2021 has given rise to a global collective movement termed ‘The Great Resignation’, where a large section of the population (primarily those under 30), are quitting their 9-5 corporate jobs, to follow their passion. And I’m happy to be a part of that movement.
Prior to 2020, I was quite career oriented. In fact, one of my 2020 goals was to become a manager, a mentor, to really put in the effort to go up the ladder. But surprise surprise, a pandemic hit, the lockdown happened, and I am grateful to have been in an industry and a job, that wasn’t too severely affected by it. That did come at a cost of my career ladder being severely hindered. I’m a people person, I build relationships through face-to-face conversations. I also like to inspire people, which is what drove my need to become a manager. And doing it through screens…. just wasn’t cutting it for me. I didn’t feel the same connections anymore, where we’re all just bouncing from one meeting to another. It became really hard to form strong relationships, professional or otherwise. This was when the notion of leaving, occurred to me.
I think a lot of us go through several moments a day, where you’re just so frustrated with work, or you had a shitty meeting, or a deadline that made you burn out, where you’re simply thinking of leaving your 9-5 and following something you know can make you money - be an influencer, podcasting, starting your own business, cryptocurrency, or heck, start up an Onlyfans account (that was a trend for a while).
And as someone who is on the other side (I’m not on Onlyfans …yet), I think its fair to give you an idea of what goes into executing that decision, and what you can expect once you do .While quitting my job was made to seem glamorous, and I chose when to reveal it to the world, many people don’t understand or realize, how much thought and work went into that decision. It was planned, it was well thought out , and I had an idea of where I wanted to go, and what to do. We’ll get into that more another time.
For now, let’s just focus on the playbook. Lets say, you have seriously considered quitting your job, to take an extended vacation, a sabbatical, or maybe even change careers / start a business. Maybe you don’t even know what you want to do yet. Well, how do you know when it makes sense to quit ?
I’m going to provide you with my 8 step plan before taking the leap. I started doing this about a year before I actually resigned, and I believe that if you’re able to complete all of them, the decision to jump ship becomes quite safe.
The keyword here, is ‘monitizable’. It’s easy to think that you can just talk about video games forever because you’re passionate about them. Or maybe you love to dance, or cook or talk about restaurants. Thats what makes this step the hardest. You need to really think about, and land on, a skill set that has a demand, and one you don’t mind doing for a considerable amount of your life.
For example, I really love to watch films; Been doing it for as long as I can remember. But watching movies doesn’t really get you paid… does it ?
Turns out, it can. I started searching, and ended up finding multiple ways that my passion ‘could’ be monetized.
There are so many ways to get paid for doing the things you love, as long as you remember 2 things:
Possibly the most crucial step, and one that you simply cannot avoid. If you’re one of the lucky ones to have the privilege of no debt, or you’ve managed to pay off your debt, then I sincerely congratulate you. You’re in a position that 99% of your peers cannot afford to be in. For the general population though, you possibly have a large debt cycle that you need to break out of- be it consumer, education, mortgages. Understand that leaving your job comes with a surrender of comfort, especially financially. Having a bi-weekly paycheck come in is truly a blessing, wether you’re underpaid or not. And before you decide to put an end to that stream for some time, you need to make sure you have a plan to pay off your debt.
I started this in February of 2020 (before the pandemic), and I did have a plan to pay off my debt in a year. Now, thankfully, the lockdown brought this deadline ahead.
I was able to cut down my spending incredibly, I ate out once a week, I did not travel, I didn’t indulge in any activities, no gym memberships. Overall, I put my entire financial focus into clearing my debt, and I’m happy to report, that I entered 2021 debt free (we drank to it on New Years). In 10 months, I paid it all off.
I’m not saying you need to follow the same regime; in fact, you don’t need to get your debt cleared either. Some of us may have debt that takes multiple years to clear, and you can’t put your passions on hold because of that. What I am suggesting, is to have a plan. Open up a google sheet, build a debt payoff plan, and look at it every single day, until it doesn’t scare you. You should see the amount you owe, and your plan to pay it.
You are also welcome to quit your job with debt, as long as you have accounted for it (more detail to follow )
This is your time to research. Look into what you’re planning to do, and search for other people who are doing it. YouTube is the best place to start. Search for side hustles, understand the market and the commitment, find others who are doing the same, creators you can trust. I wanted to talk film, so I looked at other content creators, I followed plenty of Youtubers, and podcasters.
