How to take an adult gap year (without burning your life down)

Quitting doesn't have to be reckless

Welcome to issue #006 of Untroubled 🤩. Twice a week I send an essay that is free to read + comment & chat. You can join me in building this publication by liking this post, commenting and/or sharing this post with anyone who might enjoy it.

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I took a gap year, turns out I’m now not planning to go back

When I first quit my job, I told myself it was just a break. A reset. A grown-up gap year to figure out what I actually wanted from my life.

I wasn’t running away from anything; I just needed space to think. To breathe. To get quiet enough to hear myself again. And also, burnout dictated that I needed to slow down and take care of myself.

Back then, I fully believed I’d return to my career after a year. But within weeks, I realized something: I didn’t want to go back. And now, a year and a half later, I feel brave enough to say that out loud.

I don’t miss the job.
I don’t miss the environment.
I don’t miss the version of myself who thought burnout was just the price of ambition.

What I do miss? That first electric feeling of possibility. When everything cracked open and I realized: I could do it differently. I could build a life that fit me, not just one that impressed people around me. That’s where the magic lies, in that feeling of having options. The possibility to do what you really want to do.

Now, I’m not saying everyone should march into their boss’s office tomorrow and shout “I quit!” (unless that’s truly your style). But if you’ve been feeling stuck, uninspired, or just plain done, I want you to know there is a way to take a break and figure out what your Untroubled life could look like. You don’t need to blow up your life to do it. You just need to get intentional.

How to plan your own break form it all (without ruining your life)

Here’s how I made it happen—and how you can start, too:

1. Build a buffer
   Save like you mean it. I’m talking enough money to cover your basic expenses for the length of time you are planning to take a break. You’re not trying to fund a luxury retreat in Bali. You’re trying to buy yourself time to breathe, slow down and reflect. You want to be able to make thoughtful decisions without constant financial pressure. (for reference, I saved for 5 years before I took my break)

2. Shrink your life
   Cancel, sell, downsize, simplify. That doesn’t sound fun, I know. But think about it, the less you need, the more options you create. Really think about where you can downsize to ultimately expand your joy in life.

3. Start now
   Not next year, not next month and not on Monday. Start now. You’re not quitting right this second, you are going to start shaping your Untroubled life today. You can start by cutting just one expense you can live without. Start planning. Small changes create momentum.

4. Stay consistent
   Once I made a plan, I stuck to it. I was relentlessly consistent with saying no to things that didn’t serve my goal. And I was relentlessly saying yes to opportunities that would help shape my new life. Still doing that today.

5. Be selfish (in the best way)
   Don’t do this to impress anyone. Don’t do it for likes. Do it for you. Because your life is whispering something truer. And it’s time to listen.

That’s how you take an adult gap year. Not as a breakdown. Not as an escape. But as a brave, conscious choice to pause and realign.

And maybe, like me, you’ll find you don’t want to go back either.

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✨ Here’s something you can think about today:
If no one else had a say in how you lived… what would your days look like?

Use your answer. Start planning for a life that looks like that.

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If this spoke to you, share it with a friend who might feel the same. Or you could restack it so others can find their way here too 🤗