Chip Gaines Convinced Me to Quit My Job

This past November, I planned to have lunch with my 5th grade daughter at her last-ever Thanksgiving school lunch and promised that I wouldn’t be late like the year before. On this particular day, however, there was a big event next door to our office and an unprecedented amount of traffic - it literally took 45 minutes just to get out of my parking deck. When I arrived late at my daughter’s school, she was of course mad at me and I was heartbroken that I let her down despite my best efforts.

The next day, I finished listening to Capital Gaines by Chip Gaines and the last chapter encourages taking action to pursue your dreams. I was so overcome with inspiration that I immediately called my financial planners to let them know about my change in plans and then drove back to work to resign. I’ve had complete peace about that decision from the beginning.

For the past year, I’d felt a strong calling to spend more time with my daughters and use my God-given perspective and interests to do something greater in the next season of my life. I had been praying for clarity and woke up one random Saturday morning in June with a clear and detailed vision.

With this new vision in mind, I had planned to go part-time at my advertising job, but God and Chip Gaines convinced me to quit my job completely.

I’ve spent the past three weeks allowing myself to have downtime. My favorite parts of this transition period have been packing lunches, exercising, being home with my daughters in the afternoons and cooking dinner every night. All of these are things I've not been able to do consistently. I’ve also learned that no matter how much time you have at home, you never feel caught up. As much as I’ve enjoyed having downtime, I’m ready and excited to be launching my God-inspired dream of Life Is Short Adventures.

Because of the way I was raised and my life experiences, it makes me sad to hear people say that they plan to travel when they retire or after their kids leave the house. We aren’t guaranteed retirement or even good health in the future and the short time we have with our kids is more valuable than we often realize until it's too late. My hope is to change mindsets about travel and to help families spend more valuable time together by taking the trips they've been putting off. Life is short and it’s important that we all live today.