Why I'm Not Going Back to Full-Time Work
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ย. 2022
- 📘💙 My new book of self-reflection exercises: www.authenblissity.com/abr-book
Hi everyone!! It has been a four years since I left my full-time job! I LOVE having so much flexible time and I'm not ready to give that up. In this video, I chat about why I don't plan to go back to full-time work, and the main pros and cons of working from home part-time.
It was hard for me to think of cons because this lifestyle suits me so well, and it turns out that the two main cons I thought of aren't really cons for me. They are:
1) Making less money. I think this would be difficult for a lot of people, but I was able to let go of a lot of the extravagant, discretionary expenses that I didn't truly need or want. Other than those frequent splurges, I was already living a very simple and ordinary life so I found I didn't need as much money as I thought to sustain myself. (Note: I still share all household expenses with hubby, 50/50.) In this video, I also chat about why I feel making less money has actually improved my mental health.
2) Interacting with colleagues. In the past few years, I've learned that my love for solitude is quite severe, even among my fellow introverts. I don't need a lot of interaction to feel connected to people, but I sense that it would be difficult for a lot of people to not have the camaraderie of interacting with their peers. This, combined with having so much free time, might feel very lonely for people who aren't used to having so much time alone or who don't have a lot of hobbies / interests to keep their minds occupied.
The main pro for me is time freedom. I love being able to do what I want, when I want. I love that each day is a little puzzle that I can put together. I have lots of time to feel creative, inspired, and even bored. I didn't get into this in the video but I have two part-time jobs right now and they are both very flexible so I have the time and energy to pursue my personal creative projects. The hours at my jobs fluctuate pretty widely but on average I work around 15-20 hours per week (both jobs combined), which is ideal for me.
Links below if you'd like to know more! Thank you for watching! x
Why I Quit My Job: • Why I Quit My Job
3 Changes I've Noticed Since Quitting My Job: • 3 Changes I've Noticed...
How I Prepared Financially for Quitting My Job: • How I Prepared Financi...
Blog post on what I learned about myself in these 4 years: www.authenblissity.com/ponder...
Playlist on mindful shopping: • Mindful Shopping
Book progress updates: • Book Progress Updates
Vlog channel: / authenblissityvlog
Website: www.authenblissity.com
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I'm the same. Time freedom is my highest value too. I work 2 days a week for 10 hours. The rest of the week I' m free. I still have more than enough money, cause two month a year, I work for 50 to 60 hours and in those two month I earn more than 6000 Euros. I have enough time to write my book and do things I really enjoy. I love it to wake up in the mornings and no company, office and boss is waiting for me!! I hate working for someone else! I also start my own business as a freelance content writer. What I also love about not having a full-time job is, I can eat at home. I hated it not eating my own staff. Most people who work full-time develop a very unhealthy eating routine.
I can relate to so much of your comment! I’ve been enjoying my flexible days, mostly filled with working on my creative projects. Mine don’t generate much income but they are passion projects so I’ll keep working on them and maybe one day. 😊 That said, I’ve got enough from my part-time job and investments to maintain my very simple lifestyle. I’m much more content now than I was when I was making (and spending) way more money. That’s been an eye-opening life lesson for me.
Really! Only two days a week?
sounds nice. unfortunetly that scenario is basically impossible here in North america
@@mikehennessy6766no it's not. It's called investing, saving, and planning.
Thank you for sharing this! I haven't heard anyone talk about this topic. I shifted from teaching full time to being a part-time professor while finishing my PhD and decided to not go back to teaching. I just didn't have the heart for it. I am nkw a full-time professor, but the schedule is very flexible. Once I get through one semester teaching a course, it will be much less time spent in future semesters. Everything you said resonates with me and I have found it challenging in a society that expects me to work constantly and have children. I can't imagine working full-time and havjng children in my 40s. I need to choose how my day looks and enjoy a lot of alone time. It's when I'm at my happiest. I woyld be miserable if I were constantly running and interacting with others constantly.
