10 Real Reasons I Left My Corporate Job for Blogging

As someone from the middle class, corporate jobs mean a lot. They’re not just about stable income but also security and respect in the community.

Frankly, for some, getting a job at a prestigious company with good pay is already considered a success. And as an Asian, I can’t emphasize enough how big of a deal that is.

That’s why, after college, I worked hard not only to find a reputable company but also to give my all—sometimes unconditionally—to climb the corporate ladder as fast as possible once I was hired…

After working as an engineer for four years at three different companies, I can say I’ve learned a lot. I picked up new programming languages, discovered exciting technologies like the Internet of Things, and even learned how to manage projects.

My technical skills really grew… but so did my stress from juggling 3 to 4 projects at once, too.

I became all too familiar with 16-hour workdays and weekend calls from my manager, anxious about whether the 24-hour embedded applet product testing conducted on a Friday afternoon yielded positive results.

Honestly, even though I wanted to say no and stick to my schedule, I couldn’t. Society had conditioned me to always say yes to my boss, hoping to impress them, build a good performance record, and advance in my career more quickly.

Without realizing it, I became a corporate slave.

I only noticed this problem when it started affecting my personal life. Burned out, I became easily irritated and felt tired all the time. At one point, getting out of bed felt impossible because I had no energy or motivation.

I knew I had to improve my situation, so I did what I could to get by. I took steps to take care of myself and manage stress. One of those steps was traveling.

For months, from the middle of my second job until I switched to my last one during the pandemic, those self-care activities really helped. But by December 2020, I realized that my escape and self-help activities weren’t making a difference.

I was fed up with the same problems that wouldn’t go away. With the extra stress from the pandemic on top of my work frustrations, I realized I had to make a change.

My decision? I’ll no longer be an employee so that exploitative companies can’t affect my well-being again.

Before I decided to quit my job, I made sure I did everything I could to improve my situation at work.

One thing I did was find ways to streamline tasks, especially the ones I had to repeat often.

You know, I was the kind of employee who really hated tedious work.

I didn’t like doing the same tasks over and over without learning something new or making real progress. That’s why, whenever I could, I created frameworks or automation programs to save time and reduce the pressure from deadlines.

While it sounds like working smart, I can’t stress enough how much hard work went into creating those automated systems. I had to learn new Python libraries like GUI, PyAutoGUI, and Selenium, write the code, and test everything myself—on top of the work I was already doing.

And indeed, my automation programs helped me get more done over time. However, they didn’t make my schedule any easier due to factors beyond my control, like workload mismanagement and pressure from clients.

Also I noticed that companies will always try to get the most work and productivity from their employees while they’re on the job.

This made me realize that no matter how hard or smart I work, I won’t fully benefit from my efforts because I’m paid for my time, not for the value I bring.

I’ve come to understand a lot about working hard at my 9 to 5 job.

And truth to be told, I can’t help myself thinking about how far I could have gone if I had put that effort into something I’m really passionate about.

If I had put all that hard work into my own business, I’d probably be much further ahead by now.

One of my biggest annoyances in my four years in the corporate world is being given tasks that don’t align with my career goals.

It felt like a major waste of time and it drained my energy more than anything else.

I mean… I still remember when my boss asked me to manage the manufacturing process for one of our products, even though I was supposed to be coding firmware.

You can imagine me sighing every time I checked the production line and dealt with reports and spreadsheets. My laptop probably knew just how frustrated I was, with all the keyboard smashing that happened whenever I ran into a problem.

Another thing that really gets on my nerves?

When I was asked to work overtime with just a short notice, especially when I already have other plans. Ugh, I hate that! Although I could refuse, I couldn’t bring myself to do it because I hate being the topic of discussion or getting blamed if the project fails.

I could list a bunch more times that tested my patience, but to keep it short, it was during those moments that I felt like I had completely lost control of my life.

That feeling really got to me, especially when I was lying in bed at night, taking hours to fall asleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about how out of control everything had been.

I was scared I wouldn’t be able to do what I wanted with my life.

Having these moments over and over, I realized I’d had enough of other people telling me what to do, particularly when it’s my future on the line.

I want full control of my time—freedom from a boss—so I can focus on what really matters for my future.

Thankfully, despite all the frustrating experiences with my bosses, they never stopped me from traveling or taking vacations. If they had, I probably would’ve quit even sooner.

My favorite destination? The mountains. Going there gave me an incredible sense of relief, and the adventures reminded me that I can conquer my fears and overcome whatever challenges come my way.

Have you ever climbed a mountain and watched the sunrise over a sea of clouds? I have, and it felt like heaven.

