An inspirational book that lays out the “Jump Curve”―four steps to wholeheartedly pursuing the career of your dreams―through experiences from a variety of people who have jumped and never looked back
“When Mike Lewis was twenty-four and working in a prestigious corporate job, he eagerly wanted to leave and pursue his dream of becoming a professional squash player. But he had questions: When is the right time to move from work that is comfortable to a career you have only dared to dream of? How have other people made such a jump? What did they feel when making that jump―and afterward?
Mike sought guidance from others who had “jumped,” and the responses he got―from a banker who started a brewery, a publicist who became a Bishop, a garbage collector who became a furniture designer, and on and on―were so clear-eyed and inspiring that Mike wanted to share what he had learned with others who might be helped by those stories. First, though, he started playing squash professionally.
The right book at the right time, When to Jump offers more than forty heartening stories (from the founder of Bonobos, the author of The Big Short, the designer of the Lyft logo, the Humans of New York creator, and many more) and takeaways that will inspire, instruct, and reassure, including the ingenious four-phase Jump Curve.”
When I first read about this book, I just thought it seemed relevant. I actually went and saw the author speak on the day it came out in a session facilitated by, no less than Sheryl Sandberg, who happened to be his cousin. I really enjoyed this book although it tends to focus on individuals mid and even early career. It is about when and how you jump from your career, generally a stable and practical career, to something else entirely. This becomes relevant to us as we try and change from a long and successful career to maybe finally acting on our deferred dream or secret ambition. It is a book of stories about people who decided to “jump”. I enjoyed it and it is motivating, not always practical for us, but a good book to seek inspiration and maybe a cup of courage. Iris