Quitting a Job to Refine a Career

The jobs I've held since college (medical researcher, management consultant, investment banker) have strongly defined how others perceive me as well as how I see myself. I am hopeful that I've reached an inflection point where I will be defined by my work, and earlier this year I left a great job to rediscover who I am (and can be) professionally. I received an outpouring of support from my family and friends at the onset, and carry that with me as a reminder to keep my faith, but mostly feel alone as I move over uncharted terrain.

The modern American line of questioning when meeting someone for the first time quickly addresses work, and I've found that "What do you do?" is a surprisingly inflexible question that is placated only with a description of what daily activity generates income. Whenever I've indulged my own curiosity and instead answered "What do you do?" by highlighting my favorite ways to spend free time (e.g., skiing, golfing, sipping coffee on a porch) people wait patiently for me to finish and then request a reset from me with "But what do you for work?" with an emphasis that suggests that I am somewhat ignorant to how society works. Whether my career defines who I am should be a choice, and not feel like a requirement.

Wow, I have felt so busy and too tired for a long time, and ultimately have forgotten what I was pursuing. Please join me as I restart my pursuit of professional success.