The Reality of Quitting My Job to Become a Writer & Chennai Traffic

Daily Rants— Day 1

Photo by Denys Argyriou on Unsplash

Almost 1.5 years ago, I took a calculated risk. I quit my corporate job with the dream of becoming a writer. Am I a New York Times bestselling author now? Not yet. Though I press on.

But this post is not about the destination, it’s about the journey. So Hop on.

When I left my job, I didn’t just leave behind a designation. I left a lifestyle. Corporate clothes, Corporate food(gosh, I miss it the most), Corporate transport, and Corporate bank balance.

But it didn’t matter to me, because I was high. So high on my dream that I wanted to make a name for myself and create worlds with my words.

Eventually, after surfing through job boards for about 5 months, I landed a job. As a writer who writes stories that literally are changing the lives of people (I assist students to craft compelling Statements of purpose for their international master’s application).

Everything was fun and giggles for about two months, until reality settled in.

Though I was earning a decent pay, it demanded sacrifices on my usual budget, just to survive the month. Thus, I started cutting down expenses. I stopped going out with my friends as I used to, started squeezing the toothpaste out of its tube, and experimented with public transport for commuting.

See, the thing about public transport in my city is that it’s lavish and incredibly affordable. Nevertheless, if you find yourself traveling at the wrong time on the wrong day, Chennai traffic can The rush hour will bring out all types of crazy in people who are carrying work stress.

Most days, I sit on that bus bench, waiting for my ride to arrive, wondering what the heck I am doing — and I realise I am learning.

• I was learning how to manage my finances properly—spend and save responsibly.
• Learning that it’s not just the designer clothes that matter, but how I carry myself, mattered.
• I learned to stay in and cook at home instead of taking out (honestly, it was the healthier choice I made all year).

I learned to observe. Often, but not always, when I travel, I begin people-watching (I blame Jay the author). Silently observe their actions/reactions, eavesdrop on conversations of total strangers, and met a few interesting people along the way, which actually inspired me to write characters for my book (Yes, I am writing my own book, why are you even surprised?).

However, it was a massive shift from the ‘everything this instant’ lifestyle I was used to.

Insteadof running from meeting to meeting with a coffee in hand, I slowed down. I learned to pause. Take a moment to reflect and be content. I learned to be grateful for thethings I have, which was only a prayer for most people.

I learned to be independent, fell in love with intellectual conversation, and interacted with all kinds of people because of the nature of my role, and on top of all, I got my self-confidence back, which I seemed to have lost somewhere along the ride.

If anything this past year taught me, it is to have confidence in myself and let God take care of the rest.

Have I got my big break now? No. But I am earning from doing something I love, and it’s covering my rent and bills. Stephen King says that if you are earning from your writing, you are a writer. I am not going to be the one to argue with that man.

And I am in a position to tell you that good things come to those who Dare — dare to try and work hard for what they want.

So is this post an endorsement to quit your day job and go after things you boxed on your Pinterest board? Heck no.

Nobody is going to pay your bills but you.

The moral of the story is that sometimes, things don’t make sense when you keep staring at the starting line. It doesn’t align when you are on the ledge, wondering if you are gonna make it.

One can strategise, plan, plan, and plan, but you wouldn’t know zilch until you take the first step. Sometimes it’s about betting on your gut and taking a leap of faith, leaving the rest to the one upstairs.

Because some things are worth the risk.

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Till tomorrow,

XoXo