I was in a 3 year earn-out, followed by another sale and another 3 year earn-out. After all the hard work I put in, I felt so empty… it’s like a grief or something, hard to explain.

I think I reached a weird state of burn-out, but functional burn-out… I craved the high pressure. 🤷🏻‍♂️

It’s been a year in Feb 2024, but I took some time out (not as much time as I thought I would), but made an effort to visit friends all over the country who I’d not seen for a long time. Slowly but surely I started to get a new vigour for other stuff, putting plans and ideas into focus, and realising that my work only matters to me and others in the industry, it matters not a shit to anyone else. Sounds sad, but you’ve actually got to teach yourself how to live again.

Edited: spelling

I was in a very similar situation to you. Sold my business, moved to a new area… and felt flat. Well, very flat and depressed for about a year afterwards. It’s strange to feel like you’re winning with a successful business, to then sell, and realise all that hard work you put in is now condensed into an amount of money. You question your life, existence, the lot.

I now fill my days by doing a mix of whatever the hell I like… long walks, nice cooking, doing up my house, volunteering, and work wise, I offer up my services to people I used to work with… so that takes up maybe 3 days a week.