The key word here is ‘validate’. You need to prove (not to the world) to yourself, that what you’re dreaming of can be achieved, and is viable. Not for you, but for anyone. Wether it’s for you, that will be in constant question. However it usually goes to show, that if you can find other people who are doing the same thing, and are successful at it, then you have a market to get into.
Start researching your side hustle, and if your time allows for it, begin to participate. I started posting reviews on instagram at least 2 years before I quit my job. You need to start the creation, to get the validation, which gives you the conviction to proceed.
The second most crucial step after identifying your debt. When you have a job, you can afford expensive tastes (or at least , the credit line to support them). But when you’re unemployed and self-serving, every dollar counts. You cannot be frivolous, you must be vigilantly frugal. You need to have a good financial understanding of how your money works. And the best time to do this, is when you have money.
When you have an income stream, you can take risks and test yourself. Identify your highest areas of spending, and then work to cut off the ones that are absolutely not bare essentials - rent, gas, utilities, WiFi , medicine, and groceries. Anything outside this bubble needs to be questioned and justified. Expensive gym membership ? Needs to go. Eating in fancy restaurants ? Learn to cook. Ubering everywhere? Busses exist for a reason. You need to condition yourself to not rely on money as much as you currently do. One good way of doing this, is to spend one week a month with no money. An entire week, go without spending a single dollar. If you think this is an impossible feat, let me tell you, I’ve done it.
I cooked at home every single day, I biked anywhere I needed to go, I didn’t shop for anything. It is possible, and more importantly, necessary. When you’re off the job, you need to be able to survive on the bare minimums, and training yourself to do that early on will be very beneficial. Of course, it takes a lot of tweaking and multiple attempts, but if you can reach a state of survival with minimum expenditure, you’ve conquered one of the biggest hurdles.
This is a good skillset to have in general, but especially when you’re entering a zone with questionable financial income. You need to learn how to budget, and understand the value and position of your money. A good budgeting plan should have the following
You need to be so well versed in your budget, that if someone randomly asks you about you, you’re comfortable with answering. Most people are afraid to confront their finances (I didnt start being financially smart until 27). But money shouldn’t scare you; you need to dominate it. Understand your needs, your largest spending quotas, how much is unavoidable, how much can be invested. It takes compromise and sacrifice to maintain these numbers, but they’re essential when you’re planning to quit your income stream.
While budgeting, planning six months ahead is usually a good place to start. Before I quit my job, I made sure that I had saved up a nest egg, enough to last me at least 6 months. This is colloquially called F-U Money, the amount of money you need to say ‘Fcuk you’ to your job. You see, what you’re doing is technically buying yourself some time. You are calculating how much money you require to survive a fixed amount of time, and then accumulating that amount.
When you have a side hustle ready and validated, money no longer becomes the prime concern - time does. If you’re already balancing the side hustle with your 9-5, then you will eventually realize that you can’t give your energy to both of them. Thats what happened with me. When I knew what I wanted to do, all my incentive for my 9-5 simply vanished. I was just not able to focus on my job, because I knew that there were other options waiting for me, that were of better use of my time.
This is why the keyword is ‘time’. You need the time, without the hindrance of money, to explore all your options. I also understand that being able to save for 6 months, is a privilege and I am lucky to be in a position to do so. I wasn’t in a relationship, my debt was paid, I had no other responsibilities that were significant, and so I could take some time off and figure out my next moves. For some of you, that may not be an option, but I urge you to not let this stop you. I mean, if you’ve managed to make it this far, this barrier shouldn’t be the one you resign at. If you can’t save for six month, start with three. If you can’t save for three months, start with one. The hardest part is to start, to decide to make those sacrifices that will save you time. But this is never going to be easy. Like we established, you are leaving your zone of comfort, and you might as well learn to be uncomfortable now.
Never be arrogant enough to assume you will succeed; be smart enough to realize that you will fail.
Failure is essential, and almost guaranteed during your initial months. You are leaving something you know, to do something new, and you need to fail constantly before you start seeing the benefits. This is why you need to have backup options. As your 6 month timer runs down, you will need to start approaching other options to keep you afloat. Now this may or may not mean returning to your old job, but if you really do want a new career path, you can also change directions.