It sounds like your FT professor position is ideal! If I added the time I spend on my book and personal projects to my PT work, it would easily add up to FT hours, but I so agree with your comment that the key is the flexibility. I'm happiest when I can choose how my day looks and I love my alone time too. I live in a tiny condo so I'm fortunate that my husband heads off to work five days a week. I imagine it would be challenging if he worked from home as well. We'll need to figure something out for when he retires but I'm already thinking about it. :)
I vote Monday to Thursday 28 hours is the best balance to keep your mind healthy and on form ❤
I work full time and have money but zero freedom. I know that if i becomes unemployed i may be even more unhappy because of the dread of not being able to pay my bills. My job is getting to be even more stressfull than my previous job which is why i made the move. Boy was that a mistake. I work 60, sometimes 70 hours a week and I'm surrounded by incompetance, mentally unwell people, etc. The work is gruelling and I'm mentally exhausted when i get home.
Thank you for sharing this. The number of hours, environment, and feeling mentally exhausted after work sounds really stressful. At the same time, I can also understand the dread of not having enough money or being able to pay the bills. It's such a delicate balance between having enough money and time... I know there's no easy solution, but I'm really wishing you the best.
You need to quit. Health is far more important than a paycheck.
Wow, I relate to you! Full time has never been me. Ive been about living/and art etc. spiritualiity. For the past year ive been 40 plus a week and its killing me. I put in my notice to go down to 20 hrs. So far they havnt told me when because they still need my workload. I have a meeting with my boss tommorow and ill find out when i can go to 20. Wow you love alone time too? I am so introverted maybe thats why ive always liked part time. I love to be alone and go to thrift stores and enjoy the hunt! Freedom time off! Yes
Thrifting is so much fun!! I haven't been recently but that was definitely a favorite pastime of mine. And oh yes, I love and need a lot of alone time. I hope your meeting went well and that your hours will reduce very soon. I'd love to hear how it went if you feel inclined to share!
Yep or if they say no compromise a 4 day work week
Thank you for this video! My time is very important to me. Time with my family, time in my garden, time to cook actual meals, time to just be and create and LIVE. I have a situation I realize many don’t have and that is, im 26 and stay with my mom and we split the bills 50/50. So my part time job works for me. Somehow I feel this guilt that I should be working more, that it’s not enough, I should have 2 jobs or a full time one….I guess that’s the ego 😝
Your situation and how you're currently spending your time sounds lovely. I sometimes get the feeling that I too should be trying to make more money and that what I have is not enough, but it seems to be coming from a place of fear and comparison (for me). When I check in with myself, I'm very content with what I have and how I'm spending my time, so I try to focus on that. :)
Part time work is easy on the psyche even if the task at hand is harder. It doesn't make you feel that you are running into a cycle, a rut ( although part time work may also be a cycle). It's also about the balance between activity and rest. A few days work and a few days rest brings the right balance to life and that's the goal of life. Part time work is seen as of low value as compared to full time work in society that is anxious and running too fast. We have forgotten to slow down and rest. Running thru a full time job is considered as normal in society and part time is condemned as being lazy. This is wrong. A full timer person does not remain fit to contribute to human well being in other areas. His whole life is moving around the petty job. Part timers can move into other areas and creative pursuits which full timers can't dream of. It's all about having richness of time.
Such great insights. Overall, I am much more content working part-time. That said, I went to business school and spent almost two decades in the corporate world, so I still have a lot of internal dialogue about being "lazy" and "low value" because I'm working part-time. It's something I work on regularly via self-reflection. These days, I'm a lot better at making decisions that prioritize my creative projects versus money-making activities (active income via a job), but I still have a lot of inner critic stuff that comes up. Your comment is very helpful, so thank you for taking the time to add to the discussion.
I cannot believe it's been 4 years. That's amazing. I'm so happy for you and the journey you've been on, and as someone who works full-time in an office, this is very inspirational. Thank you.x
It's hard for me to believe as well! Time really flies. Thank you so much for following along with my journey. It's so lovely for me to receive your kind and supportive comments over the years! 💛
i really hate full time too, like literally theres no stability in money that i will not last long and the freedom is not so good, to the point I experienced a lot of mental issues including burnouts because income is not good enough to sustain
I hear you. It's hard to balance the need for a sustainable level of income and the desire for more freedom and flexibility. It's something that took me a long time to work through and I'm still learning with each day. I'm wishing you all the best.
