A couple weeks ago I did something drastic: I quit my full-time job.
In August of last year, I left a job I actually liked due to the pay not being nearly enough to survive. It was not a decision I made lightly. There was a lot of pressure from my family because they were really concerned about my financial well-being. I was BARELY able to pay my bills and cash advances were the only way I got by.
I applied to a job thinking there wasn’t a huge chance I’d get the job. But, I was offered the job, and the pay was double what I was making at the job I liked. Due to my financial instability, I accepted the job offer. I would have been an idiot to turn down the job with a decent salary when I was in financial ruins. I thought having more money would help ease the stress of not being able to pay my bills. The job wasn’t a passion I was chasing. But, I knew I was capable of the job, so I took it for the money.
The team I worked with was great. I quickly made friends with the people I worked around every day. But, I didn’t love the job. I definitely tried my best to at least like it, but it was getting mentally exhausting going through the motions every day.
The other big issue for me was going from a job where I worked 4 days at home and 1 day in office to being in the office 5 days a week and then 3 days a week once I was trained and able to work from home. I found myself getting overstimulated in the office and not able to truly focus on my work because there was just so much going on around me. I can be pretty social, but when I had a lot of work on plate, it was hard not being able to focus. I found myself having to read things over and over again. This of course was also mentally exhausting. The two days at home were my solace where I had the quiet that I needed to focus and get my work done well and efficiently.
I knew I needed something remote and flexible. I’ve had a travel blog for some time and while it makes money, it doesn’t make a lot. I started trying to work on that and I now also have a food blog. So, I was working my full-time job in addition to trying to get two blogs off the ground. I stopped getting the sleep I needed, I was barely eating, barely leaving my house, and honestly I was just miserable to be around. It was affecting every part of my life and not in a good way.
Finally, I realized something needed to change. I could not keep running myself into the ground to try and build up what I needed to be able to leave the job I didn’t love. I’ve spent years working a full-time job and stuff on the side and honestly it just became too much. It really just came down to me deciding to choose myself, my happiness, and my well-being. I’m very lucky to have the blogs making money now and I thankfully have a solid freelancing gig doing something I GENUINELY enjoy.
I didn’t quit my job because I don’t want to work. I quit my job because I want to pursue things that are meaningful to me while also having the flexibility I know I need.
I have a lot of family members that cannot believe I’m leaving my good job with benefits. And I get it. But, those benefits and the great pay don’t mean anything if I don’t have a life outside of work because I’m so mentally burnt out that I don’t leave my house. I was in survival mode and a mere shell of myself.
Last Friday was my last day of work. When I put in my two weeks’ notice, my entire demeanor changed. I was happy to know it was finally ending. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
This week has been great. I finally feel like I have a work-life balance. I have been able to go out and enjoy my mornings and then come home and work. (It’s nice to actually want to do my work lol.) I’ve been able to clean my house. I’ve been able to spend time with my family and my significant other. I knew I would be so much happier, but to be actually done and working the job I didn’t want to work and living life on my own terms again has been life changing. The difference is noticeable to those around me as well.
While a lot of people definitely think I’m crazy for doing what I did, I was tired of doing what others expect me to do. I was tired of being unhappy working the safe job with the steady paycheck. I know I’m capable of making money without going the traditional 9-5 route and I was tired of others telling me I needed to go the safe route. While there are a lot of people who think I’m crazy, a lot of people definitely have told me that they think it’s great that I’m choosing myself and my happiness…and that they wish they could too.
The older I get, the less I care about what others want me to do. At the end of the day, I’m going to do what makes me happy because I need to worry about my needs. I’m the one who has to live with my decisions, so I’m going to do what’s best for me. I have absolutely no regrets about leaving my traditional job to freelance and be self-employed. I’ve already been doing those things in addition to a full-time job everyone made me feel like I needed. Now, I get to focus on my passions instead of feeling like I’m wasting my life 8+ hours a day.
-Kailey
