Yesterday I finally made a decision. I let my manager know that I’m quitting my job in a month. It was hard to me to do this. I was very hesitant because I had a feeling that the dialogue won’t go well. When I quit a job, I feel guilt, the guilt of leaving things halfway through. I feel like others will have to work much more than they used to because I leave them; now in addition to their tasks they also should do my tasks. Though it’s pretty normal that people quit their job, whenever I do it, I feel bad because others’ workload increases. It seems irresponsible and unfriendly though it shouldn’t be.
This was one of the reasons why I didn’t want to talk to my manager. But surprisingly, the conversation didn’t go as badly as I expected. He had some objections to my reasons for quitting the job (at the end of the day he is a manager; it is as though his obligation to change his employees’ mind when they want to leave the company). Overall, he respected my decision, and everything ended well.
Having said that, the main reason for being hesitant for months before deciding to quit my full-time job was that I was scared of the consequences. I wrote about this in more detail in the previous article which can be found both on Medium and PUBLISH0X (https://www.publish0x.com/real-world-assets/make-that-jump-what-im-learning-from-4-hour-week-by-tim-ferr-xrxoljw). First things first – I dislike the idea of full-time employment. I have disdain for authority, so I don’t enjoy of taking requests from others, of doing things that I don’t enjoy. It kills everything creative in your inner self; it encroaches on your freedom making you a slave to your job. This is the exact opposite of human nature. But my current job is particularly despisable. I work insane hours, and the environment is not pleasant. We are only allowed to have a vacation of 14 days, not full 30 days.
So, if the job is so obnoxious, why I feared of quitting it? Because I feared of potential consequences. This is where “4-hour week” by Tim Ferris helped me. To be frank, the book doesn’t state anything that is not obvious the ordinary mind; there is no unexpected truth that you wouldn’t come to yourself. But it is good anyway. In the chapter called “Dodging Bullets”, Ferris describes how fear prevents us from taking action. We fail to act because we are scared of uncertainty. Therefore, we tend to “choose unhappiness over uncertainty.”
But as Ferris points out, most of these fears are totally pointless. You are afraid of starving but most likely that you won’t. You are scared of remaining without income for a long time, but you most probably won’t be. It’s symbolic that the section begins with the quote attributed to the great Mark Twain: “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” Once you start analyzing your fears, you understand that most of them don’t have any basis. You’ll definitely survive, and more likely will thrive.
One of the best essays I ever read is called “Escaping Entrapment” written by Mark Baker known as Guru Anaerobic on Twitter. For me, Guru is the prophet of “full-time employment is slavery” mentality. The reason why I adore this piece of writing is that in it Mark is clear that he doesn’t see quitting your job through rose-tinted glasses. In fact, he plainly notes that you’ll suffer, you’ll have difficult days. When you start the new period in your life, all sorts of shit can and probably will happen. But all these shouldn’t discourage you. You have to understand that what you are going through in your life is totally normal. You are a normal human being, and your fears, anxieties, concerns, doubts, losses are normal. This is what makes you human. But you have one advantage over others. You are courageous because you quit your job, the job that you never liked. And as Guru puts it, “what you left something you hate) more than makes up for any uncertainty you may face.” Now, that is the mentality I idolize.
I don’t toute quitting my job as a panacea to all my hardships either. In fact, as I already noted above, I understand that I may have bad days; days with no income, days when I am full of anxieties and fears about my and my family’s future. But the fact that I left behind what I didn’t love will give me power I believe. That I’m not like others in that I quit “rat race” of corporate environment, and that I found strength within myself to quit what I disliked most of all will make me happier and encourage to do great things.
Quitting my job offers more advantages than disadvantages:
- Perhaps the most important aspect of leaving employment is that I will spend more time with my family. I’ll do class assignments with my daughter and will take her to dancing and swimming classes. I truly believe that family is the most significant value a man ever can have. I also will be more flexible with my time.
- I don’t work for one employer which means I don’t depend on one income source. I can sell my knowledge and skills to as many people as I want.
- I will have more time to learn things I always wanted but didn’t have enough time to pursue. Computer science & programming, astrobiology, crypto & DeFi, you name it.
- My income won’t have an upper limit. Your salary is your ceiling if you are a full-time employee. Being unemployed means being free and having more opportunities to make money. You leave behind one boring source of income but gain more random opportunities to realize yourself.
- Full-time employment numbs up my creativity. All these routine, soul-crushing tasks and meetings serve no purpose and dull our imagination. Being on your own will allow you to introspect yourself. You always knew what you’d do if you had 1 million dollars in your bank account. Now, freedom will enable you to do those things. And leaving behind a stable income source will oblige you to make money with your skills which will stretch your imagination and creativity.
- Last but not least. I want to take more risks in my life. I am sure that the risks pay off. Yes, sometimes, they don’t; that is life. But in general risks tend to create more opportunities than difficulties for you. Even if they don’t, most of the time their effect is not irretrievable. If something goes wrong, I can take action and try other things the worst of which can be returning to full-time employment which I don’t want to do. The best part of taking risks is that I will always know that. unlike other people living dull lives, “at least I tried.
Let's see what awaits me!
