After 10 years of working experience, the desire to NOT continue in IT any more is getting stronger. I am not alone. Lot of people around me are also doing the job they are doing just for the sake of money. There is no passion or purpose in case of majority of people. I have hardly seen anyone enjoying the work they are doing. I have seen lot of pretenders though. We wait for weekends like anything. Some excel out of compulsion or in realization that without that we cannot sustain. We keep daydreaming about the life we want to live while waiting for ideal vacation and enough financial security which apparently never comes. While striving hard to sustain and earn enough wealth to take care of needs of our lifestyle and debt created, we create more needs on the way by getting married, having kids etc.
The situation of companies
The jobs have become so chaotic. There is so much stress. Market is changing fast and companies are struggling to cope up with the competition. I have a guess that the stressful work spaces are mostly the followers like their employees.
Pioneers create/disrupt something and it becomes famous (mainly because it made organization profitable) and rest of the world as always start copying with a greed in mind that they will succeed too. Leaders start coining fancy terms like ‘Innovation’. They try to motivate employees to innovate. I sometimes wonder, why would someone who is not passionate about technology would innovate for company? Wouldn’t that person even if innovates something prefer to start something of his/her own? When some leader talks about innovation I feel like replying — hey, you hired me, so I assume you know what needs to be done. I am not here to tell you what needs to be done. You may not listen anyway.
It’s all about money honey
I have a problem with money being the most important motivating factor. It is a hard reality that all companies want to become more successful and success criteria is defined by profitability. All employees (are supposed to/ should) work for companies’ goal and hence to basically make company more profitable. Even if your personal values don’t align with company’s policy you have no option but to comply and align yourself with company’s guideline. Be humble means be a yes man/woman. Someones gain is someones loss as far as money is concerned and hence companies mission statements/slogans sound so hollow and there is internal fighting. The truth is, everybody wants to save her/his own ass.
Why is life not easy? Why job and money have become so important that we must compromise our happiness, health for it. We spend most part of day (and hence life) in office doing the work which we don’t enjoy. Why?
When job is good
In my opinion we should do job only if:
- We need money to take care of basic necessities of life like food, clothing, shelter.
- We enjoy doing it. Then it doesn’t matter if you are doing it for yourself or others.
- There is a purpose/passion which keeps us going. Then it doesn’t matter how hard the job is.
For everything else, we need a revolution — quit the fucking job revolution!
Who should quit the job
- Those who don’t like it most of the days. Feel frustrated/stressed.
- Who have bought a home and saved enough money to sustain at least 1–2 years without job.
- Who like the job just because they are in comfortable position (higher post) and not adding any value to work.
- All those who have more than 20 years of experience.
Why should we quit the job
- Lots of people are jobless, and they need/deserve it more than us. Do not worry, world will not stop if you quit. Most probably it will be even better.
- There are more deserving employees who should be promoted.
- Cities are being crowded. Villages are becoming poorer. There are more serious problems (e.g. climate change) which need more attention than improving comfort in our lives through machines. Experienced people can invest their skills to work towards long pending issues. If you are stressed, you cannot think about planting a tree or not using plastic no matter how important that is.
- We must live the life which we always keep thinking/dreaming of. We must try at least. Make it less stressful. We need more time for ourselves first.
What we can do instead
- How about relaxing for few months? Do nothing, reflect, understand yourself.
- Go back to your town/village so that city is less crowded (remember your frustration in traffic jam? You are part of the problem.). Your expenses will reduce and you can help people back there.
- Travel. You still have lot of places to visit. Just GO.
- Think what you would like to do which you couldn’t do yet because you had a job.
- Social work
- Exercise. Get to the fitness which you always wanted but couldn’t do.
- Train people with skills which you have which may come to their use. Give lectures in colleges. Apparently there is a gap in skills. Industry wants skilled resources and people want jobs but their skills wouldn’t match.
- Join politics? Till when you will only complain about politicians? Try being one.
- Investigative journalism. If you think joining politics is too optimistic then this option comes close to improve political situation. You can help reduce political illiteracy.
- Meditate. This is what world needs. Even business leaders have started doing it. (Irony)
- Organic farming
- Develop solutions for the problems faced by farmers.
- Photography, painting, singing, music, filming, acting, carpentry, cooking, reading, writing.
- Set up your own business and provide employment to others. (try NOT to repeat bad cycle — greed leads to stress)
How can we prepare ourselves to quit job
- Reduce our needs and ambitions E.g. bigger home, bigger car and so on. Start living with less and less. Try sleeping without AC. Take public transport sometimes. Imagine the worst that can happen if you have financial crisis and start preparing to live in those circumstances. I am not against wealth and luxury, I am against living mediocre and meaningless life which happens if you are doing job only for money. This practice is just to prepare yourself for risks in case you quit the job.
- If you don’t feel like it, don’t get married. Don’t have kids. We have lot of them already. Maybe adopt one if you would like.
- Gradually try to reduce your responsibilities and seek detachment.
- Let go of your ego that you are taking care of others. Try leaving them for some months and see if you are really needed. I think they will be fine.
To get rid of insecurity the most effective way is to have nothing which needs security.
There is a lot be done for betterment, course corrections. See if you can contribute. If not that, just be and try NOT to add to the problems. Take care of yourself, learn to enjoy solitude (this is a big one), learn to NOT compare yourself with others. World is going mad anyway. Can you become sane?
I think a lot (I think). Aspiring writer/philosopher/psychologist.