I QUIT My Great Job at 50

On one of my cycling trips

I had a good paycheque , a corner cabin , respect and 10 years to go to official retirement and then I quit my job. I was warned not to do so .

“You will not find another job you are now over 50” I was told.

And maybe that was correct at least that is what data says , its not easy to find jobs after 50 because younger talent is available at fraction of the cost.

Yet I quit and here are my reasons.

1. I was in My Comfort Zone : I felt very comfortable where I was and that was not ok , because I had lost the spark in my life , I was not alive . Every day was the same , I looked forward to weekends to live my life. This was certainly not the way I wanted my life to be.
2. I did not have My Why : I had lost purpose , I had dreams but I always had postponed my dreams to the future “When things are more settled” I said “I will then live My Life”. That future never came because I never had the guts to quit a paycheque.
3. Rat Race : Job is a big con game to hook you to a drug called ‘Paycheque’ , you give your time for a paycheque , you live your life according to rules set by others , you make money for others. In the process you lose control of Your Time. You use the money to buy stuff you don’t need to show to people who don’t care and you keep running for promotions every year. You need more money to buy more stuff .
4. The Trap : You get trapped into taking loans to buy a house and that car and then you are hooked because you have to pay back the monthly EMIs , you cannot quit to chase your dreams , you are hooked for life.
5. Time is the Most Precious Asset : You keep running on a treadmill hoping to reach somewhere at the end you find you have not reached anywhere . Unfortunately this treadmill does not have a stop button. Time once gone will never come back , never. So in chase of more stuff we sacrifice our time.
6. I wanted to be in control of My Time : That was one of my primary reasons for quitting , I wanted to be in charge of My Life and not be dictated by others , bosses , organisation by anyone. I wanted to live life on My own Terms.

And So I quit. Yes I had planned well before I quit .

1. I cleared all my debt , I remember clearing my home loan and taking charge of my home documents , it was a great feeling. Now I was no longer in the trap of EMIs.
2. I had a Cushion : I put aside over one year of my monthly spends , this gave me peace of mind. I would not have to rush back looking for a job if something went wrong.
3. I had Medical Cover : For me and my family . This is the most critical requirement one hospitalisation can create a big dent in your life.
4. I stopped caring for what others think : I am ok with my 11 year old car , if it has issues I repair and maintain it . I am not trying to show off stuff to anyone . My car takes me places I wish to go to so it suffices . You will need to look at your expenses . I do spend money where I need to but i don’t do it to show off to anyone.

Find Your Why

Why am I alive , why do I get out of bed everyday ? this is a question I asked myself. There needs to be a spark in life.

Don’t quit from your job because the grass looks greener on the other side , quit because you have a answer to your ‘Why’.

One of my key reasons was “I want to live My Life on My Terms” in other word I wanted My Freedom.

I have in the past 8 years written two books , made 10 short films on good, recorded my song in a studio , co-founded a startup , started multiple businesses , started cycling , focused on my health , built communities , started writing blogs and ..

I take breaks when I want to , read books , meditate , have agenda less days . In short I am in control of My Time.

What about Money ?

Its not always been smooth sailing but things have worked out and its been 8 years. I know how much is enough and I have done all that I wanted to.

Each person has a different life story and each needs to plan their way . But if I had to go back to my 20 year old and share one lesson from my journey it would be this ;

We have only one life and we need to live it on our Own Terms.

Don’t wait to retire to live your life , don’t wait to live your life , no one knows the future , no one knows if we will be in good health to experience life and it does not matter what others think . It is Your Life , Live it on Your Own Terms.