Don’t be afraid to work minimum wage, don’t be scared to try online options you’ve never considered before. There is no shame with going back to what you left; not everyone wants to continue the hustle. But if you do enjoy your side-hustle (which has now become your hustle), then you will have to juggle multiple jobs to keep the hustle afloat, at least for the initial years. This is the price, but the reward is fulfillment. If you’ve planned it right, you will be in a position where you are genuinely satisfied, and be comfortable working at a Starbucks, because while your physical energy may be consumed, your mental focus remains on your hustle.
I love doing menial tasks, because they’re very routine. Being a fry cook, or in retail sales, is very physically predictable, which means you can still mentally work on yourself on the job. Compare this to Engineering, where you’re working with data, numbers, code. You’re physically in one spot, but you’re mentally exhausted. Thats the situation we don’t want. Sacrifice the physical comfort for the mental freedoms.
Once all is said and done, it is time to leave. Making the decision to quit, was one of the hardest, but once I did, I felt so much lighter. I had a plan, I knew what I wanted to do, I had saved up, and now there was nothing left to do, but walk the path. It was terrifying, it was scary… but more than anything…. it was exciting. I felt excited. When you feel comfortable with the above seven steps (and that time will come, be patient), you will be comfortable leaving your job. Never burn bridges, always keep your dignity. Don’t blame your colleagues around you, because you are no longer serving them. So say your goodbyes and leave with a smile, because you have done with 99% of your peers could not - You took a chance on yourself. Its one of the best bets you will ever make.
And there you have it, an 8 point playbook on how to be comfortable with quitting your corporate job. I will reiterate, this process took me a year to complete, so don’t rush it. It takes time, and it should. Be patient, and learn to play the long game. Learn how to sacrifice the extravagant comforts for the mental peace. Understand the concepts of money, to the bare minimum.
Eventually, you will manifest a situation where you can comfortably walk out of your corporate role, and start fresh on a clean slate. That comes with its own challenges, and its important to understand, what got you there, won’t keep you there. But thats a conversation for another time.
Prior to 2020, I was quite career oriented. In fact, one of my 2020 goals was to become a manager, a mentor, to really put in the effort to go up the ladder. But surprise surprise, a pandemic hit, the lockdown happened, and I am grateful to have been in an industry and a job, that wasn’t too severely affected by it. That did come at a cost of my career ladder being severely hindered. I’m a people person, I build relationships through face-to-face conversations. I also like to inspire people, which is what drove my need to become a manager. And doing it through screens…. just wasn’t cutting it for me. I didn’t feel the same connections anymore, where we’re all just bouncing from one meeting to another. It became really hard to form strong relationships, professional or otherwise. This was when the notion of leaving, occurred to me.
I think a lot of us go through several moments a day, where you’re just so frustrated with work, or you had a shitty meeting, or a deadline that made you burn out, where you’re simply thinking of leaving your 9-5 and following something you know can make you money - be an influencer, podcasting, starting your own business, cryptocurrency, or heck, start up an Onlyfans account (that was a trend for a while).
And as someone who is on the other side (I’m not on Onlyfans …yet), I think its fair to give you an idea of what goes into executing that decision, and what you can expect once you do .While quitting my job was made to seem glamorous, and I chose when to reveal it to the world, many people don’t understand or realize, how much thought and work went into that decision. It was planned, it was well thought out , and I had an idea of where I wanted to go, and what to do. We’ll get into that more another time.
For now, let’s just focus on the playbook. Lets say, you have seriously considered quitting your job, to take an extended vacation, a sabbatical, or maybe even change careers / start a business. Maybe you don’t even know what you want to do yet. Well, how do you know when it makes sense to quit ?
I’m going to provide you with my 8 step plan before taking the leap. I started doing this about a year before I actually resigned, and I believe that if you’re able to complete all of them, the decision to jump ship becomes quite safe.
1. Identify a monitizable skill/ passion project
The keyword here, is ‘monitizable’. It’s easy to think that you can just talk about video games forever because you’re passionate about them. Or maybe you love to dance, or cook or talk about restaurants. Thats what makes this step the hardest. You need to really think about, and land on, a skill set that has a demand, and one you don’t mind doing for a considerable amount of your life.
For example, I really love to watch films; Been doing it for as long as I can remember. But watching movies doesn’t really get you paid… does it ?
Turns out, it can. I started searching, and ended up finding multiple ways that my passion ‘could’ be monetized.
