Everybody Has to Quit Something

All of us are chasing something. The problem is, most of us just don’t know what it is.

This was me for the first twenty-five years of my life, working hard, following the “rules” of adult life I thought I was supposed to follow — go to school, get a job, buy a house, get married — but never stopping to think about what I was after. I was chasing money, stability and success without even realizing I was chasing them.

quit-something

When I brought the decision into my conscious mind, I realized why I was so frustrated and burnt out all the time. I didn’t want to chase those things. They weren’t worth it to me. They weren’t what I actually wanted.

I wanted to chase something different.

It wasn’t until someone asked me the question, point-blank, “What would you do with your life if you could do anything you wanted?” that I started to realize how off-track I had gotten. It wasn’t until I shed the distractions of money, expectations of friends and family, and unfair expectations I had placed on myself, that I was able to pinpoint what I really wanted to chase.

It just took me a long time.

I wonder if that is you, too. I wonder if you’ve ever lain awake in bed at night, like I did, asking yourself, what am I chasing? What really matters to me? I wonder if you, like me, are accidentally chasing things you don‘t care much about.

I wonder if you’ve laid your whole life down for these things, almost by accident, because you didn’t realize what was motivating your decisions. And I wonder if you feel, like I did when I finally realized what I really wanted, when I finally answer the question my friend asked, that it might not be worth it.

I wonder if you feel less than satisfied.

As for me, I finished graduate school, got a full-time job and started looking to buy a house before I finally made the decision something had to change. For me, that meant quitting my job, moving out of my apartment, and going on a year-long, 50-state road trip to chase my dream of writing a book. Since then I’ve gotten (and quit) two other part-time jobs to chase that same vision.

But that was just my dream, and my journey. Not yours.

Your chase will look different than mine. After all, you’re chasing something different. The path you take to get there will inevitably be different. But there is one thing your journey and mine will have in common.

We will have to give up some things.

There’s so much talk about quitting jobs these days, after awhile you start to think there’s no way you can go after a dream unless you give up your 9-5. But if I’ve learned one thing from talking to friends, and from my own experience chasing my dream, it is that quitting your full time job is not always right for every person, in every season. In fact, for some people it would be downright wrong.

Still, everyone will have to give up something to chase their dream. It might be a job, it might be something different. We can’t be sure what it is until we know what we’re chasing, and what is getting in our way.

This is not an ooey-gooey, hyper-inspirational “you can be anything you want to be” approach to living. In fact, just the opposite. I believe that knowing what you really want, and being willing to give up everything else in order to get it, is the most realistic, down-to-earth approach we can take to creating a life full of meaning and joy.

It starts with the belief that everyone is chasing something, moves to the assumption that your chase will require sacrifice, and ends with a decision that ultimately you must make for yourself:

What will you have to give up to chase what you ultimately want?

Not everyone can or should quit their job to chase their dreams, but everyone will have to quit something.

Maybe for you it’s a bad habit, or excessive worry, or procrastination. Or, maybe, for you, it is about quitting your job. But quitting any of that won’t mean anything until you know what you’re chasing, and why.

So, what are you chasing?

LET'S BE FRIENDS!

No, seriously, we can be friends...we can email back and forth and everything! :) 

Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.
Posted in
mm

Allison Fallon

I write books. I help people write books. I believe a regular practice of writing can change your life.

22 thoughts on “Everybody Has to Quit Something”

  1. Hey Allison … I just discovered you this week … I’m soaking up your writings and look forward to connecting with you from time to time. I am so resonating with your heart.

    Blessings!

    ;-}

  2. Hi Allison,

    Echoing Linda’s comment above – I just stumbled upon your blog this week (well, yesterday!) and wow… just wow. I am catching up on your last few posts and they are really timely for me as I am in the process of “quitting” what I am doing now and chasing my lifelong dream I’ve been too scared – or not felt like I was good enough – to be. Thank you for sharing all that you do – also, currently reading The Chase as well, really enjoying it so far.

    Renee

      1. Hey Brian, nice to see you here too! Glad to be here. 🙂 And yes, I have been looking for more faith-based personal blogs to read and so happy to have found Allison’s.

        Renee

  3. The past few months for me have been extremely transitional as I had noticed that I was chasing quantity, and not quality. I began to realize this when I was watching the traffic numbers on my personal blog trending upward, but the satisfaction I was getting was trending downward.

    It was then I realized that I was off course, and that I was possibly misusing my audience and missing the chance to do something great with it.

    Then I came across a book about some girl packing light and traveling around the country and things got all kinds of messy.

    Grins. 🙂

    1. … And it took me YOUR post that was about Allison’s blog to realize those things too, Brian! And of course, your amazing post on authenticity which I have been reading and re-reading almost daily since you published. As you said, the more I strived for “quantity”, my quality went down and so did my satisfaction, so much so I began hating my blog.

