Over the last few weeks, I’ve met and caught up with a lot of people. Invariably, the topic of my quitting my job comes up, and it’s been interesting comparing people’s reactions. They fall into a few categories:

  • Fear/uncertainty. By far the most common response. I’ve heard things like “Oooh. Risky.” Or “You better have clients lined up before you quit.” (Yes.) As if not working for a couple weeks is a cardinal sin. These responses are always disappointing as they don’t drum up a lot of confidence. I think it might be a natural, almost motherly response though for certain personality types.
  • Indifference/confusion. This is the most surprising reaction. I can’t even think of any quotes as they seemed so foreign to me. I guess some people don’t understand that you don’t have to work for somebody else. A few people didn’t really understand what I was trying to do, and just gave me the ol’ furrowed eyebrow.
  • Enthusiasm. Naturally, my favorite reaction. At times the power of these responses have kept me from changing my mind. Things like “Yeah, sometimes you just have to set yourself up in a position where you have to succeed.” Hell yeah. Or, “you get to do whatever you want and dont have to deal with crap.” Haha, well, that’d be great, but probably not. 🙂 I can only think of a handful of people who have been genuinely supportive and enthusiastic of my decision, and, to those awesome few, thank you! (Curt, Katherine, Mom and Dad, et al)
  • Disappointment. I must have heard “Are you sure you still want to do this?” from my boss six or seven times, or every time the subject came up. This was the reaction from my boss and a few coworkers, but I guess that’s understandable. Workplaces have strange social dynamics, though, especially in fields where there’s typically high turnover (software companies for sure). I’ve felt the same thing before (usually tempered with excitement for them, though) when great colleagues move on.

I’m definitely not the only one, though, and that’s exciting. Ten more days of work, and it’s on.