Lessons I Learned After Quitting My Job
I may have quit at just the right time, or the worse time possible.
But would I change my decision if I knew a pandemic would occur, jobs would be lost, and another recession would hit less than a year later? No, I wouldn’t and here’s why.
What I learned after quitting my job:
Sometimes the worst case scenarios do happen, and sometimes, it will be worse than you expected.
Regardless of how well you plan, you can’t predict everything. The best attitude to have when life throws you into the deep end is to be non-judgmental and not take things out of your control personally. Instead, focus on the things you can control and keep showing up as your best self.
If your best self looks like getting out of bed, brushing your teeth, and washing your face—maybe even with some cleanser—then going straight back into bed, then that’s okay. You showed up, and that’s what matters.
We need to normalize rest because in order to keep showing up, we need to pause and fill our well every so often.
Why do we idolize a work hard, hustle, and grind mentality? Who benefits from Girlboss culture? What systems are in place that continue to feed us this “American Dream” while pulling the goalpost further and further away?
At some point, friends, we need to question if the goals we’re working towards are really our own aspirations to begin with. Rest gives us the space to question and contemplate our values, our actions, what we’re working towards, and the life we’re building.
Growth happens in discomfort and when we step out of our routines.
When I first quit, rest and downtime were out of my comfort zones. When I was going to school or working full-time, I had a hard time “turning off.” Mindfulness, therapy, having hobbies, and spending quality time with my friends and family helped, but my priorities were always making sure my basic, survival needs were met.
A lot of meeting your basic needs comes down to money: get good grades to get into a good school to get a good job with a decent salary. Paying off all my student loan debt and not accruing credit card debt bought me the freedom to invest in myself and pursue my personal growth.
Taking myself out of the hustle and grind culture that was ingrained in me pushed me out of my comfort zones and out of my normal routine. By recognizing my limits and stepping past those limits, little by little, I was also able to recognize the areas I could improve and the narratives that were holding me back.
Travel is one of life’s best teachers. If you can’t travel physically, transport yourself by listening to other people’s stories and experiences.
One of the biggest reasons why I wouldn’t change my decision to quit my job if I knew COVID would disrupt our everyday lives is because I got to travel, domestically and internationally.
I visited sisters and family in Los Angeles where I went shooting for the first time, stayed up all night to finish a puzzle with my Best, and had a lovely solo date in a cafe surrounded with plants.
I went to Hawaii—a place I’ve never been to before—with the women in my family where we got caught in the rain during our luau on Big Island and while getting lost with my cousin in Waikiki.
I traveled with my boyfriend internationally for the first time when we went to Japan, stayed at a ryokan with our own private outdoor bath, and enjoyed home cooked meals with my Ninang, cousins, and my cousins’ kids.
Tagaytay, Philippines
View of Taal Volcano after the 2020 eruption.
© 2020 | Anjeliqueca
Just before quarantine, I made it back to the U.S. after traveling to the Philippines. I spent time with my mom’s and dad’s sides of the family in Cavite, Quezon City, and El Nido. I got bitten by a tiny fish, saw the aftermath of Taal Volcano’s eruption on Tagaytay, and almost had to extend my trip because flights to Taiwan were suspended for a short period.
But it was the stories my family shared with me and the memories we created together that made quitting my job worth it. I wouldn’t give that up for the world.
While we may not be able to travel right now, we can use technology to our advantage by staying connected with our tribe. Each person has a story to tell and a lifetime of experiences to share. Maybe now, we can find the time to listen and learn from each other.
I hope you gained something valuable from me sharing my experiences with you. If you did, click the little heart below or give my video a thumbs up on YouTube. Your support keeps me going. Thanks for sticking all the way to the end, friends.
