Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job

The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is because it made me feel like a big dumb jerk a lot.Okay. Fine. I revised my rating. I went back and changed it to five stupid stars. After all, it's not Acuff's fault that I've had such a sucky attitude toward non-dreamy employment. It's mine. Go Jon, yay.But seriously...God's been working on me about my attitudes toward my dream, my job, my expectation of spousal provision, and the financial irresponsibility of pursuing my dreams as I've been pursuing them, for several months now. This book came along at the right time for me: a time of decision; a time when going from part-time to full-time at my job has become not only an opportunity, but a necessity. I needed this book. So thanks God, for inspiring it, thanks Jon, for writing it, and thanks, Alan, for blessing me with it.Although the message of QUITTER hit me pretty hard in some areas, it also reasserted some of the truths God has been impressing upon me these past months. But it wasn't all a butt-kicking festival. This book also encouraged me. It drove home the truth that the dreams which drive and fulfill me creatively don't have to be sacrificed at the alter of necessity -- they just have to be pursued with wisdom, rather than with irresponsible abandon.I've been a dreamer and a planner of dreams all my life. Unfortunately, my "plans" -- if you could call them that -- involved a lot of dreamy pinnacle points and not a lot of grit. (Sometimes, my pinnacle points even included bright flashing lights, sequins, and a groovy soundtrack. Yes, they were awesome. But.... Hmm. Maybe I watched a bit too much DANCE FEVER as a kid. Whatever.)In any case, my grandiose plans for achieving my dreams gave little credence to the meat-in-the-middle that feeds the journey toward the dream.I was willing to work my butt off on the dream but I wanted to work on ONLY the dream. I resented my part-time job because it took time away from my writing. I resented my bills. I resented my house. I resented the orthodontist. I was carrying around so much resentment and festering with such a sense of righteous entitlement (because I am so talented and unappreciated, you know) that it constipated my dreams. I hit the wall with my writing. I began having anxiety attacks. I was poisoning myself ad nauseum. My dreams were inflated and anorexic at the same time. And, because I was chasing them irresponsibly,well, I guess you could say my dreams needed to pass some gas. (Wow. I really didn't intend to use bathroom metaphor when I began this review. Huh.Does that mean I'm full of... bathroom stuff??? Maybe. But stick with me here.) So between God's nudging and Jon Acuff's book, QUITTER, a can of reality beans was cracked open in my heart and it kicked me (and my sucky attitude toward my day job)in the tail.Luckily, I was alone most of the time while I was reading.So... is this a book for writers? Yes. And anyone else who has ever dreaded their day job or dreamed a dream. So read it already. But -- and pay attention here -- I recommend reading the first four or so chapters individually -- not more than a chapter a day. Take time to really think about and soak in how this applies to you and your dream. Eat your reality beans, digest them, and set them free, as it were, in small doses. You may want to read ahead, but don't give in to the temptation. If you, like me, need to smell the stink you've made with the attitudes you've held toward your day job before you can appreciate the all-you-can-eat Texas Roadhouse steak buffet of your dreams in motion,then this book is best read slowly, over the course of a week or two-- or more.This is a great book. It's a challenging and encouraging book; a great addition to your home library and a great book to hand out to a friend who is unhappy in his/her current job.Perspective is a beautiful thing. And I am now happy that, although I have mentally typed my resignation numerous times over the past 18 months, most days I can now smile, fall in like with my job, and say to myself,"My job funds my dream." (Jon Acuff, QUITTER)

