-
9 months without a paycheck: how it went and what I spent
On the 1st of January I was officially jobless. No paycheck, just vibes & savings. Nine months later I’m still jobless with no paycheck, just vibes & (less) savings. How do I feel? I feel great. After I had written my resignation letter and sent it to my manager, his manager, and HR, I started planning for this sabbatical of mine. Initially it was supposed to last three months, at most. However, in my financial budget I did take into account that it could last six months. Me being me, I needed to be “sure” that if things didn’t go to plan, I would still be able to afford it. That’s why…
-
How I learned more about myself
“So, tell me something about yourself.” Whether you’re going for a job interview or you’re just having a quick chat with someone new, this is a common sentence that pops up. For years I had been walking around thinking that I knew who I was and what I enjoyed, but whenever I was asked to say something about myself, I would just freeze. When I started getting into the idea of possibly quitting my job last year, I had frequent conversations with my manager. He kept asking me “What is it that you do want to do?” and I would have no idea how to answer it, because up until…
-
Remember God
Have you ever read the Old Testament of the Bible? I used to not like it, because I like it more when things are straight to the point, just like in the New Testament. You know, where things are just made clear like “Love God, love your neighbor as yourself”, etc. I don’t have to think too much, I can just read, understand, and obey. But last year I finally made time to read the Old Testament by means of a YouVersion (the best app, hands down) Bible Plan. And I wish I had done this sooner, because I started looking at things from a different point of view. I…
-
Why I quit my job and how I prepared for it
When we’re struggling, we usually see two options: we have to push through and claim the victory (i.e., breakthrough) or we need to stop what we’re doing and go for something better. How to determine which option is best ain’t easy, but the signs will surely show you. As much as I thought I needed to push through, the signs showed I needed to go for something else. Here’s a background story: I have a master’s degree in Marketing Management and after university I started working as a full-time intern at Coca-Cola at the age of 22. I was fine with it and loved what I was doing, because it…
-
The Lord is My Shepherd; am I His Sheep?
Psalm 23 is a chapter that I’ve learned by heart. I’m pretty sure a lot of Christians have heard about this chapter. As familiar as I was with it, I never really understood the meaning of it until a few years ago. In Children’s Sunday school our teacher would help us to remember and recite every single line. My beloved Sunday school teacher, however, is a big fan of the King James Version (KJV) and, therefore, that is the version he taught us. The first verse of Psalm 23 in KJV says “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”. Little me thought it meant that I didn’t want…
-
Quitting my job and starting over
If you would have told me five years ago that I was going to quit my job someday without a detailed plan, I would not believe you. First of all, I believed I was going to be one of those people who work at a company for 40 years and then retire. Second, I only take steps when I can pretty much determine the outcome, or in other words: I need a clear plan. But both these things didn’t happen and I eventually quit my job on the 31st of December 2020. As I’ve made known by now, I’m one who likes stability and security. Don’t come at me with…
