Leaving Corporate Life: Executive Trades Career Path for Forest and Family

Iiris Puhakka, in her thirties, made a significant career shift, leaving a secure executive position in a large financial firm to manage a forest and dedicate more time to her family. Despite finding her previous work engaging and not suffering from burnout, Puhakka felt a strong urge to step off the "hamster wheel" and align her life with her personal values.

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I got completely fed up and wanted to start living according to my values. Work is only one part of life.

"I got completely fed up and wanted to start living according to my values. Work is only one part of life," Puhakka stated. She explained that the idea of relying on a single income source felt precarious in the current uncertain employment landscape. More importantly, she realized that her most important relationships were with her family, not her colleagues. With her first child born three years ago and another expected soon, Puhakka wanted to be more present for her children, citing concerns about large group sizes and high staff turnover in early childhood education.

Puhakka, who grew up in Helsinki, had previously prioritized career advancement, promotions, and salary increases. However, her values shifted after having children, a change mirrored by her spouse. Her greatest fear used to be job loss, but she found that resigning was ultimately a relief, and letting go of her career path felt surprisingly easy. The resignation occurred spontaneously at the end of last year, without any drama.

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My greatest fear previously was the end of work. Resigning was ultimately a relief, and giving up my career didn't feel like anything.

Soon after, Puhakka and her partner purchased a "nicely sized" forest property and began building a cabin and undertaking forest management tasks. Her days are now filled with planting spruce saplings and tending to a vegetable garden, embracing the outdoor lifestyle she desired. Puhakka expressed immense satisfaction with her decision, stating, "Life is absolutely wonderful. I haven't regretted it for a moment."

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Life is absolutely wonderful. I haven't regretted it for a moment.

Puhakka observes that many people her age are seeking alternatives to traditional career trajectories, often feeling a lack of control over their lives. This shift in values is also becoming apparent in the workplace, with individuals declining promotions or changing jobs if work becomes too demanding or incompatible with family life. Experts note that increased demands in the workplace, coupled with other life stressors like young children or aging parents, contribute to rising burnout rates among those in their thirties and forties. Puhakka believes her generation is more vocal about these issues than previous ones.

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So many are fed up with not having a sense of control over their own lives.