A GenX 9-5 Escape Story About Becoming Free at 50 and Healthy at 51

30 years of doing it right: the GenX mindset

Let me introduce you to where I was, mentally, for over 40 years: in a GenX mindset about work, career, and life in general. For those that aren’t familiar (or are, but maybe want a little clarification and even support!), I’ll give you the short version to get started on my story of becoming healthy in mind and body.

I did everything that I was conditioned to believe was right.

• Go to college.
• Intern (for free!) to prove myself, get experience, and get a job.
• Pay taxes.
• Show loyalty.
• Climb the corporate ladder (I even asked for a title change once because I was encouraged to raise my status, though my actual work and pay stayed the same).

And at age 49, I was over it. I was exhausted, angry, and tired of other peoples’ manipulative actions, bad decisions, or even well-intentioned actions stealing my time. I knew in my heart that the job I was in was going to be my last one. After that, I was going to take charge of my life and own my time.

How I escaped 9-5 life

I didn’t quit my 9-5 in corporate, it quit me.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I became a statistic. The decision our company made was to downsize due to “Covid budget constraints” and my team made the list of casualties. 

However- I did NOT feel like a casualty. Quite the opposite: I immediately felt LIGHT. FREE. I was OUT. It was the first time in my 30-year career (because I started during college at age 19) that I’d been laid off. The layoff was a blessing and it’s the cornerstone of my blog. 

I had already shifted my mindset from GenX corporate gal into midlife-reset mode: money wasn’t as important as time. 

What this all meant was ditching the GenX mindset that being successful means the continuous climb (titles and promotion and salary increases) as well as the concept of being a “good worker” means you are always clocked in and accessible. 

I remember early on in my professional life I was fixated on being “the first one in” and last to leave. To accepting calls on weekends and never REALLY unplugging for “vacation.” You had to show loyalty and commitment, right? Not exactly.

You can use your skills and passions to have an impact, earn the income you need, and still put yourself and your family first. A mindset shift indeed.

I took steps to stay out of 9-5 life, making my escape permanent

My mental health was instantly improved being out of the toxicity of corporate life and even better knowing I had time to build my next chapter, one of time freedom. 

This all started when I was 49, but nothing changed as I turned 52 last year. I even wrote about the journey (in the professional sense) and my determination to stay out of 9-5 life. Click here to read it.

It’s a blessing that my layoff came with a severance and that it happened during Covid. It’s also a blessing I had a savings account and could take the time to figure out my next move. A friend recommended the 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, and it was my affirmation and confirmation. I could do this. 

The book had me look at how much money I actually needed (spoiler alert, I don’t need 6-figures to be happy) and organize my skills and passions into ways to earn income. Narrowing down my options to consulting projects and blogging, I chose blogging because I love to write and…. It doesn’t involve a schedule reliant on others’ availability and priorities. 

The good news is that the journey into narrowing my options means I created a structured consultation program I can use in the future if I want to lean back into that type of business.

What being location-independent and free of corporate life meant

I’m a blogger at heart so I’m going to list this out blogger-style, with bullet points!

• I traveled almost weekly in my corporate life. And now: I was no longer tied to being within reach of an airport hub. In other words, I could live anywhere, so I did.
• My new life meant the opportunity to move to Colonial Williamsburg – a place where my significant other and I visited every year. It’s the largest living history museum in the world and inspiration for my 2^nd blog.
• Being location independent means I can write from anywhere – and I do. I can set up my laptop and write even if I’m somewhere without wi-fi!

Was I having too much fun? Yes and I got scared straight into my wellness journey

There is no question that once I narrowed it down, my decision to blog led me to FUN. It’s all relative of course, but for me, history and food are my favorite things after being around people I love. Namely, my partner in life.

My appetite for history is taken care of- I get loads of it here in Williamsburg.

My appetite for food- well, I jumped on that one. We were cooking more, eating barbecue, burgers, and things with white in it: flour, sugar… OMG I ate whatever I wanted, because I was getting out and walking more… so it was okay right? 

I mean: being in Virginia and in Williamsburg meant I was outdoors more than when I lived in Michigan where the climate was cold for so many months and we lived in a downtown setting that was not conducive to being outside. 

Let’s be honest, I was overweight, and I knew it. But I was happy. Yes, I had some headaches, I was fatigued in the middle of the day but, I was 50. Middle-aged. Maybe it was menopause… I heard of terms like “menopause fog” and it was easy for me to blame my age and my status. 

I was wrong. My annual bloodwork in July 2022 proved it. Both my cholesterol and blood sugar were over 300. (but yes, I was miraculously alive)

I’ve never been so freaked out about anything. By August 1^st I was knee deep in a new lifestyle of eating NOTHING with “white” in it. No refined sugars, or enriched flours.

No oils outside of olive oil and occasionally sesame oil.

I basically followed the Mediterranean diet which meant yes, I would occasionally have red meat but not much. Holidays, birthdays, etc. I’d have what was on the table. And by December, my blood sugar was normal and by February 2023 my cholesterol was where it needed to be. 

Added bonus: I was down about 40 pounds by May 2023. Without trying to “lose weight.” No diets, just eating right and getting steps in daily (easy to do in Williamsburg when the historic area is my downtown basically).

I was just living my life, not hitting the gym, scheduling exercise, counting calories etc. 

I no longer believe in diets. Just living healthy. 

Living Free At 50 is a lifestyle and I’ll be doing it for many years to come, God-willing!

As you can see, the Free At 50 blog and brand I’ve created is not just about being laid off at 49 and becoming free at age 50. Free At 50 is a LIFESTYLE. I live where I used to vacation, meaning I get to engage in history (I’m a total history nerd!) daily and have even started a history blog for fun!

I’m committed to making blogging work- because I love to write, and I love to encourage others through my writing. 

And now, being healthier in both mind and body, I’m feeling confident about my decision to ditch corporate life. Cheers to time freedom!

Meet The Author – Daphne Reznik, Free at 50!

Daphne Reznik is the creator of the Free At 50 blog, which focuses on life after corporate, how to transition into professional freedom and resources to create income streams.  She has a diverse background having worked in state government, small business, and most recently, a large corporate entity. Her experience supporting businesses and leading a national staff training program, provided her with a skill set she is using to design a lifestyle as a blogger and to inspire others.

If you’d like to follow Daphne’s journey or join her facebook group, check out this list of ways to get in touch with her!

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