There are five weeks to the end of 2017 and what a year this has been. My expectations at the start of the year are completely opposite to what it's looking like now. In January, I had a secure job with a great income but come the end of the year, I am ripping off the comfort blanket of a regular income. I've opted to leave my banking career after 16 plus years. It wasn’t an easy decision to make but once I made it, I felt a mixture of emotions ranging from relief, joy and fear to surprisingly shame. I could understand all the other emotions but why would I feel shame? That’s the million-dollar question. I was ashamed of walking away from a well-paying corporate job that I am great at, partly because it didn’t make sense to explain it to family, friends, and colleagues. I didn’t realise how much of my identity was tied to my job until I chose to let it go. Surprisingly I feel like it's a crime not to have a 'great' job with a steady income and this is eye-opening for me.