[mthwsjc_]

It went very well - much better than expected.

My wife was enthusiastic about it and gave me the confidence to quit. Until then I'd been looking to get the transition locked in before quitting, which wasn't happening and probably never would have. At the time I was working in corporate finance and my first child had just been born.

I think the added pressure of being scared or uncomfortable gives you a huge edge when learning new skills, taking calculated risks and trying new things, and working super hard. Working hard in a grind or dead-end is sole destroying (I think), working harder on something you chose, with tangible personal benefits is exhilarating. My career took a new direction and a much steeper upwards trajectory.

That was 3 years ago. I've become a freelance data-scientist, working remotely in a new country, with a much higher quality of life.

I wrote a couple of blog posts at the time reflecting on corporate life in London with a young family. https://johnmathews.is/corporate.html, https://johnmathews.is/london.html