I also visited other places too—canyons, historic sites, and the ocean. The thrill of exploring them definitely helped me forget all the frustrations I had with work.

Ever jumped off a 50-foot cliff and felt that split-second free fall? I have, and it was exhilarating.

How about trekking through a massive ancient structure built by your ancestors? I’ve done that too, and it was a mix of pride and awe.

Yeah, traveling gave me an escape, even if just for a little while, letting me breathe and take a break from the overwhelming daily grind.

Traveling also made me realize there are so many beautiful things in the world to experience, and life’s too short to waste on things I won’t cherish later. There’s more to life than just climbing the corporate ladder.

Knowing this, every time I came back to the office after traveling and started feeling awful again, I became more convinced that I was wasting my time on things that didn’t help me grow or create meaningful moments.

Anything that harms my well-being just isn’t worth it. And in time, I decided to live a life without regrets.

I’m grabbing opportunities as they come, enjoying every beautiful moment, and spreading happiness to others whenever I can.

Blogging is one of the opportunities I embraced after deciding I wanted to live without regrets.

However, if it weren’t for my family, I wouldn’t have had the chance to quit my job and pursue blogging. I’m really grateful to them.

Just so you know, my family has been really supportive of me from the start.

In fact, my family gave me all the support I needed to finish college.

They made sure I didn’t have to worry about anything except graduating. My mom and sister handled the college fees, while my dad took care of my everyday needs.

When I struggled at work, my family was my top source of emotional support. They gave me advice and encouragement to keep going despite all the stress. And when I finally quit being an engineer, my family didn’t make things harder for me.

Considering how hard they worked to send me to college, they might have turned their backs on me when I decided not to pursue what I studied. But they didn’t.

Instead, they’re always checking in, asking if I have enough money to keep up with my lifestyle or if I’m still socializing.

Although there was a bit of misunderstanding at first, they stayed supportive and showed amazing understanding.

Honestly, all the support and love I received inspired me to leave my 9-to-5 job and start blogging.

I want to give back that same warmth and attention, and blogging lets me do just that… because with blogging, I have full control of my time. I can do even the smallest things to show my love anytime and anywhere I want, and whenever they need it.

Today, my family is still my inspiration, even though I’ve already achieved my initial goal with blogging: giving them more time and showing them more affection.

My goal is to give them a great life as a way to repay all the money, time, and effort they’ve invested in me. I’ll be dedicating my blogging earnings to them.

Nothing would make me happier than seeing them truly happy and content.

Besides spending more time with family, my plan to live without regrets includes traveling to the places I’ve always dreamed of visiting.

The unforgettable travel experiences I had while working showed me just how amazing traveling can be, and now I crave it even more.

Those trips didn’t just make me feel better; they also broadened my perspective and helped me discover a better version of myself. It’s addictive, but in a really good way.

When I realized that blogging lets people make money from sharing their travel stories and experiences, I knew it was an opportunity I had to take.

From that moment, I saw blogging as my ticket to the life of travel and freedom I’ve been searching for.

What I love most about blogging is that it can generate passive income. This means I can spend weeks traveling without stressing about corporate-related stuff—just taking pictures, gathering helpful information, and creating stories that inspire others.

Yes, the freedom blogging offers excites me more than anything else. Being able to go wherever I want, whenever I want, and for as long as I want… that’s the dream!

Plus, I think it’s awesome to have a place to keep all my travel stories.

Having a blog with all my experiences and thoughts will be really nice when I’m older and can’t travel anymore.

I can just read through it, and the memories will come flooding back like the trips happened yesterday.

Another thing that excites me about blogging is that it lets people find me through my work, stories, and passion with just a few taps on their screens.

It’s my chance to immediately create meaningful connections with others who share my interests and values.

Honestly, I see blogging as a game changer because, throughout my life, I’ve only met a few people who truly resonate with me.

While I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made in high school, college, and work, and I don’t regret the time spent with them, there’s still a gap created by our differing ideals and perspectives.

For example,

• they’re into collecting things like shoes, while I’m all about collecting experiences and memorable moments.
• They dream of flashy cars, but I’m excited about buying airplane tickets.
• I want to build a business before settling down, while they’re eager to start families right away.

I used to try to convince them to like what I like, but I realized that was pointless. Forcing or persuading them to share my enthusiasm just strained our relationship and didn’t lead to real appreciation.

I got tired of changing people’s minds and learned that finding new friends who naturally appreciate what I love is way more effective.

Needless to say, building relationships with people who genuinely get my interests leads to much more meaningful and enjoyable interactions.