- Writing reviews for blogs
- Starting a podcast/ YouTube channel
- Being a part of focus groups
- Being a film critic
There are so many ways to get paid for doing the things you love, as long as you remember 2 things:
- Be open minded. You don’t know which opportunity works for you, so take them all.
- Understand that you will have to work incredibly hard, especially if you’re branching out into something you’ve never done before.
2. Create a Debt Payoff plan
Possibly the most crucial step, and one that you simply cannot avoid. If you’re one of the lucky ones to have the privilege of no debt, or you’ve managed to pay off your debt, then I sincerely congratulate you. You’re in a position that 99% of your peers cannot afford to be in. For the general population though, you possibly have a large debt cycle that you need to break out of- be it consumer, education, mortgages. Understand that leaving your job comes with a surrender of comfort, especially financially. Having a bi-weekly paycheck come in is truly a blessing, wether you’re underpaid or not. And before you decide to put an end to that stream for some time, you need to make sure you have a plan to pay off your debt.
I started this in February of 2020 (before the pandemic), and I did have a plan to pay off my debt in a year. Now, thankfully, the lockdown brought this deadline ahead.
I was able to cut down my spending incredibly, I ate out once a week, I did not travel, I didn’t indulge in any activities, no gym memberships. Overall, I put my entire financial focus into clearing my debt, and I’m happy to report, that I entered 2021 debt free (we drank to it on New Years). In 10 months, I paid it all off.
I’m not saying you need to follow the same regime; in fact, you don’t need to get your debt cleared either. Some of us may have debt that takes multiple years to clear, and you can’t put your passions on hold because of that. What I am suggesting, is to have a plan. Open up a google sheet, build a debt payoff plan, and look at it every single day, until it doesn’t scare you. You should see the amount you owe, and your plan to pay it.
You are also welcome to quit your job with debt, as long as you have accounted for it (more detail to follow )
3. Create & validate your side hustle(s)
This is your time to research. Look into what you’re planning to do, and search for other people who are doing it. YouTube is the best place to start. Search for side hustles, understand the market and the commitment, find others who are doing the same, creators you can trust. I wanted to talk film, so I looked at other content creators, I followed plenty of Youtubers, and podcasters.
The key word here is ‘validate’. You need to prove (not to the world) to yourself, that what you’re dreaming of can be achieved, and is viable. Not for you, but for anyone. Wether it’s for you, that will be in constant question. However it usually goes to show, that if you can find other people who are doing the same thing, and are successful at it, then you have a market to get into.
Start researching your side hustle, and if your time allows for it, begin to participate. I started posting reviews on instagram at least 2 years before I quit my job. You need to start the creation, to get the validation, which gives you the conviction to proceed.
4. Cut down expenses to the bare minimum
The second most crucial step after identifying your debt. When you have a job, you can afford expensive tastes (or at least , the credit line to support them). But when you’re unemployed and self-serving, every dollar counts. You cannot be frivolous, you must be vigilantly frugal. You need to have a good financial understanding of how your money works. And the best time to do this, is when you have money.
When you have an income stream, you can take risks and test yourself. Identify your highest areas of spending, and then work to cut off the ones that are absolutely not bare essentials - rent, gas, utilities, WiFi , medicine, and groceries. Anything outside this bubble needs to be questioned and justified. Expensive gym membership ? Needs to go. Eating in fancy restaurants ? Learn to cook. Ubering everywhere? Busses exist for a reason. You need to condition yourself to not rely on money as much as you currently do. One good way of doing this, is to spend one week a month with no money. An entire week, go without spending a single dollar. If you think this is an impossible feat, let me tell you, I’ve done it.
I cooked at home every single day, I biked anywhere I needed to go, I didn’t shop for anything. It is possible, and more importantly, necessary. When you’re off the job, you need to be able to survive on the bare minimums, and training yourself to do that early on will be very beneficial. Of course, it takes a lot of tweaking and multiple attempts, but if you can reach a state of survival with minimum expenditure, you’ve conquered one of the biggest hurdles.
