How To Make 2012 A Year Of Exponential Growth – Personally And Professionally
Jan

Hello! I’m Tom. You probably don’t know me, but since you’re here, I can be pretty sure that you know all about Steve.
Over the past few months, we have probably shared something in common. We have been wondering when Steve was going to get off his backside and take action. Although I have an enormous amount of respect for his candid nature and predisposition to absolute honesty, in recent months I have frequently been left wondering, “When is he actually going to do something?”
The answer to that question came in the form of an email I received from him just a few weeks ago. Steve explained that he wanted to take action to improve his life, in a big way, and publicly. He also wanted a few people along for the ride. I didn’t hesitate in taking him up on his offer to share his journey.
To understand why, I should probably tell you a bit about myself.
My Story
Let’s rewind about eight months, to May 2011. I was in charge of the management and development of an eight-figure property portfolio in the UK. The level of autonomy was rewarding, the salary was good, and the prospects were extremely promising.
But I wasn’t happy. I had been in the job for 5 years and had steadily worked my way up from odd jobs, to property management, and far beyond. I had flexible working hours, and essentially created and managed my own workload. It was a great job – but it wasn’t for me.
I wanted something that was mine. I wanted to create, not administrate. I wanted to tell people that I owned my own business and answered only to myself. The entrepreneurial spirit was within me, and burning bright.
It was a calling that I could no longer ignore.
Over the next several months, I charged forward with the goal of quitting my job by 23rd May 2012. I hit that goal by 31st December 2011. I am now a self-employed freelance writer and Internet marketer.
What Does The Future Hold For Me?
From all of this, the single thing I find most liberating is the fact that I have no idea where I am going. I am 26, I have no dependents, and no long term commitments that I cannot get out of with a bit of time and money. I recognize that many people would love to be in my situation, and am extremely grateful for that. I don’t intend to waste the opportunity.
I hope that the future holds happiness for me, as I recognize that as the key to living life to the fullest. I don’t understand why some people fret about the meaning of life. Just do what makes you happy. And if you’re not happy, figure out how you can be.
The problem is, I am not entirely sure what makes me happy. Is it what I do for a living? Where I live? The company I share? Being in a loving relationship? In reality, it is a mixture of all of these things – I just need to figure out how to get the balance right.
What I Want To Get Out Of This
Which brings me back to Steve’s project. I didn’t hesitate to join him on his journey because I could see the potential for improving my own life.
As far as I am concerned, there are three things that enable progress in life:
- Setting clear goals
- Reaching out of your comfort zone
- Being held accountable
I want to progress, and Steve’s project nails all three of the above requirements in all of the areas of life I want to progress in.
So here I am.
Tom Ewer is the owner of Leaving Work Behind and recently quit his job to start his own freelance writing and Internet marketing business. He dreams of (and is planning towards) location independence and having the freedom to choose when he works. Tom is passionate about helping others to quit their jobs and start their own Internet businesses.

Justin Mazza
Hi Tom,
It sounds to me like you know what you want, and more importantly, how to get it.
It seems that we are only happy when we are living by our own values which are unique to each of us.
Tom Ewer
Hey Justin,
You sound more sure of me than I do 😉
But I agree with you – one of the keys to happiness is living by your own values – not someone else’s.
Cheers,
Tom
Ruth - The Freelance Writing Blog
Tom – it’s really great to read more about you!
Congrats on leaving your job; I am really excited to watch your journey unfold.
Tom Ewer
Me too – should be an interesting read, if nothing else 😉
Maria
Hi Tom!
It seems you are happy with your choice. I guess though that you may be hit by hurting uncertainty waves…
If yes, don’t worry! It’s part of the process of change!
Good luck!
Tom Ewer
Hey Maria,
Thanks for your kind words 🙂 I have no doubt that there will be plenty of bumps along the way – I’ve just got to stay the course…
Cheers,
Tom
Steve
Tom,
I wanted to thank you again for choosing to share your journey with us all. You’ve got a lot of great things going for you and I’m looking forward to seeing what unfolds this year..
Tom Ewer
It’s my pleasure Steve – thanks for making me a part of this!
Paige | Simple Mindfulness
Hey Tom! Congrats on hitting your big goal 5 months early! Figuring out what makes you happy is a constantly changing thing and there’s no right answer. Determining your top 3 values in life and making all decisions from a perspective of whether the choice supports your values is key to being happy.
Focus on what you want your average day to be like in infinite detail, from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. Who is with you? Where are you? What does each room of your home look and feel like? What do you do with each hour of your day? What and where do you eat? Visualize it as you go to sleep and as you wake and as often as you can throughout your day. Feel what it feels like to experience days like what you visualize.
I have created my dream life a few times by following this line of thinking.
Keep experimenting because you never truly know if you want something in your life until you experiece it.
Best of luck!!
Tom Ewer
That’s a really interesting idea Paige – one thing’s for sure – what I currently do wouldn’t match up to my dream life! But that’s fine – it certainly doesn’t depress me – life is too short. I’d much rather appreciate all of the great thing I have, whilst always striving for more.
Stephanie @ LoveLaughterLight
I’m older than you, Tom, but have the same goals of finding what makes me happy and working for myself from wherever in the world I am.
My ultimate goal is to be a best-selling author. I’ve just started writing down things I want to include in my book. From there, I’m not sure, but I’ll figure it out.
Looking forward to following all the grinders through 2012!