I had plenty of preconceived ideas when I opened Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job by Jon Acuff. I figured Jon would offer me information I could have used five years ago when I did quit my day job (actually evening job--I worked 2nd shift at a windowless factory, ugh!). And he did help me gain perspective on what I should have done five years ago. I also figured he would write well. My single exposure to his writing came when he wrote as a guest-blogger on Michael Hyatt's website. His style engaged and his advice proved practical. Both would be true in Quitter as well. The first chapter though burst my strongest preconceived idea which was that Jon would polish my dream, not knock the glitter off of it. Oh, he'd get around to polishing later but, in chapter one, he focused on reasons to stay with the day job, not quit it. And from page one to "The End," Jon pulls the reader from a walk in the clouds to a journey in the real world. He doesn't do this to kill our dreams but to help us live them. Let me repeat myself here.Jon pulls us out of the clouds. He puts us on firm ground. He doesn't kill our dreams (although they may get a bit bloodied). He helps us to live them. Jon's practical advice begins with chapter one's title: "Don't Quit Your Day Job." Why not? Because your day job funds your dream job. It pays the bills and frees you to spend time grooming that dream. Your day job allows you time to make mistakes (which will happen no matter what your dream), learn, and improve at what you really love to do. Quitter helped me refocus on my personal dream--to write stories and be published--and gave me clarity on the steps I need to take to realize that dream. Jon's advice straightened my meandering journey (visualize a river running through hill country) into a more direct, purposeful path. Only time will tell whether his lessons prove effectual or not. I believe success or failure rests now squarely on my shoulders. Here are a few thoughts I gleaned from my reading of Quitter. Let me add that these are my words, not Jon's. Any similarity to his actual meaning in anything he wrote is a pure shot-in-the-dark-oh-my-goodness-I-hit-something accident. Living your dream isn't the same as winning the lottery. If your dream is to quit your day job, buy a house where the daily weather report involves only the strength and direction of the wind, sit and watch sunsets (because you're never up early enough to catch a sunrise), drink a lot of your preferred beverage, and write that burning-in-your-soul novel, then I offer you two bits of advice.Dream on, big boy.Don't read Quitter. Living your dream involves real work. If you're like me, you thought that your dream job meant you did what you wanted when you wanted. It didn't eat up a lot of your time or thought so you could...er...um...well...sit in a big house by the beach and drink your favorite beverage (yeah, I know, this sounds a lot like point one above, but you'll notice subtle but obvious differences--like shorter descriptions). Living your dream involves three things. Passion. Practice. Planning. Pretty much in that order (and those are Jon's thoughts, if not his exact words, in chapter 5, "Wait on the Main Stage"). Look. Here's the bottom line. I liked Quitter well enough to recommend it to friends and strangers alike, maybe even buy a copy or two for family, loan my copy out (but only if you promise to read it and get it back to me in the next 72 hours), and--here's the big one--reread the book and apply its advice personally.God bless & good reading,TomT. Neal Tarverauthor of "Dark Eyes, Deep Eyes"[...]

This book was quite cringeworthy.The writing style is casual and nice which in the beginning makes it a flowing easy read however very soon into the book this just looks like one big self gloating autobiography. I want a book that gives real advice, not read about the life of the author. Further it smacks of cringeworthy arrogance and whilst I get the writer is trying to be funny, comedy is something that needs to be relevant to the audience and in this case it is not.I was looking for a professional practical guide to real steps as to how to transition. Instead I learnt about some random called Dave Ramsey who living in the UK, is of absolute insignificance to me. I think stuffchristianslike.com was mentioned over 350 times ( I get it..you want me to click on your page) and I also understand that for some it pays to brow nose your employer to get brownie points).I actually got to about 80 percent of the way through in the book at which point trying to force myself painfully finish this pile of trop was actually worse than my unbearable job. Avoid!

Entertaining read although goes off on a tangent sometimes, more of a motivational book rather than a help and improvement book

Well worth buying, this book stopped me in my tracks and made me change direction - for the better. Full of down-to-earth advice. Highly readable and recommended.

Recommended on the Dave Ramsey show... this was a good read for someone who is always dreaming of leaving their day job to start their own business. Kind of gives you an example of how to make the dream job work,(working for yourself) while not completely throwing in the towel on your day job.As with any business venture, there will be sacrifices - pulling double shifts, getting paid at one job while working your dream job for free until you can get paid to do it.A good book for the dreamer to see that 'escaping' can be possible - but a good reminder stay focused and not sink yourself before you get started... (tip your toe in before you take the plunge, prepare yourself so you don't lose the dream too.... )

Das Buch Quitter, welches mir den Weg zeigen will von meinem Tagesjob zu meinem Traumjob, beginnt damit: Kündige nicht! Oder wenigstens noch nicht. Jon Acuff hat Erfahrung damit, falsch zu kündigen. Von der Einladung zu einem Nachtessen für seinen Chef, um die schlechte Nachricht zu überbringen, bis zum ins Büro geworfenen Fresszettel mit anschliessender Flucht hat er alles durchgezogen. Doch das Buch endet nicht dort. Es zeigt auf, wie ich mit Geduld und Hartnäckigkeit auf die richtige Art von einer Beschäftigung, welche mich ernährt, zum Traum meines Lebens komme. Absolut lesenswert. Klar und in einfachem Englisch geschrieben, lohnt es sich für jeden, der sich Gedanken macht, ob nicht mehr am Leben sei als "Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living".Kindle:  Quitter Buch:  Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream JobQuitterQuitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job