      I’m definitely in a transitional period of my life too, and am so thankful for the wonderful blogs you and Allison post – blogs can really touch people’s lives. 🙂

  4. Great post I have been searching for quite sometime for what truly makes me happy. Haven’t found it. I feel like somewhere along the way I lost myself. Don’t know how to get back. Now I feel stuck bc of responsibilities to my family of 5 and the pressure of working in the military when it doesn’t bring happiness just stress to my life.

  5. Wonderful blog Allison. Thank you for writing this post, this is a topic thats on my mind nearly all the time. So glad I’m not the only one focused on clearly defining what I actually want. You did an excellent job laying this out. I can’t wait to read more of your posts!

  6. You really have a way of getting down to the bare bones about what makes a life worth living and what it takes to get to that place! Your words really always always bring me to what is most real!! Thank you for chasing your dream because it is inspiring so many others, me too, to do the same – to live passionately and intentionally!! Just the thought makes my heart come alive!

  7. I’ve been browsing online more than 4 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
    It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all site owners and bloggers made
    good content as you did, the net will be much more useful than ever before.

  8. I am not sure where you are getting your information, but good
    topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or
    understanding more. Thanks for excellent info I was looking for this info
    for my mission.

  9. Good day! I know this is kinda off topic nevertheless I’d figured I’d ask.
    Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring a
    blog post or vice-versa? My website covers a lot of the same topics as yours
    and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other.
    If you’re interested feel free to send me an email.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Awesome blog by the way!

  10. Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just
    your articles? I mean, what you say is fundamental and everything.
    Nevertheless think about if you added some great photos or video clips to give your
    posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent
    but with images and clips, this site could definitely
    be one of the very best in its niche. Very good blog!

  11. DR EMU WHO HELP PEOPLE IN ANY TYPE OF LOTTERY NUMBERS
    It is a very hard situation when playing the lottery and never won, or keep winning low fund not up to 100 bucks, i have been a victim of such a tough life, the biggest fund i have ever won was 100 bucks, and i have been playing lottery for almost 12 years now, things suddenly change the moment i came across a secret online, a testimony of a spell caster called dr emu, who help people in any type of lottery numbers, i was not easily convinced, but i decided to give try, now i am a proud lottery winner with the help of dr emu, i won $1,000.0000.00 and i am making this known to every one out there who have been trying all day to win the lottery, believe me this is the only way to win the lottery.

    Contact him on email Emutemple@gmail.com
    What’s app +2347012841542
    https://web.facebook.com/Emu-Temple-104891335203341

  12. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something that I
    think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me.
    I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get
    the hang of it!

  13. I suffered from what they called peripheral artery disease (PAD). I have been suffering for years, Me and my wife searched for a medical cure, and then we came across a testimony of a man who suffered the same and was cured by Dr Chief Lucky. So my wife and I contacted Dr Chief Lucky via an email and thank God he replied. I explained what was wrong and he sent me herbal medicines that helped heal me completely. I am happy to say that herbal medicine is the ultimate and Dr Chief Lucky I am grateful. You can contact him on his email: chiefdrlucky@gmail.com or whatsapp: +2348132777335, Facebook page: http://facebook.com/chiefdrlucky or website: https://chiefdrlucky.com/. Dr Chief Lucky said that he also specializes in the following diseases: LUPUS, ALS, CANCER, HPV, HERPES, DIABETES, COPD, HEPATITIS B, HIV AIDS, And more.

  14. EFFECTIVE LOVE SPELL TO GET EX HUSBAND/BOYFRIEND OR EX WIFE/GIRLFRIEND AND CURE HERPES AND INFERTILITY THAT WORKS WITHIN 24 HOURS. WIN LOTTERY POWERBALL/MEGAMILLIONS 100% GUARANTEED

    Contact Dr. Odunga at odungaspelltemple@gmail.com OR Whats App/CALL +2348167159012

    I got my ex husband back to me and also got fertile and gave birth to twin girls after 12 years of marriage.
    When I came online last year, I saw a testimony about Doctor ODUNGA and how he has been helping people with marriage issues and I decided to contact him. We spoke on email at odungaspelltemple@gmail.com and later he gave me his WhatsApp number which is +2348167159012. He assured me he would help me get my ex husband back after 3 years of no contact. Doctor Odunga is the best spell caster I must say. My husband called me after 24 hours of contact. The third day, I received natural herbs for fertility and after using it, I became fertile and conceived. I and my husband reconnected, had sex and I was pregnant. Presently I am happy to say I am the mother of twin girls and this is ALL THANKS TO DOCTOR ODUNGA. I came online to say this If you need help, I believe you are saved with this man.

    Contact his email at odungaspelltemple@gmail.com

    OR Whats App/Call +2348167159012 and you too will give a testimony too to help others

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ten − 3 =

Scroll to Top

My new book is available for pre-order!

Discover the power of (finally) getting unstuck, claiming your clarity, and becoming the person whose life you want to live—all through a simple self-care practice you can build into your daily routine.