I’m part of The Great resignation- and it feels good! 😊💁🏻‍♀️👍🏻

October 2021

I took the decision of quitting my job and embarking on my second sabbatical in June 2021 - this was not a knee jerk reaction to one event, but a reevaluation of priorities owing to various factors over a period of time. My previous blog “Musings of a Sabbatical-eur” (https://ac-catharsis.blogspot.com/2016/09/) talks at length about why it’s worth taking a sabbatical; this blog is more about my journey on a less-travelled path. 

(Source: Google)

The onset of the pandemic has changed all our lives in more ways than one. The second wave hit closer to home, and listening to the harrowing experiences of friends & family made me see things in a new perspective. Somewhere along the line, my life had been on default mode, just rushing from one task to another; neither taking the time to enjoy the moments in life, nor reflecting about things that truly mattered. Simba, our boisterous golden retriever pup, coming home and the Pawrenting journey was the clincher for me taking this call for leading a much happier and more meaningful life. So while I put things in motion and initiated working on closing loose ends, all the while fending off mixed bag reactions as to why I’m not yet taking up a job; I was pleasantly surprised to come across the fact that what I was doing was in fact already being done by millions across the world. 

Excerpts from the following two articles throw light on key aspects of this phenomenon dubbed as 'The Great Resignation'.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. Resignations peaked in April and have remained abnormally high for the last several months, with a record-breaking 10.9 million open jobs at the end of July. Employees between 30 and 45 years old have had the greatest increase in resignation rates (Source: https://hbr.org/2021/09/who-is-driving-the-great-resignation). There are a number of reasons people are seeking a change, in what some economists have dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’. For some workers, the pandemic precipitated a shift in priorities, encouraging them to pursue a ‘dream job’, or transition to being a stay-at-home parent. But for many, many others, the decision to leave came as a result of the way their employer treated them during the pandemic (Source: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit) 

Please don't get me wrong, I am not espousing quitting a job - but more importantly talking about things that are not often talked about.  I love sharing experiences with other people, because I believe in the power of communicating, healing and nurturing. So here's a glimpse of how I envisage my second sabbatical and what I have been able to focus on:

A. Chilling & Family time:

💝 Spending time with my two crazy, awesome guys - There has been a tremendous improvement in not only quantum of time spent with Hubby & Simba but also being able to spend quality time without rushing from task to task. I felt like the main protagonist from the beautifully animated film "Soul" realising that the best part of living isn't chasing ambition or catching hold of a fleeting dream - it's just living (https://screenrant.com/pixar-soul-best-quotes-ranked/) 

(Source: "Soul" movie)

💝 Watching movies & shows, reading books, playing games like there’s no tomorrow - I also now share recommendations, reviews & snippets with friends & family. 

💝 Family time & conversations - I travelled to my hometown after more than 6 months. And now I like the flexibility of having proper conversations with family without the Microsoft teams notification hanging over my head like a Damocles sword. 

B. Mental, Physical & Financial well being: 

💙 Contemplation & quiet time - Oft neglected, but much needed downtime to ponder & reflect on life, flush out negativity & toxicity and just enjoy the moment. 

(Source: lizandmollie)

💙 Digital detox, exercise & focus on health - This has become easier to adopt into our lifestyle owing to Simba's playtime & walking routine 😁. 

(Source: lizandmollie)

💙 Portfolio rebalancing exercise and monthly cash flows - Being an accountant at heart, I still track all our expenses with the enthusiasm of an article assistant on her first assignment 😎. I also tag the expenses under major categories like Household, Rent, Travel, Pet, Shopping, Savings et al. This allows us to keep track of essential vs discretionary spending. The whole point of this exercise is to ensure that we maintain the quality of life that we desire, along with long term savings.  

Portfolio rebalancing is by far the most important exercise to undertake before embarking on any major life event. We all have savings & assets buckets -  Emergency funds to cover 6 months expenses (above tracker); PF & PPF; Mutual funds;  Gold & Jewellery; Land & House et al. While the above investment plan is a function of one’s earnings, risk appetite and long term requirements- most of us end up taking loans to support creation of above assets. While it’s fine to take a loan, we need to keep re-calibrating and reduce the debt through use of idle funds or sale of illiquid assets. And the order of priority for reducing debt should be the one with the highest loan interest rate and least tax benefits. For instance, recommended order of priority for personal debt reduction is Personal loan, Car loan, Education Loan (interest alone is tax deductible) and Home Loan (tax benefits on both principal and interest). 

Since we talked about a lot of heavy duty stuff, moving over to the fun stuff now 💁🏻‍♀️

C. New interests & exploration:

💟 Cooking - Contrary to my previous perception that cooking is a chore, I have surprisingly taken to cooking and I'm enjoying experimenting as well. I sometimes really do wonder what changed - I think it’s a combination of time at hand, ability to plan supply chain better vs make do with available stuff plus the-work-from-home situation wherein one doesn’t have access to office canteens anymore 😂.

 

(Source: Author's photos) 

💟 YouTube channel for Simba - This has to feature as one of the highlights of 2021. Kudos to Simba for unleashing my creative side  and making a non YouTube user a content creator 😆😉. Previously I had certain inhibitions of videos being out in public domain and subject to scrutiny. And there were some mean and off putting comments as well, but I have also come across complete strangers messaging that Simba brought a smile to their face & made their day, and that’s when I realised it’s more about sharing and community feeling. It feels good to share the joy and happiness of Simba’s antics, the more the merrier right😁. The sweetest comment I have received is my niece calling me a YouTuber, lol 😆 

💟 Social media platforms, pet ambassador & affiliate marketing - Gone are those days when the only social media account that I had was a Facebook account. It sounds funny, but I have painstakingly learnt how to use hashtags, make reels and navigate the flummoxing world of social media. After studying CA, MBA in Finance & Strategy and being a COO, this deep dive into pet influencer world and affiliate marketing is a hilarious turn of events 😝. But Simba indeed has changed my world in more ways than one 🐶🤗.  I find all new things exciting and hence deep dived into it for the fun ride. 

(Source: Author's photos) 

💟Minimalism and spring cleaning - Minimalism has taken us both by surprise and we have actually enjoyed downsizing (Catharsis (ac-catharsis.blogspot.com). We are getting ready for the next round of Spring cleaning and plan to make the house clutter free to maximum extent possible. 

(Source: lizandmollie)

My journey is best articulated by this quote that has held me in good stead for a long time, wishing you luck in your quest for an amazing, adventurous, meaningful and happy life 😊

"Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive.

Ambition is only understood if it's to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential-as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth.

You'll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you're doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you'll hear about them.

To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it's still allowed, and I think you'll be happier for the trouble."

- Bill Watterson

(Source: Google)