Great video! I completely agree that part time work is that sweet spot between earning and time freedom/mental energy. ❤ New subbie 😊
Thank you so much and welcome! That's a great way to put it. I love the balance I get from working part-time. ❤😃
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing. You are speaking my mind 😊
Thank you! Very inspiring to know there are options out there! Very looking forward of your book
Awww thank you!! I love this perspective. There are definitely many different options! 💛
Thank you so so much for talking about this ❤
Thank you for this video, you're an inspiration. Very eloquently put and this will resonate with me. I have choices and decisions to make.
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment!
I think it was me who asked for this video, so thank you for doing it!!! I've really admired the way that you went through this process of stepping away from full time work. First, the financial and emotional planning you put in when making the decision, followed by giving yourself the room to really understand yourself and explore options by taking a full year off, then gradually adding things back to achieve the current balance that you've found. I have mentioned before in my comments that I find myself on a similar path to you (though I am a few years older than you). Because I have children, it is taking me a lot longer to go through this process, but I tell those who are interested that I'm on a 10 year plan of "de-workistrating" my life. A year ago, I quit my old job, which was very intense and involved long hours including weekends and nights. I moved to a less demanding job (for a pay cut) that doesn't require as much "overtime" work but unfortunately still eats a lot into my vacation time (as in I have none, lol). I'm hopeful that within 5 years, I will be able to take another, more dramatic pay cut, and move into part time work that is more meaningful for me and freeing up enough time to pursue the other things I'm interested in. I agree with you though - so much of this is really about being honest about what it is we get out of work. Is it financial security because without that job you wouldn't eat, is it material superiority from having things that others don't, or is it an actual sense of satisfaction from accomplishment. I think a lot of us are told that we get that latter, but in fact, we are working due to one of the former. I continue to follow your vlogs with great interest. I think your "simple" life is quite beautiful.
Yes, it was indeed you!! Thank you so much for asking the question. It was a while ago but I've been thinking about it all this time and it really helped me reflect on the changes these past few years. I think it's amazing that you're making changes towards the lifestyle you want. That's not easy to do when the "end goal" seems so far away. I always try to remember that time is going to pass anyway, so we might as well move in the direction of what we truly want... and eventually we'll get there. I think the way you're making the changes (in gradual steps) is very smart and I love the term "de-workistrating!" Kudos to you for being so focused and committed to the life you want for yourself. And I also want to say that it means a lot to me that you've been following along with my very long journey. 💛
Nice! I went from top 3 on a sales team to parrttime administration coordinator. I know what you mean by ego lol. It's nice to hear about someone else on a similar journey
Thank you! It was hard to articulate the nuances around how higher income levels can affect ego and perception of worth/self-worth. I'm sure it's different for everyone but I'm glad you understood what I meant. :)
I can’t believe it’s been 4 years since you quit your full time job !!! I watched that video !!!
I got laid off exactly one year ago actually one year ago about 3 weeks now after being my computer for 26+ years !!! I was actually ok with it because the last 2 years or so I was no longer happy there in fact it got to the point where I was down right miserable. I used to LOVE my job but things changed there ie. Management to be exact !!
I did a whole career change to what Ives been doing. I never thought I would do this type of job in a million years !! I thought I would retire at my previous job. I now work in the Aviation Industry and it’s been good. I’m still getting used to it but in time it will be good 😊 I’m still learning and learning every day.
It's hard to believe it's been four years!! Similar to you, I used to love my job but at the very beginning of my career. My first 5 or 6 years of working full-time were awesome. I think I just stayed too long and I should have listened to my intuition that it was time to try something new.
It sounds like the layoff worked out and it's fascinating to hear that you're in a job you never thought you would be doing. It's nice to be somewhere where you are learning new things!! Congrats and wishing you the best in your new role. 💛
I’m glad it worked out as well or even better than you hoped. Could you elaborate on what you meant by “ego and entitlement?” I’m guessing you meant the validation you felt from your old job. Did entitlement mean that you worked hard so you felt you deserved certain things? It’s so helpful to have an example of two (in future videos) so we can better interpret what those words mean to you.
