Why I decided to quit my job

It should be studied– the growing number of people unhappy with their corporate jobs. I am part of that disenchanted club, so much so that I quit my day job a few months ago and often freeze as soon as someone suggests looking out for a corporate job.

All my life, I was pushed to score and ace every exam there was to give just so that my parents could feel happy about it and parade their happiness. Failure (read less than a perfect score) was not tolerated. Mediocrity was never an option.

Needless to say, I entered my professional life with stakes so high that I felt every mistake was a life-and-death situation. It was only compounded by the struggles of working under poor leadership, misguided by the belief that empathy had no place at work, personal boundaries were not to be respected, and that an employee having a voice meant problems for the company.

One day, all of this gave way to the realisation that even my fixation on perfecting every task as quickly as possible was not good enough for any company. Why, then, I asked myself, should I wait endlessly for that raise and promotion? Why should half my life be up for mid-year and annual reviews anyway? Nobody on their deathbed has ever lamented the fact that they did not spend enough time at their jobs.

When I tell people that I am on a career break and figuring out what to do next, I am met with encouragement, except that one time when my date thought I was a total loser.

I decided to make my mental health a priority, and I am sticking to my guns.

Good things are on their way.