by | October 28, 2015 · 10:45 am
↓ Jump to Comments

Why dream about tomorrow, when you can live it today?

I’m about to do something completely insane. I can’t believe it, but here it is:

I’m going to take six months off work.

It’s only seems insane, of course, because of my Soviet childhood (constant poverty) and American young adulthood (poverty during student years, replaced with “work like hell till retirement” mentality). Australians actually tend to take a gap year almost as a rite of passage into adulthood – travel the world and all that.

I’ve done the calculations – I can afford the bills, because I have a month of vacation and two months of “long service leave” accumulated. (Again, apologies to my hard-working American friends – I never knew of the long service leave concept until I moved down under). The plan is to turn three months of paid leave into six months of half-pay. There will be just a bit of travel, with already booked pre-honeymoon in December and a “proper” honeymoon in May, but otherwise it will be a 40-hour a week writing dream. The plan is to “try out” this writing gig full-time – write two sequels to Shizzle, Inc and really see what it would be like to work as an author.

I don’t know what will happen at the end – maybe I’d find that I miss the office and will come back with a vengeance, ready to climb the corporate ladder. Or I’d learn to appreciate the financial peace of mind my current job provides. Of course, I secretly hope that with two more books under the belt I might get the fuel necessary to make the dream I committed to on 16 October actually possible. Regardless, it will be the longest ever break from office and an adventure into a parallel reality all of my own making.

My mind is made up. Now I just have to convince my manager that it’s a good idea…

87 Comments

Filed under Shizzle, Inc.

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

87 responses to “Why dream about tomorrow, when you can live it today?”

  1. simon yorke
    October 28, 2015 at 10:47 am

    Do it, perhaps wise to have no expectations, but why not?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Ana Spoke
      October 28, 2015 at 10:52 am

      Thanks Simon 🙂 I will work like hell to make the dream come true, but at the same time, I’m open to possibilities. “Plans are useless, but planning is paramount”. I’m with Eisenhower on that 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Whitnee
    October 28, 2015 at 10:53 am

    This is awesome! I hope (and know) it’ll be a great adventure!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. mjennings
    October 28, 2015 at 10:53 am

    Envy. Envy. I am so green with envy. Get some serious writing done for me, too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Ana Spoke
      October 28, 2015 at 10:58 am

      Use it as motivation!! My motivation is anger – I just find that I’m getting more and more irritated in meetings and it’s harder and harder to keep my mouth shut. negative feelings can be a powerful driving force…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. tuckerelliot
    October 28, 2015 at 10:56 am

    It’s motivational when I read about other people taking risks to chase dreams. I agree with Simon, just do it.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Ana Spoke
      October 28, 2015 at 10:59 am

      Thank you! I’m about to deliver a large piece of work today and will bring it up with my manager at the end of the day. Hell hath no fury like a manager who has to recruit a replacement…

      Like

      Reply
  5. Josh Wrenn
    October 28, 2015 at 11:10 am

    Sounds awesome! Best of luck!

    Like

    Reply
  6. Dimple Malhotra
    October 28, 2015 at 11:13 am

    Sequels to Shizzle, inc, yes please! :p

    All the best for your adventure. Someday I will surely be taking a gap to do what I love the most. 🙂 But for the time being I will have to be content with giving exams and reading about your writing adventure. 😉 :p

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. James Osborne
    October 28, 2015 at 11:13 am

    Go for it Ana! A word of warning, though… I retired early and since then I’ve never worked harder in my life, or loved working more! 😉 Hope that’s your experience, too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. felicity logan
    October 28, 2015 at 11:15 am

    Go for it, girl — but give yourself time to stop to pick the flowers. PS. the term is “rite of passage”.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. jeneanebehmeswritings
    October 28, 2015 at 11:34 am

    You’ve been working your hiney off getting your book ready – you deserve a long break. Please don’t be hard on yourself, just enjoy life, yourself, and have a lot of fun sweetie!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. aidyl93
    October 28, 2015 at 11:44 am

    How exciting!! Wow, that sounds like an absolute dream come true! Good luck; I bet you’ll enjoy your time off and writing. I’ll look forward to seeing how it goes and how you feel after the six months! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. olivia barrington
    October 28, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Do it,do it,do it!!!! Life is to short not to do what your your heart really wants. Intuition ( you know that little inner voice, that feeling that guides you down the path) listen to it because it is guiding your footsteps in the right direction. If your unhappy where you are move on to your destiny. Those negative moods at work are trying to tell you something. Listen to them. This will lead you to where your suppose to be in life. I support you 100%. Dreams are just that,dreams, until you make them become your reality. Good luck!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Ana Spoke
      October 28, 2015 at 2:26 pm

      Thank you, Olivia! The gut feeling is a great tool – as soon as I had that idea, my whole attitude to life has changed…I’m walking down hallways at work, smiling like a (happy) idiot 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  13. Ken
    October 28, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    I hope you are not taking a hiatus from the blog, or keeping us up to date on your writing adventure. This year I quit a job that I have worked for 23 years of blood, sweat and tears, and took a job where caring about the place wasn’t a liability. Now I have a lot more time to write and the proper mindset to do it, getting ready to publish my second book, and well on my way to finishing the third. I wish I could take six months, or let’s face it, rest of my life to write full time. But who can do that.