Thank you and for sure! With the entitlement, there was definitely a lot of "I'm buying this because I deserve it for working so hard at a job I don't like," but there was also the added mentality of thinking that I should always get what I want. So if things didn't go my way, I would feel a lot of internal stuff (frustration, resentment, frustration). With ego, I found it very hard on my self-worth to go back to a lower level of income. That's part of the reason I took the contract job at TIFF in 2019. Making minimum wage felt like a huge blow to my ego but it ended up being one of the most healing things that I did with my time off. It really put things into perspective, especially because I enjoyed my time there (I'm also glad it's over because call centre is hard work). I hope this helps a bit. It's hard to include everything because these things are so nuanced and I don't want the video to be too long. I usually talk for 40 minutes and then cut it down to a 10-minute video! But I'm always happy to answer questions so thank you for asking. :)
I love this video
All I can say is bravo! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you so much! 💛
I work 60 hours a week for four months in the summers in Alaska, and love it. The rest of the year, I work part time teaching Kung Fu and personal training. It works for me.
I made a similar decision for similar reasons! 3 years later I'm definitely digging in deeper that original decision
Definitely a lot of layers with this type of decision! I'm still learning so much about myself, even five years after I made the change. :)
I'm going back to part time this week. They had me work 6 days in a row it was mandatory. Sometimes even 8 days in a row. I had no time to do anything outside of work and even if I had a day off I was too tired to do anything. I'm going to be finding a new job that is 5 days a week when I can. My lifestyle was get up get ready for work go home play video games go to bed repeat. It wasn't living. I felt like I have no life. And my fiance she would notice I always would be irritaited and not feel like doing anything when I got out of work. It was because of how much I was working. I can't wait to have my life back! Also find a new job that's more work/life balanced.
It's not that I don't like full time it's the fact they had me work 6 days or more in a row...no room for personal growth. Time to ourselves is important
I'm 20 years old btw.
I can relate to this, even though my situation was a little different. My work was more mentally and emotionally taxing (versus having to work many hours) so I was also very irritable outside of work. It's awesome that you recognized this so quickly and made a change to your life! I hope your first week back at part-time work went well. And wishing you all the best with finding something that's more work/life balanced in the future.
Sounds like your current job is shift work so 5 shifts per week can still mean 8 or 9 in a row depending on what day or days off they give
Keep looking for a 3 day a week office job with weekends and Bank Holidays off ❤
A fiance at 20? Lol, ok.
@Anonymous-wb3nz sounds like someone is jealous
Wow! It has been 4 years?? I remember you doing the video about quitting your job. It was motivational because I also worked in the financial district in Toronto and had a quarter-life crisis. I've moved to California now but continue to watch your videos! Can you make a video talking about how you remain positive and optimistic? My job is ok but with the state of the rest of the world (inflation, cost of housing, gas prices, recession, wars, social issues...) - how do you stay motivated to continue working on your goals? Also I'm feeling the pressure of buying a house/having kids - how did you stay confident and self-aware to know what you want? Sometimes I feel lost in life even though on paper I have it all. Would love your insights :)
Time really flies, doesn't it? I hope you are enjoying California! Such a great idea for a video, and I'd love to see if I can put together some thoughts around that. The one thing that comes to mind right away is that I stopped following the news and that alone had a big impact on my mood, outlook, and focus. I'm still aware of what's going on, but I don't have the constant reminders. I can really relate to your comment about feeling lost in life despite having it all on paper. I've definitely felt that way, and the book I'm working on is all about connecting with and trusting our inner compass so we can be confident in our decisions. I do a lot of self-observation and self-reflection through journalling, and it gets easier with practice. I also write morning pages every day (it's been almost 3 years!!), and I find them very helpful. Not every session is groundbreaking, but the consistency of writing them as a daily practice brings a lot of clarity overall. I hope this helps a little as I think more about your question!! x
I'm going through the same exact thing as you at the moment surprisingly
I want this so badly.
I can deeply relate to my emotions fluctuating horribly. I want a simpler life and more time to spend doing things I enjoy/love, but I don't want to put any extra strains on my partner financially.
I can relate to not wanting to create any additional financial strain. For many years, I wasn't sure if I could leave full-time work. It took a lot of time for me to make the decision to leave (both saving enough money and checking in with my partner repeatedly to ask if he would be okay with forgoing some of the lifestyle things we were accustomed to). As I was debating the decision, I tried to spend as many non-work hours as I could doing the things I enjoyed. Little steps each day do add up... and gradually I got to a place where it was really the only decision that made sense. I'm wishing you all the best ❤
@@AuthenblissityMain You are a kind soul. Thank you so much for your inspiring words. ❤️
Dear Lesely.
What's your advise to someone who is just about to embark on the journey of self discovery. I have reached a career dead end and I am not sure how to take it from here. Can you advise. Thank you so much for all the wisdom you share with us.
Thank you so much for this question! It's hard to know where to begin. I started my deeper journey into self-discovery through writing. One way I did this as via morning pages - this is basically 3 full-size pages of stream of consciousness journaling, which is a lot if you're out of practice with writing by hand, like I was when I first started. It gets easier though and it only takes me 15-20 minutes now (versus 30-40 minutes when I first started) - mainly because I write faster and don't censor myself. Here's a blog post I wrote about it in case you want to read more about it: www.authenblissity.com/ponderings/morning-pages
A few months later, I also did The Artist's Way (12-week self-study program, where one of the components was the morning pages practice that I described). This program is all about reconnecting with your creativity, but there's more to it than that. I learned A LOT about myself during that program. I have a playlist on this if you're interested: th-cam.com/video/Dgl_bivE9zw/w-d-xo.html
I hope this helps someone and sending you so much warmth as I know it's not easy. ❤
I want this. I want to live life on my terms, no one else's. Sadly, the realty for most Americans is never going to look like this. Here, it's work or have no ability to live indoors and eat food. God forbid if you get sick.
In real life, nobody wants lower income cause things cost too much money and we tryna survive. That said, part time is still better lower income is never better tho lol. Great vid!
Thank you for watching this video and for your comment! Under certain situations and up to a certain point, I would agree that more income is better. But there's also a point where more money doesn't add to overall happiness. This point of enough is different for everyone but I had reached it, so trading away some of my active income for more free time was a good decision for me. Everyone's different in terms of how much money they want to make, what they're willing to do, and how much they need to sustain their lifestyle. Thanks again! I really do appreciate comments that make me think and give me a chance to clarify.
I think the key is finding a really good part time job
E.g HR office jobs pay well 3 days a week with good salary
Hello. I just switched from working full-time to part-time. I'm in the commercial cleaning field. I'm curious, what working field are you in?
Hi!! When I was working full-time, I was in the group insurance industry. I took a "gap year" and then started working part-time instead of going back to full-time work. I took on a few contract positions here and there (some related to my old industry, some not). My current ongoing part-time role is managing digital programs for a creative writing studio.
I dont like working full time. What else can i do to make money?
If you want well paid part time job I would study HR and find a cushy 3 day a week office job
HR jobs pay well even at part time
Could you do a video elaborating on being your own best friend?
Thank you and yes!! I love this idea! :D
This is very late but I just posted it here: th-cam.com/video/4oqNGems26I/w-d-xo.html
Thank you again for asking - I ended up making this my annual theme! ❤
What’s the book about? Have you made a video about it?
Thanks for asking! The book is a collection of self-reflection exercises and I'm hoping to be done this fall. I've been posting updates on my vlog channel but no "official" video yet.
I RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE. EAT A RAW FOOD SALAD FOR LUNCH 4-5 TIMES A WEEK. IT WILL HELP WITH A LOT OF THINGS, INCLUDING VITALITY.
I have always found working full time a bizarre use of finite time on the planet 🌎
Oh yes, it's definitely bizarre to keep doing it when you're miserable and don't need the extra income (which was my situation until I left). But I understand the decision to work full-time if you enjoy it or if you have to for financial reasons.
So are you relying on a husband or spouse to get by? Or is this something that you are doing on your own? I think that’s the #1 thing that is holding most people back.
This is definitely harder to do if you aren't sharing expenses with someone. I'm married and my husband and I share our expenses 50/50. For my portion of the expenses, I mainly rely on investment income from my savings and income from part-time work. We have a lower level of expenses because our condo is paid off and we don't own a car (we rent a car when we need one). We also don't have kids so that helps to keep our expenses down. That's the gist, but if you're interested, I talk much more about this in this video: th-cam.com/video/FwmsM4ePtx4/w-d-xo.html
Really how deceptive actually thought she was doing it alone.
Having a husband help you out is a form of income.
Now I exit video
Mo' money mo' problems
Quit due to health reasons, splitting rent with my husband which is 16% of what I pay now. Win/Win