[eBook Code] The Escape Manifesto (eBook Code, 1st)

The Escape Manifesto x

Introduction 1

PART ONE – PRE-ESCAPE 9

1 The Travelator 11

Why does this world not work for so many of us? 15

We are our jobs 16

The emperor’s new clothes 17

Politics and bullshit 18

Autonomy, mastery, purpose 19

Warning – your health may suff er 22

Corporate creativity is an oxymoron 23

Institutions and leaders are failing us 25

Why do so many of us tread this path? 27

We have been taught to be cogs 28

We make semi-conscious decisions 29

The trap of the high achievers 31

We don’t defi ne success for ourselves 33

Most careers advice is so awful 35

2 Thoughts and Blockers 37

Unhelpful thoughts 39

“I should be grateful for this job” 40

“I am safe in my current job” 41

“I might damage my career” 42

“I don’t have the right network” 43

“I don’t have the right skills” 44

“I need to have it all fi gured out” 46

Common blockers 49

We are looking for an instruction manual 50

We are infl uenced by other people 51

We love feeling comfortable 53

We hate feeling scared 54

We talk ourselves out of decisions 56

We are short of time and energy 58

We need money to survive 59

3 Gradual Epiphanies 63

Life epiphanies 65

Live life your way 66

Heed the call 68

Avoid living for the future 70

Realize nothing stays the same 71

Preempt the big scare or tragedy 73

Write your own obituary 74

Avoid empty “fi nd yourself” advice 75

Work epiphanies 77

Recognize the signs 78

Stop collecting qualifi cations 80

Look up the ladder 82

Accept changing is always hard 84

Choose a fi ght worth fi ghting 85

Decide that enough is enough 86

4 The Money Question 89

Think about your fi nances diff erently 93

The golden handcuff s 94

Money and happiness 95

The cycle of consumption 97

Escape begins with defi nition 100

Redefi ne personal fi nance 102

Manage your fi nances diff erently 103

Conduct a personal fi nancial audit 104

Crunch the numbers behind your escape 105

See your escape as a startup 107

Minimise costs 108

Save intelligently 110

Earn creatively 112

Avoid debt (or pay it down) 114

Build assets, question liabilities 115

Invest in yourself, not stuff 117

5 Evolution Not Revolution 121

Pre-decision 123

Fight the fear 124

Enforce limits, push back 126

Get better at listening 128

Stop reading, start acting 130

Post-decision 133

Don’t quit just yet 134

Just start (but start small) 136

Test towards the way that works 138

Create a checklist 140

Cultivate partners-in-crime 141

Reframe the risk 143

Resign (carefully) 144

Don’t expect a bunch of roses 146

PART TWO – POST-ESCAPE 151

6 Find an Exciting Job 153

Work is changing 155

Get clear on your decision criteria 157

Forget passions, what can you off er? 159

Get your head around “skills” 161

Hunt people not jobs 165

Tell a good story 167

Own your online presence 168

Hunt diff erently 169

Interview diff erently 172

7 Adventure 175

Escape the Matrix 177

Get perspective 178

Confront adversity 179

Plan, don’t plan 180

Adventure diff erently 184

8 Start Your Own Business 191

Why start a business? 193

Scratch your own itch 195

Ideas are cheap, execution counts 198

Bin the business plan 199

Funding your startup 201

Make meaning 207

Defi ne success 209

Get going with what you’ve got 211

Prepare yourself for the ride 213

9 There is No Guidebook 217

Commit 219

Trust the process 220

Fight fear 222

Don’t waste your time 224

Reject norms 226

Have an impact 228

Prepare for the mountain 230

Ignore cynics 232

Develop three traits 233

A Final Word 236

Footnotes 239

Recommended Escape Resources 243

Escapees To Take Inspiration From 248

About Escape the City 258

Acknowledgements 259

Index 260