5. Set up a budgeting process
This is a good skillset to have in general, but especially when you’re entering a zone with questionable financial income. You need to learn how to budget, and understand the value and position of your money. A good budgeting plan should have the following
- The amount you earn
- The amount you owe
- The amount you need to survive
- The amount you can save
You need to be so well versed in your budget, that if someone randomly asks you about you, you’re comfortable with answering. Most people are afraid to confront their finances (I didnt start being financially smart until 27). But money shouldn’t scare you; you need to dominate it. Understand your needs, your largest spending quotas, how much is unavoidable, how much can be invested. It takes compromise and sacrifice to maintain these numbers, but they’re essential when you’re planning to quit your income stream.
6. Save enough money to survive 6 months
While budgeting, planning six months ahead is usually a good place to start. Before I quit my job, I made sure that I had saved up a nest egg, enough to last me at least 6 months. This is colloquially called F-U Money, the amount of money you need to say ‘Fcuk you’ to your job. You see, what you’re doing is technically buying yourself some time. You are calculating how much money you require to survive a fixed amount of time, and then accumulating that amount.
When you have a side hustle ready and validated, money no longer becomes the prime concern - time does. If you’re already balancing the side hustle with your 9-5, then you will eventually realize that you can’t give your energy to both of them. Thats what happened with me. When I knew what I wanted to do, all my incentive for my 9-5 simply vanished. I was just not able to focus on my job, because I knew that there were other options waiting for me, that were of better use of my time.
This is why the keyword is ‘time’. You need the time, without the hindrance of money, to explore all your options. I also understand that being able to save for 6 months, is a privilege and I am lucky to be in a position to do so. I wasn’t in a relationship, my debt was paid, I had no other responsibilities that were significant, and so I could take some time off and figure out my next moves. For some of you, that may not be an option, but I urge you to not let this stop you. I mean, if you’ve managed to make it this far, this barrier shouldn’t be the one you resign at. If you can’t save for six month, start with three. If you can’t save for three months, start with one. The hardest part is to start, to decide to make those sacrifices that will save you time. But this is never going to be easy. Like we established, you are leaving your zone of comfort, and you might as well learn to be uncomfortable now.
7. Figure out backup options
Never be arrogant enough to assume you will succeed; be smart enough to realize that you will fail.
Failure is essential, and almost guaranteed during your initial months. You are leaving something you know, to do something new, and you need to fail constantly before you start seeing the benefits. This is why you need to have backup options. As your 6 month timer runs down, you will need to start approaching other options to keep you afloat. Now this may or may not mean returning to your old job, but if you really do want a new career path, you can also change directions.
Don’t be afraid to work minimum wage, don’t be scared to try online options you’ve never considered before. There is no shame with going back to what you left; not everyone wants to continue the hustle. But if you do enjoy your side-hustle (which has now become your hustle), then you will have to juggle multiple jobs to keep the hustle afloat, at least for the initial years. This is the price, but the reward is fulfillment. If you’ve planned it right, you will be in a position where you are genuinely satisfied, and be comfortable working at a Starbucks, because while your physical energy may be consumed, your mental focus remains on your hustle.
I love doing menial tasks, because they’re very routine. Being a fry cook, or in retail sales, is very physically predictable, which means you can still mentally work on yourself on the job. Compare this to Engineering, where you’re working with data, numbers, code. You’re physically in one spot, but you’re mentally exhausted. Thats the situation we don’t want. Sacrifice the physical comfort for the mental freedoms.
8. Peace out
Once all is said and done, it is time to leave. Making the decision to quit, was one of the hardest, but once I did, I felt so much lighter. I had a plan, I knew what I wanted to do, I had saved up, and now there was nothing left to do, but walk the path. It was terrifying, it was scary… but more than anything…. it was exciting. I felt excited. When you feel comfortable with the above seven steps (and that time will come, be patient), you will be comfortable leaving your job. Never burn bridges, always keep your dignity. Don’t blame your colleagues around you, because you are no longer serving them. So say your goodbyes and leave with a smile, because you have done with 99% of your peers could not - You took a chance on yourself. Its one of the best bets you will ever make.
And there you have it, an 8 point playbook on how to be comfortable with quitting your corporate job. I will reiterate, this process took me a year to complete, so don’t rush it. It takes time, and it should. Be patient, and learn to play the long game. Learn how to sacrifice the extravagant comforts for the mental peace. Understand the concepts of money, to the bare minimum.
Eventually, you will manifest a situation where you can comfortably walk out of your corporate role, and start fresh on a clean slate. That comes with its own challenges, and its important to understand, what got you there, won’t keep you there. But thats a conversation for another time.