At 27, I quit my dream job without a plan. It killed me at the time, but paid off over a decade later.

• By relying on my network, I found a new role and eventually pivoted to running my own business.
• It’s been over 15 years since I took that first risk by leaving, and I’m so grateful I did it.

When I started my dream job, I never imagined walking away from it just two years later.

After all, my long-held fantasy of working in theme-park design had lived up to the hype: I collaborated with talented people every day, got to play in the parks for free whenever I wanted, and learned so many industry secrets about making the magic happen. I’d even gotten to help design an internationally acclaimed project.

It seemed nuts to leave, but I made up my mind when I realized I’d started spending more time fantasizing about what I could be doing elsewhere than I did getting excited about what was happening inside the office I drove to every day.

I wasn’t confident in my decision, but there’s no joy in floundering either, so I felt I had to commit one way or another. It was scary, and I didn’t have another job lined up or a concrete plan when I decided to resign, but deep down, I knew I was ready for something new.

By relying on my network of friends and family, I was able to make my next move

While I figured out what was next for me, my parents graciously agreed to let me move back into their house in the suburbs of Long Island.

As much as I would miss Orlando, I appreciated this small safety net.

And with no job lined up or savings to rely on, I started leaning on my network of friends and family in New York. I told anyone I could think of that I needed a job, and I was up for the adventure of trying something new.

Luckily, thanks to friends and my belief that closed mouths don’t get fed (which has proven true time and again), I found an incredible opportunity at a then-startup in New York City called Rent the Runway.

The new position was different from my previous work, but it sounded exciting and relied on skills I had really strengthened in Orlando.

After about two and a half years at that job, though, a familiar feeling had returned. My focus kept drifting to new dreams and worthwhile opportunities outside the office walls, and I felt a magnetic pull toward them.

While working at Rent the Runway, I’d been building my own photography business on the side. It had started to take off, and even though it would be risky, it felt like the right time to take a step toward becoming a business owner and solopreneur.

This time around, though, I wasn’t so afraid to take a leap. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that I had first pushed through that fear and felt risks pay off.

Years later, I’m glad I trusted my gut and embraced a more unconventional career path

Growing up, my parents wouldn’t even let me quit piano lessons that I didn’t find much joy in. “You stick with it until the year is over,” they’d tell me. Even if I didn’t feel like going to a friend’s house for a playdate as a kid, they would push me to go, saying, “We stick to our commitments, Mikkel.”

As I grew up, I began to understand the method behind how my parents raised me. Their morals became my values: When you commit to something, you stick with it.

But those piano lessons had an end date and time, and so did those playdates. Accepting a job is a commitment, too, but most roles have no clear end.

How do you know if you should stay at a job or when it’s time to leave — especially if it’s one you love? Now that I’ve navigated that unknown territory, I know it can come down to trusting your gut.

And over time, I’ve realized the real dream is living a life that excites me and lets me stay true to myself.

It’s been about 15 years since I left that first role. My path in life has been windier than expected, but it’s been fantastic.

I ended up moving from from New York City to North Carolina, meeting my now-husband, and traveling the world with him. We both work for ourselves and I’ve built a career I’m proud of, one that I’d never have had without the risks I’d taken years prior.

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