The Day I Quit My Full-Time Job

I reminisce a moment while filling a scrapbook in 8th grade that had a question:

"What is your aim in life"?

I wrote that 'I want to work for an MNC' when I did not even fathom the meaning of Multi-National Corporation (MNC).

Even when I was working in India fulfilling my childhood dream, I was not satisfied with what I was doing.

I always felt that I had plenty of time in my pocket that could be utilized by things that would make me happy and contented.

In 2014, before my marriage, after almost a year of sojourn in the United Kingdom, I came to India and had put on weight. My father used to pull my leg that if I don't shred body weight, I would not get married.

Quickly, I got myself enrolled in a nearby gym and started learning Zumba.

I adapted myself to this dance form at such a fast pace that I did a Zumba certification to become a part-time Zumba instructor.

There was a time when around the clock I managed my job, self-cooking, sharing accommodations, Zumba teaching, and going to the gym.

Initially, it was a bit overwhelming but that feeling of self-sufficiency is beyond words.

Juggling here and there and grabbing any good opportunities became my second nature. Time management was my forte and I considered it my top skill.

One such opportunity was teaching an online Data Analytics course to the students during weekends.

This helped me earn a few extra bucks and boosted my self-confidence and enhanced my public speaking skills.

What could be better than "Utilizing my skills and converting my hobbies into an earning opportunity?"

After marriage, my daily schedule remained pretty much the same, except now I started sharing my room with my spouse.

Days went by, and the time came, when I came to the United States on a dependent visa to accompany my spouse, which meant leaving my full-time, well-paid job in India.

Oh yes, initially it was hard to register and get accustomed when I had worked for nine years with an overwhelming schedule and many tasks on my bucket list.

Daily chores, sleep, read, and repeat became a part of my daily schedule for the first few days.

But as soon as I overcame the jet-lag, hard reality hit me headfirst. After my spouse left for the office, I had nothing to do except stare at the walls.

There was a 24/7 confrontation between the conscious and unconscious mind on how to utilize my time in the best possible way. Little did I know that I would now have plenty of time but nothing to manage.

It took me some time to carve out the schedule that keeps me busy almost all day.

Things I do to keep my day productive (in no particular order):

Toastmasters. This has literally been a 'blessing in disguise'.

My friend Shirley introduced me to Toastmasters- A public speaking platform to enhance my communication and listening skills.

I can't explain the warmth of meeting a group of people from all walks of life, ethnicities, and diverse backgrounds!

The weekly meetings give me an amazing time to write, listen, and learn. I have read that communication is all about listening, but Toastmasters is where I actually learned this and imbibed it.

Reading. I was not a habitual reader and always thought that "Reading a whole book is not my cup of tea!"

But, I'm glad I realized how wrong I had been. Thank god, better late than never, I got on the right track.

I still remember completing my first ever book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khalid Hosseini in 2017 and how contented I felt.

There has been no looking back after that.

Now, I set a bucket-list, get the books, set my targets, and maintain a checklist of my finished books year-wise.

Fitness. Now you all are pretty aware of how enthusiastic I am towards fitness.

The first thing I did after I recovered from my jet-lag was getting myself enrolled in a gym.

Learning a new fitness skill is an adrenaline rush for me.

I can't forget doing my first weight-lifting class and bragging about it to my whole family. I learned body-pump, Pilates, and yin-yoga. My spouse says that 'you have a different spark on your face every time you return from the gym'.

Cooking. Some people cook as it is a necessity and part of the basic chore but I cook to satiate my soul.

I enjoy outside food, but when I cook, I give my 100% into it. A complete stress-buster for me.

My dream is to be a part-time connoisseur if ever I get there.

I used to post so many pictures of my cooking on my social media account that one fine day I decided to start my own Instagram page solely with the purpose of having a catalog of my food pictures and stories accessible with a single click.

Investing. This is my latest learning venture. Finally, with plenty of time for market research and my savings, I could make progress with this.

When I left my full-time job, with no regular pay in my account, I realized how quintessential it is to know the basics of investing.

And as they say, "Where there is a will, there is away." The best way to earn money is to save it.

My friend Shirley invited me to be part of this women's finance club. We have weekly meetings every Wednesday.

We all join a virtual meeting, some from Singapore, some from Korea, others from the United States, and Canada to discuss each sector every week, stock updates, and pick up their favorite stocks.

Learning an additional skill online. In modern times, self-learning is imperative for our career growth.

Every year, I used to set some unachievable targets for self-learning but as I have plenty of time now, I made sure to invest my time in learning a new course every month to grow my professional portfolio.

Writing. After completing my studies I hadn't touched pen and paper again. Not until now.

It's just after joining Toastmasters, I got an urge to resume my writing.

Writing a draft, reviewing and re-writing has recently kept me busy. This hustle has been therapeutic for me.

Recently, I have switched to online writing platforms and started journaling.

This article is for all who are in the same boat as me.

Being jobless is not easy but being productive at home is damn tough.

I hope my ongoing journey will help you to carve out your own and make your life purposeful. During this time I have realized that happiness, comfort, and peace are all within.

Believe me, this is your opportunity to learn new skills, unlearn old habits, make new friends, meditate, get closer to your family, and hone your passions. Don't let boredom pull you down.

Whatever you do, do it with complete focus, passion, and maximum effort. Let this time be a stepping stone for your next phase in life.

I would like to leave you with a quote by Rainer Maria Rilke that I believe in firmly, "Let everything happen to you beauty and terror, Just keep going. No feeling is final."