Why I quit my job without another?

I quit my job.

Funny, how all you have to do is send out an email and sign a few papers and you are out of the job you so heartfully hate, but, trust me, I know that it is not as easy as it sounds, I have spent months and almost even years mustering up my courage before one day I felt there must be more to life that slaving away for someone else and then I finally decided to quit my job.

No, I did not have a backup plan, I had no other income sources to be honest, and i was so used to the regular paycheck I am receiving at the end of every month that I could not imagine surviving without it.

When I first started having the thought of maybe a 9-5 job is not for me or maybe I am not meant for the corporate field altogether, I judged myself, I thought I was going insane, after years of studies, education loans and everything , realizing that I may have been on wrong path the entire time , I felt so dumb, and I almost convinced myself that no matter what, I will try harder to love my job. But life does not go as expected, does it?

Before I have considered quitting my job, without any back up plan, I have taken time to evaluate my life, I have taken time to determine what kind of lifestyle my future self would want.

If you are someone who is tired of your 9-5 job and spent most of your days thinking of how to quit your job or how to escape the rat race, you are not alone.

But, before you go ahead and quit your job, find out the reason why you think that the current path is not suitable for you, though you need not have your life figured out, starting with a brief idea of your future self and his/her lifestyle will motivate you to take this huge step and help you head in the right direction instead finding yourself at the same cross paths all over again.

Here are the 5 reasons I have considered before quitting my job.

1.I Get No Joy from My Job:

 It is completely normal to have bad phases in your job occasionally and to feel exhausted, but it was not just occasionally for me, it was a routine. The role and the technology I was working in did not spark a thing in me anymore, they never did to begin with.

I was starting to realize that if I do not take a risk and give myself an opportunity to redesign my life the way I want, no one would do it for me. Your friends and family might love you, but no one is coming to save you from this vicious cycle, we have all been designed to accept that the only normal thing is to work a 9-5 job for 40-50 years, but if your job leaves you always thinking it may not be right for you or if you constantly dream of quitting the job, you should consider giving it a chance. So, do yourself a favor and be your own shining knight in the armor.

2. New chance at life:

    I know, most people fret to leave their job because, there is nothing else apart from the job that they could do, that they could make a living out of. It is hard for most of us because, we always had one option, to graduate and get a high paying job and probably climb up the ladder, everything is according to the plan, everything is perfect, you have your job, you have your monthly paycheck, your parents are happy, but there is one thing missing, that is YOU. No, not the ‘you’ that is defined by your career, but the person you have born to be.

I wanted to take this time to learn about myself, enroll in new courses, learn hobbies I never got to do as a kid, I wanted to take a chance at life, so that, I don’t grow old and fail to recognize myself.

3. Health

After working many years in corporate, the late-night shifts, the midnight meetings, lack of sleep and lack of time to care for myself took a toll on my health. Both physically and mentally. I was tired, I was burnout, I know there are people who could still manage to find time to do everything despite being a full-time employee, I was one of them during my initial years, but, the more time I spend, the more energy the job drains from me.

I was at a point where I would spend entire Sunday night awake in my bed dreading that it will be Monday in few hours.

I have spent years this way, until I have realized this is not normal anymore, living my life only on Friday nights, and on occasional vacations is not normal anymore. My mental health is deteriorating, so is my physical health.

Trust me, I have tried to work out regularly, eat healthy food, live a balanced life. But nothings seem to work anymore, because no matter what task I am doing, my mind is occupied with something related to my job.

So, I quit, I want to take few months off to at least focus on my mental and physical health.

4. Seeking Fulfillment:

    You may be very good at your job, but still lack the fulfillment you get from your day-to-day tasks. I know, most people say, our job is just a job and a means to earn money, fulfillment and satisfaction are not usually given priority.

But I beg to differ, if we are supposed to earn money and work our lives away, why not pick a career that will make you look forward for each day, money and job are important, but do not give them the power to ruin your mental health and physical health. If you are dissatisfied at your workplace or in your field, please do not neglect yourself and try something you would love, if you have the stability and if you can afford to take the risk , quit your job and find an industry where you fell satisfaction from your work, Afterall, you never know unless you try.

5.Work-Life Balance:

I cannot stress enough about how important it is to have work-life balance.

There was a time when my manager gave me work outside of my work hours, but when I refused to do it, he asked me why I was not able to do it as I was a single woman and do not have a family to take care like other married woman in my organization.

It is called work-life balance for a reason and not work-homeslave balance. You deserve a lifestyle where you can step out of your workplace and spend your time peacefully with either yourself or your family. Your identity dies not have to be limited to your work role, you are much more than that.

I have felt that I need to find work that works with my lifestyle and not adjust my lifestyle around my working hours.

Though, most people would suggest you have to work hard to have a successful life, I believe that you should work hard in your life, not be hard on yourself. Do not deny yourself the little moments.

To conclude, do not stress yourself too much for a job that can easily replace you, instead save some money, take a break and build your life the way you would dream. The road which you take after you decide to quit your job might be an unclear and bumpy one, but it is worth it to give a try, like I said, you never know unless you try.