Growing up, I noticed that many people especially foreigners travel the world in their 20s to 30s after quitting their job. They can be from just a normal blue-collar worker to white-collar workers that took some time off from their profession to travel the world. Usually, their travel period is between 3 months to a few years depending on the savings that they have. Over the years of traveling, I have met many people who live such life & when I asked them the reason behind their actions, they always mentioned that they are seeking happiness & wanting to explore the world.
As someone that used to seek to move up the corporate ladder & wanting to make millions from my business, I used to think that their action may cause no future for their career & wealth. It took me a while to realize that I was wrong about having such a mindset. Of course, many of us have different views on life & my current view can be different from yours but over the years of working hard & chasing wealth, I have realized that there is more to life than just being in the rat race. When I started this blog in 2018, my focus was all on making money, investing my money & retiring at 40 years old but what I really lack is all about seeking happiness & enjoying life. 4 years later, the majority of my goals remain the same but some of my priorities sequence changed.
When the pandemic hits the world, one of my biggest realizations is all about how fragile life can be. There are so many passing in life & my question whenever I saw a passing is, are they living a fulfilled life? Another realization that came to me is when I had a conversation with my mum when she was hoping she still has the energy to travel the world. This also relates to a meme that I saw recently which also make me realize, why should I wait until 40 years old to start to live my life & why not now?
Here are a few simple reasons we can’t quit our jobs.
1. FearWe all have a fear of not being able to get a job that is better than our current job or we are afraid that if we left our job too long, our next employer will question why there are gaps between those years. It is so common. It is very common since these mindsets are so Asian. I have the same fear too & this is why I am still working at my same current job. Don’t get me wrong, I love my current employer & quitting will be the last option for me until I decide to be fully remote or retire. I can link the fear feelings to each country’s culture. Most probably, the western countries have a lesser fear of quitting their jobs, therefore, you can see lots of backpackers that rely a lot on their savings & they have no fear of getting the next job when they started to work again after their long break.
2. Family & Peer PressureIt goes back to our Asian culture where our parent’s advice is all about studying hard & getting better results so we can get a well-paid job in a reputable company. One thing that they forgot about is your mental health & happiness. I can’t speak for all but some companies that I used to work for are like pressure cookers where you are expected to work more than what you are paid. You are expected to work after office hours despite not getting paid for it. I’m sure many of us faced this issue & most probably some of you are fine with it. When I talked to some family or friends, they usually reply that it is ok, they are paying you a high salary so you just have to just continue to do your job. For some employers, if you refuse to work after office hours, they will label you as being too calculative. It really depends on what you want in life & there is no right or wrong for wanting to work more than you are paid for.
3. Life CommitmentsThis is the most common issue that most people have in their life. They are so unhappy, but they have no other choice due to high commitment. They are complaining about their job but due to their high commitment, they can’t quit their job. The solution for this is the simplest of all which is to keep your commitment low, but it can be hard for some people especially when they are having high loans for cars & houses. Another factor is that they have a family to feed therefore they have to grit through everything to continue to work.
4. No MoneyYes, you need lots of money to quit your job. I am very sure that you can quit your job easily if you have RM1,000,000 in your bank account with no debts. So instead of you spending your money on luxury items or expensive food, you should keep it & invest it. You can refer to my previous post on How I Build My First RM100,000 Investment Portfolio In Less Than 3 Years to learn more.
5. Different Priority In LifeThere are some people that want to leave the rat race & there are some people that want to live in the rat race by choice. Whichever you prefer, most important of all, you are living a fulfilling life. There is no right or wrong in living any life that you choose. Most important of all, you are happy with the choice you choose & you are not obligated to do things that makes you unhappy.
Conclusion:
To be honest, to retire at my current age does not make sense to me financially as I have a car & house loans which I am still paying for. Even though I can sell it, I don’t think my side hustle income, savings & investment will last me more than 10 years. Although the pandemic has caused much suffering to many people, I am taking it as a blessing for me as I am able to learn a lot from it. Part of me wants to travel the world immediately, but my Asian mindset won’t allow me to do so. I am sure that many of you can relate to these mindsets, especially Asians. We always seek to have security in life which is understandable since we are living in a real competitive world but ask yourself, are you truly happy?
My post is not about asking you to quit your job just because it is toxic but this post is about asking yourself what you truly want in life. If climbing the corporate ladder is your happiness & life goal, then you should continue to do it. My whole point is to state the reason why many of us are struggling to make that decision despite wanting to quit our jobs. Whatever it is, the grass can be greener on the other side. Even if you change to a different job that might be bad, you can always change until you find a job that suits you. If you can’t find it after switching multiple jobs, perhaps it is best you can start your own business venture because the problem may not be the company but you. Your attitude or mindset may be suitable for working on your own & you will definitely find success in it.
Anyway, always remember to prioritize your happiness & mental health instead of chasing money or you will be living an unfulfilled life.
OSS!
You can also check out my latest YouTube video on How To Invest Like Warren Buffett:
