I quit my job at a Fortune 500 company to embrace 'Brat summer.' My friends were concerned.

• Jordan Page was profoundly unhappy successful his 9-to-5 integer contented occupation astatine a Fortune 500 company.
• He said listening to Charli XCX's medium "Brat" inspired him to discontinue and person a carefree summer.
• Page's friends were shocked by his decision, but he's pursuing penning full-time and has nary regrets.

On Friday, June 7, I had a telephone pinch my manager. It didn't spell well.

She had returned from picnic and was unhappy pinch my performance. I thought everything was fine, seeing arsenic I'd received affirmative feedback from different elder staff.

I'd worked successful a integer contented domiciled astatine a Fortune 500 institution for nether a twelvemonth and questioned whether it was correct for maine nan full time.

After being laid disconnected past July, I freelanced for a fewer months but felt unit from group adjacent to maine to get a full-time job. I besides craved nan information and permanency I thought a ample corp would offer.

I landed my integer contented occupation successful November 2023. Working successful a firm mounting gave maine a regular routine, a regular payday, and backstage healthcare, but I felt unfulfilled. The occupation explanation had included writing, but shifting business priorities quickly changed that. Also, my narration pinch my head had ne'er taken off.

I felt stuck, creatively stunted, and climbing nan firm ladder successful an manufacture I didn't attraction about.

I profoundly related to nan themes successful Charli XCX's 'Brat'

On that early June evening, aft being reprimanded by my manager, I sat chain-smoking connected my pavilion and put connected a caller medium I'd been looking guardant to.

Drained, I fto nan euphony of Charli XCX's "Brat" lavation complete me.

"Sympathy is simply a Knife," a way astir spiraling self-doubt, was instantly relatable. The album's last song, "365," described a never-ending statement and reminded maine I merit to person fun.

These contrasting songs perfectly reflected my existent existence.

On Fridays, I'd spell retired pinch friends and person a awesome time, but I was filled pinch a consciousness of dread erstwhile Sunday hit. I felt for illustration 2 different people: my true, extroverted aforesaid connected nan weekends and erstwhile I was penning and, mid-week, my anxious and unhappy protector self.

I'd tried putting everything into my caller role. I'd tried not caring truthful much. Neither had worked. I'd told friends astir my dissatisfaction, and they each said to do what made maine happy.

At that point, happiness — without a follow-up of guilt and dread — was an emotion I hadn't felt for a agelong time.

"Brat" was nan cleanable soundtrack for a fun-filled summertime I desperately wanted. The medium is centered connected surviving life to nan fullest. If I wanted to acquisition that, I needed to discontinue my job.

It wasn't conscionable astir partying

Charli XCX described a "brat" connected her individual TikTok arsenic personification "who feels herself but possibly besides has a breakdown. But benignant of for illustration parties done it, is very honest, very blunt. A small spot volatile."

This was my "brat" moment.

Writing has ever been my passion, but I'd ne'er earnestly considered doing it full-time. I'd ever worked successful contented aliases trading roles because I was worried astir financial security.

At nan opening of this job, I'd hardly freelanced, putting each my power into my caller role. As clip passed and I grew progressively unhappy, I spent much free clip writing, hopeless to consciousness a consciousness of purpose.

My parents agreed pinch my determination to quit. They'd ne'er seen maine truthful unhappy, truthful it felt easier to make what seemed for illustration an utmost determination pinch them successful my corner.

With decent salary from nan firm role, I'd saved astir £6,000, astir $7,800, to unrecorded connected arsenic I tried to build a profession arsenic a writer.

I handed successful my announcement nan pursuing Monday and felt instant relief. That day, a elder squad personnel told maine they'd ne'er seen maine truthful happy.

I had a half "brat" summer

"Brat" was everyplace this summer. Brands and celebrities, including Kamala Harris' statesmanlike campaign, co-opted lime-green memes pinch lowercase achromatic writing. National news outlets had to constitute explainers titled "What is 'brat'?"

My friends knew astir my activity saga and laughed erstwhile I explained my "Brat" and cigarette-assisted epiphany. But erstwhile I told them I'd quit, I could spot nan daze connected their faces.

I was leaving a institution to activity for myself during a cost-of-living crisis. They were concerned.

Their worries made maine mobility my decision, but ultimately, I thought I'd ne'er beryllium arsenic unhappy moving for myself arsenic I was successful that job.

My decorativeness day fell conscionable earlier a travel to California successful July, intimately followed by a sojourn to a friend's location successful Turkey. I needed clip disconnected to regroup and relax.

I returned emotion motivated to put everything into my penning career. I was strict pinch my weekday schedule and perpetually "on." On nan weekends, I could fto spell and person fun, knowing my week was spent doing activity I cared about.

Without a monthly paycheck, I've had to beryllium much responsible pinch money. Some months were harder, pinch weddings and festivals, but I'm learning.

I don't regret quitting for a 'brat summer'

I haven't regretted my determination once.

Although nan medium was nan catalyst for my quitting, I'd been unhappy astatine activity for a agelong time. As a freelancer, I now activity erstwhile I yet consciousness fulfilled.

I've worked harder successful nan past 3 months than ever before. Some activity days commencement astatine 6 a.m. and extremity astatine 10 p.m. I sometimes activity connected weekends, and immoderate days I person thing to do. But it's activity I emotion to do.

Would I person discontinue my occupation if "Brat" hadn't been released? Eventually, but it would've apt been later erstwhile my intelligence wellness had deteriorated moreover more. The medium felt for illustration a sign, and knowing it led to being nan happiest I've ever been successful my career, I'm grateful that it came erstwhile it did.

Now, I activity shifts for a newspaper, constitute articles astir topics I attraction about, and, arsenic of adjacent month, constitute while walking nan world.

My activity whitethorn beryllium unpredictable and nan financial displacement from a salaried domiciled has been a learning experience. But I person nan state to bask nan activity I love, which is each that matters to me.