prefer to be terrified… and I am.  But, good bye cooshy office job.  Good bye 15 year career.  Good bye real-life insanity.  I made $22.38 today… and I’m happier than I’ve been in longer than I can remember; likely ever.  The sale of something you create yourself gives you more joy than anything.  For me, anything I’ve done in the five years with my company or the three years with the last… anything.

If you don’t change what you do, nothing changes.  I pray you stay hungry.  I pray you stay foolish.