I was fired from a tech startup and moved to Costa Rica to build my own business. I'm healthier, calmer, and more confident now.

• Jennifer Lankford started a PR consultancy and moved to Costa Rica after losing her job at a startup.
• She’s now focused on aligning her work with her personal values and prioritizing her lifestyle.
• Lankford’s daily routine in Costa Rica includes early mornings, hiking, surfing, and strategic work.

Where I urge more caution is in how much weight we give to titles, prestige, and momentum inside systems that don’t return the same care or loyalty. Staying longer than necessary in environments that drain you can be its own trap. When companies fail to value their people, choosing to work for yourself can be a direct path to autonomy and greater joy.

You don’t need to blow up your life to make a change, but you do need to be honest about what your job is costing you physically and emotionally. For me, walking away wasn’t giving up; it was choosing my physical and mental health. The goal isn’t to reject success, but to define it more carefully. What kind of lifestyle do you actually want to live, starting when?

If personal pursuits need to rank higher in your life than they do now, make room for them. Sometimes the most meaningful shift isn’t a big move, but a decision to stop postponing the life you actually want.