Why I quite my job

Quit! 

It is taboo words that most of us wished that we have the courage to pursue it. Quit is easy. Do not like what you are doing, quit! Bored with the job, quit! Basically quitting seems to be a lot simpler in life.

Many wants to quit from whatever that they are doing but one cannot imagine what would society says if we quit. How do I live if I quit and there is no regular income? Would society punished me because I am a quitter? And what about those saying that ‘no matter what you do, do NOT quit??!!

Well….. this is my story. Just like you and me I was brought up to never to become a quitter! I has been working in the banking industry for over twenty years specializing in designing products for Islamic Banking. The role requires one to be multi tasking and knowledgeable. From the beginning of my career, this role fascinate me for the challenges it imposed, the criticality of the function and the satisfaction that it gives once you are able to launch the products. The role give me ‘power’ that I always hunger for – power to determine what is right or wrong, how the process gonna be like and who can opt for these products. In short, I determine the exclusivity of the products to be offer to the public.

I was young and single. Career was no 1 and. I eat, sleep and s**t at the office…. Literally!! hahaha. Everytime I launched new products to the market, the feeling of pride and joy is difficult to express. It feels like you’ve just given birth to a baby. And why do I say that??! Well, prior launching, you would make the necessary arrangement to ensure everything is nice and smooth for the new product to be launched. And just like a newborn baby, you’ll need to gives your undivided attention to nurture it to ensure that everything goes smoothly, once it is launched. The first few years, this function was really fulfilling. Long hours in the office, arguing with lawyers (yup! Lawyers), regulators and other internal policyholders gives great pleasure.

Then the storyline changes. Girl meets boy, fall in LoVe, got married and starts family. The career role that was fulfilling no longer satisfies me. Do not get me wrong! I tried so many other things, change of role from product designer to trainer, operations, changing support from local market to regional, and I even tried relocation internationally!  I started a family, when most of my high school friends have 2-3 children already and some has even started schooling. When I have you own babies, my priorities are towards them, to nurture, and to see them growing in front of you. For years I’ve to rely on my maid to oversee them, whilst I still leave home at ungodly hour and return later at night. There are times that I would not see my children for a couple of days per week because when I left home, they are still asleep, and when I came home, they were already asleep!!

SO, what triggers?

As they grow up, the children are closer to the maid. When they were upset, they went to the maid. If they are hungry, they went to the maid, and the final straw when the maid left, my youngest was devastated. Only then I realised that I’ve missed the time when all my 3 kids were growing up! All their younger time were spent with my maid. My maid got to see their first steps, my maid were with them when they were ill, all about the maid!!!
Any of you as a mom, please  tell me that this does not effect you??

I decided to change the lifestyle. I am no longer a single career woman who are engrossed onto her career. I am a MOM that has 3 kids who needs me. I left office on time, still I reached home late at night due to traffic jam. By this this the children has started schooling, and they have their own key to the house. Just imagine, at tender age of 10, my eldest son has to take care of the sibling once they’re home from school. Lunch? No hot lunch waiting for them at home; they have to eat whatever the school provided, and wait for us to buy dinner. Dinner time?? Usually after 9 pm!! Nothing seems to go right, until the opportunity to relocate to the middle east. Both my husband and I made bold decision to relocate as to have better quality family life. Too many sacrifices were made once decision was made to relocate to middle east. We have to rent-out the house, and sell off many of our personal belonging.

What what a decision it was!  UAE has changed our perception on quality of life. Talk about family bonding, we’re closer to the children.

No more take away dinner, instead there would always time for me to cook dinner at home and actually having dinner at 8 pm!! And dinner time was no longer a lonely affair, it is the time to sat together and share our daily routine. After a couple of years there, I've decided to leave my 5 figures monthly income. No planning of what's next, what I knew is only to pick-up those lost moments with my family.






It's been almost a year now, and what do I do? Do look into my next write-up.