    In the meantime take advantage of your time off as it will pass in the blink of an eye.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Ana Spoke
      October 28, 2015 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you, Ken – I will plan it out. And good on you for making a change. My first change was deciding not to climb the ladder, just a few months ago. Well, it was made for me by management 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  14. justawriterhere14
    October 28, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    That sounds awesome! Go for it and I hope it turns out great for you! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. readersandmore
    October 28, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    What a bold move! I hope the long vacation/break from work will be great and worthwhile 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. Nicodemas
    October 28, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    Wow, amazing. Wishing you all the best. This is a writer’s dream come true!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. Jan Johnson Drantell
    October 28, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    May your time be fruitful. What a great thing to do for yourself. Keep writing. And doing things for yourself that will keep you writing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. Kay Morris
    October 28, 2015 at 1:57 pm

    That is AWESOME!!Congratulations!! I wish you all the best. ☺

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  19. vjearle
    October 28, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    My prediction: you will never look back – kudos to you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. Dr Meg Sorick
    October 28, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    That is a fabulous plan! Wish you the best of luck! Americans are crazy for working like dogs, the rest of the world has the right idea. Can’t wait to hear how it goes! xo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  22. On Becoming a Lemonade Maker
    October 28, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    Sounds like a plan! If you don’t do this, you’ll kick yourself in the future! Wish you all the best with the sequels!

    Like

    Reply
  23. peaceof8
    October 28, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    Wonderful quest!!! Enjoy and work hard at your dream!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  24. Gargi Mehra
    October 28, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    I’m green with envy too! This is a dream for me as well, but a far-off one. I am considering taking at least a week off from work to start with, just to check if the full-time writing lifestyle is a fit for me. But don’t know if it will ever happen!
    Best of luck, Ana! Hope your dreams come true!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Ana Spoke
      October 28, 2015 at 4:46 pm

      Thank you, Gargi! Maybe a week could be a catalyst to plan for the future? I think a week is hardly enough, you will just begin to settle into a new thinking pattern, then it’s back to work…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Gargi Mehra
        October 28, 2015 at 6:29 pm

        Thats a good point, Ana! I hadn’t thought of that. But I doubt if I’ll ever get a month off! But I may as well try – what’s the harm, right? 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • Ana Spoke
        October 28, 2015 at 9:48 pm

        I’m going to have a very hard time trying to sell it to my manager, but I intend to persevere until I get it. When I was in the US it was or seemed impossible, but there’s always a way. I hope you start thinking about it, and then maybe a solution would present itself.

        Like

  25. hermionefowl
    October 28, 2015 at 4:56 pm

    That’s incredibly brave. I’m so scared on your behalf, but at the same time I have faith in you that it will all go well. Good luck 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  26. Cee Tee Jackson
    October 28, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    Go get ’em girl! Well done you …. this WILL work. I’m sure of it. Wish I could do the same. Good Luck! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Ana Spoke
      October 28, 2015 at 9:45 pm

      Thank you! Already announced it to my immediate manager and he was ok with it, now I have to get the approval of the one above him, which I have to wait for till end of next week…I will need all the luck I can get!

      Like

      Reply
  29. Tim Vicary
    October 29, 2015 at 4:51 am

    Good luck, Ana – you only live once!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  31. susanjanejones
    October 29, 2015 at 6:18 am

    A girl after my own heart. We only have one life, and you have to take every chance, I’m smiling a huge smile for you, Ana, and now I want to read Shizzle.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  32. tamaramorning
    October 29, 2015 at 8:13 am

    Awesome! Good luck to you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  33. twinwillowsfarm
    October 30, 2015 at 12:40 am

    You’ve planned your work … now work your plan!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  34. J.M. Gautreaux
    October 30, 2015 at 8:35 am

    That’s awesome. I hope that you have a great time and good luck!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  35. niaaeryn
    October 30, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    Best wishes and best of luck! I confess, envious of Australia right now. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  37. thelonelyauthorblog
    October 30, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    Congratulations on taking this bold step. Life is so short, everyone should be entitles to a year off from the craziness. Great post.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  38. Pingback: On taking the plunge « Clay Lewisson -

  39. Pingback: Dreams and the daily grind | TP Hogan's Blog

  40. carolynswriting
    November 4, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Heh heh, obviously all us writers think this is a brilliant plan and most of us would be wishing for the same thing! Such an amazing thing to do & best wishes for your plans 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment