EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ckGPs.jpg)
Hi TLers,
I'm 27 yrs old, and I've just told my boss that I am quitting my job of 3.5 yrs in equity research. It's something that I had a pretty good idea I should've done since 1.5 yrs ago, but I guess I had to endure the pain for that long before I finally completely realized and accepted that I needed to quit. (See my previous blog entry to see where I was at 8 months ago)
The fundamental reason is that I was slowly but surely losing the essence of who I am. Yes -- the job is a grind, I'm severely underpaid, there's little possibility of getting promoted, and the hours are long (60hrs on a good week, 100hrs on a bad one) ... and did I mention that the job is a grind? It's pretty bad. It's like WoW, except it takes 7 years to lvl up, and even that's not guaranteed.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/JfWfg.jpg)
Eh, I'm probably exaggerating a bit... It's a good job, somewhat dynamic, and my boss is great, really great.
So the main reason I'm quitting? It's because -- well, this may be off-putting to most of you -- I had lost focus on my spiritual life (i.e. relationship with God). I was slowly but surely spending less and less time with God, and more and more time on video games, MUDs, anime, and ... well, anything that would provide me with some kind of instant gratification and entertainment.
And this slowly affected all facets of my life. Over the past year and a half, I found myself with less and less motivation to do anything that required effort, even good things that were important to me. I was spending less time with my close friends, calling my family less frequently, wasting a heck lot more time at work, and doing a lot less romantic things with and for my girlfriend. I was ignoring phone calls to play one more game of dota, flaking on meeting up with friends to keep playing sc2..stuff like that.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/X1wgr.png)
Something that we all probably don't like to think about
And then it got the point where I realized that I no longer even wanted to do those good things. How terrible is that? I didn't like this new me -- but I found I no longer had the willpower to change myself. And I knew deep down inside, it's because I had stopped seriously talking to God a long time ago... and I no longer had a deep burning desire to do so.
It came to point where my constant efforts to come back to God in a serious manner that actually meant a change in my life resulted in repeated failures over the course of several months. I finally woke up and realized I had to take this seriously. If I wanted to get back with God (and have the rest of my life get fixed), I needed to take radical measures.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kB2Cu.jpg)
"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." -Steve Jobs
So TL, wish me luck. I'm officially going to be jobless in 1.5-2 months from now (I'm helping my boss with the transition), and then I'll be going on an indefinite roadtrip cross-country until I find myself and God again. I want to get back with God and I want to figure out what my passion in life is, and I'm not coming back until I do.
How about you?
Poll: Is each new day slightly worse or slightly better than the one before?
Overall it's okay (5)
28%
I wake up looking forward to life (4)
22%
Life's a grind, just accept it (4)
22%
Things are getting worse but I don't know how to get better (4)
22%
I don't care (1)
6%
18 total votes
I wake up looking forward to life (4)
Life's a grind, just accept it (4)
Things are getting worse but I don't know how to get better (4)
I don't care (1)
18 total votes
Your vote: Is each new day slightly worse or slightly better than the one before?
(Vote): I wake up looking forward to life
(Vote): Overall it's okay
(Vote): Life's a grind, just accept it
(Vote): Things are getting worse but I don't know how to get better
(Vote): I don't care
what makes your life so great or not so great? Anybody else take sabbaticals like I'm about to?
