We often feel like we are stuck in our jobs because we have bills to pay, obligations, or because our identity is so connected to working that we can’t conceive of doing anything else.  Maybe we even look with some envy at professional athletes, who seem to make a lot of money doing something that to us looks a lot like playing. We sort of get that there are hours of practice, travel, time away from family, and so forth, but for what they do, it seems like a lot, doesn’t it?

Last week, a Denver Broncos’ player, John Moffit, walked away during the bye week. He’ll leave behind about $1 million on his contract for this season and next.  His explanation, “I just want to be happy. And I find that people that have the least in life are sometimes the happiest. And I don’t have the least in life. I have enough in life. And I won’t sacrifice my health for that.”  Later he says “I’m ready to go to work and start doing other things right now,” and comments that he feels like he’s off to a great start in life.

He’s not a millionaire, but he does have a little cushion to help him figure out what to do next in life, which is nice to know. It makes me wonder, what would happen if all the people in business who are just at a point where they aren’t happy anymore were willing to say ‘I have enough to figure out something else to do’, and pivot into something else. There are all sorts of ways to rationalize not doing that, and to think that Moffit somehow has it easier, but I’d suggest that for someone who has done one thing his whole life, turned it into a profession, had a lot of money available to keep doing it, and who is able to walk away on his own terms – that’s pretty impressive.  Would you be able to do that?