WHY I QUIT MY JOB

A former colleague asked me if I missed my former workplace. I get similar questions from my former colleagues often. My response has been consistent. “No, I do not miss the workplace”. I miss the people but not the place. I prefer the current version of my life.

I loved the work content and had great colleagues. My job exposed me to a whole lot of stuff. I am grateful for the experience. That does not make me wish to go back to it.

My family has always seen employment as a temporary arrangement. We needed the jobs to build what would make them optional. The initial plan was to quit at 35. I was fortunate to  get an opportunity to take a break at 35 but went back a few years later. That was an opportunity for us to prepare for my resignation. As my partner put it, “we will know for sure if our strategy works when one of us quits and works on building something for the family”. So, I did. Our main goal was to create opportunities for ourselves and our children. Which we did and continue doing.

Before I quit my job.
We have always been a couple that is focused on working towards a comfortable and sustainable lifestyle. This was a decision that we made when we got married. As a result, we tried a lot of options to build a family real estate business that we can both retire to. We also intensified on other investments. Most importantly, even when I had a job, my studies were aigned with our family goals. I enrolled for a Masters in Real Estate, just to get a deeper understanding of the business. This changed the way we did things going forward and helped us identify our niche.

Climbing the corporate ladder was never a priority. We both sought opportunities that would empower us to take better business decisions. Creating opportunities for our children was at the centre of our building. A life partner that is a visionary and support is invaluable.

Preparing to quit.
Our siblings have always known how much planning we put into our family's lifestyle goals. We always put our dreams down and work towards achieving them. Our main goal was building wealth to fully own our time. Having time for family and time to do whatever gave us joy. This is what shaped our financial goals. We wanted to own our TIME.

We have always detailed our dreams, ambitions, needs, wants, our priorities and our strategy. Financial education became a priority. We have learnt about finances and discussed so much that we got completely aligned. In preparing for one of us to quit we did the following:

• We saved and invested more and more. In the process we kept learning about the higher return assets.
• Our spending was well thought. We prioritised family health, good education and great food. We love our food.
• We stayed out of debt. This was strangely never difficult for us. When we started on our journey, a lot of sacrifices were made.
• We taught ourselves about different kinds of investments. Books helped a lot. We bought a couple of business books every single month.
• We worked on our mindset and attitude towards money. We both do not come from money. We believed that it was possible for us to change this and do better for our children and the next generation.
• We prepared ourselves to take risks. This is probably the most difficult step. But that is what education is for. We had read about successful people and their strategies. If only information was as freely available as it is today.
• We specialized and diversified at the same time. I'll repeat, nothing beats education in this journey.
• We set timelines for achieving our family goals. This is the most important step in my opinion. To this day, we track our progress, set more goals and timelines.
• We are completely transparent and accountable to each one another as a family. Our lifestyle is aligned with our goals.

After quitting.
We are probably among the most predictable people. We pretty much stick to our decisions. We took steps to ensure that we survive on one salary and our then small rental income. Our other sources of income were even lower at the time. My primary assignment was to increase the business income. I had the time and space to implement whatever I thought would yield results. I presented the strategies to the family and we worked together to see them through.

One of the areas in which we grew our income was in making improvements on the assets that we already owned. We changed the use of land, refurbished, invested in stocks, sold stuff here and there, etc.

Our monthly activities have always included reviewing our finances and deciding on a way forward. Quarterly, I give a financial report to the family. The report is on all our assets and net worth. The value goes up and down. But what matters is really, the income that assets generate. 

I can easily say that I quit my job to serve my family. 

What are you doing to prepare for your retirement? Have you started yet? Ask us any questions. Please share the article.

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