Have I told you? I actually met my best friend through my old Instagram blog, which is sadly deleted now. We connected in 2020, right at the height of the pandemic, and bonded over our shared love of mountains.

We swapped hiking stories and talked about how conquering physical mountains helped us overcome personal challenges. For months, we traded messages with our stories, memes, and even secrets.

Our chats went on until he got swamped with studying for his licensure exam. We hadn’t talked for months, but we managed to catch up.

My family even let him stay at our place for six months while he was job hunting! Even now that he has his own place in the city, he still comes over to hang out and sometimes joins us for family celebrations.

Sometimes, I think about how awesome it is to live in a time when technology lets us connect across oceans.

And with blogging full-time, I know I can meet even more people I can resonate with. Perhaps, you? If you want to connect with me, check out my newsletter 😀

When I started blogging full-time, one of the first things I wanted to learn was how to design my blog.

I probably spent a whole week testing different WordPress themes, messing around with website builders, and tweaking CSS codes.

I made sure my blog’s look totally reflected my personality and was modern and user-friendly. From a floating table of contents to cool moving pictures as you scroll, Engineering Travels—my first blog—had all these awesome, interactive effects.

However, later on, I ended up removing those features because I realized that heavy elements make the site load slower, which hurts my Google ranking.

Looking back, I think I focused on website design first because I was already subconsciously aware of my creative side.

I wanted to create and express myself, but I hadn’t really acted on it because society had taught me that analytical and technical jobs were more valuable than creative ones.

Did you know?

• I wrote my own comic book when I was in elementary school.
• When I got to high school and our family got our first computer, I started learning photo editing with Photoshop.
• Also with that computer, I didn’t just play World of Warcraft; I also made custom maps and characters!
• Even though I’m not great at playing guitar, I really enjoyed learning it back in college when I was into a girl.
• During college, I quite enjoyed making invitation cards, posters, and year-end videos for our professional organization.
• And photography? I absolutely love it! It’s how I expressed my romantic side while working my 9-to-5 job.

Blogging was an obvious choice for me to make the most of my creativity, so it was a no-brainer to jump into it after quitting my 9-to-5.

Plus, living without regrets means going all in on my potential, including my creative side.

Blogging not only helped me earn money from my creativity, but it also gave me a sense of purpose that I (and maybe all of us) instinctively seek.

What exactly?

To inspire, help, and connect with people through my blog, whether it’s about travel, business, or spirituality.

I’m driven to inspire, help, and connect because I see myself in the people I’m helping—they remind me of where I used to be.

At the same time, I get to talk to people directly, make new connections, and have a bigger impact over time… You know, there’s something really good about being able to make a positive difference.

To be honest, it’s tough to put into words the amazing feeling I get from following this purpose. What I do know is that I’m really passionate about it and that I can go the extra mile to deliver great value for it.

Following my purpose through full-time blogging also allows me to manage my own time, giving me more moments with my loved ones. It keeps me motivated to keep growing and pursuing my purpose, creating a positive cycle over time.

Especially that I’m turning 30, this whole purpose thing is non-negotiable for me. It’s one of the main reasons I’m sticking with blogging, and I’d only go back to a 9-to-5 if I absolutely had to.

You know, when I still hadn’t figured out my drive, I made a lot of mistakes because I didn’t really know what I wanted or needed to do.

• Without a direction, I kept drifting toward things that felt good in the moment but weren’t actually helpful.
• Without purpose, I easily gave in to temptations and my own desires, which ended up costing me time and money without any real benefit.

It’s a long story…

With these in mind, though, all I want now is to avoid going back to the directionless life I had before.

I’m not saying a 9-to-5 career is unfulfilling or pointless; it’s just not a good fit for my personality or perspective.

Actually, I know a lot of people who find purpose in working a corporate job. I believe my sister is one of them! Because of her job, our family gets more security and enjoys perks like trips to amazing places in our country and abroad, like Japan.

She must feel really fulfilled being able to provide for us.

Although blogging for three years hasn’t brought major achievements, it has had a huge positive impact on me.

Through blogging, I’ve gained immense personal growth and clarity—two aspects that I believe are important in the grander scheme of things for thriving.

Among the different components of blogging, I saw my biggest personal growth on the business side as I turned my blog into a profitable platform.

This experience pushed me to adopt a growth mindset, which helped me become more resilient and open to challenges.

Since I started blogging, I’ve faced over a dozen challenges that have pushed me to grow. From misconfiguring WordPress to losing my website traffic within a few months, each challenge has made me more disciplined, determined, patient, and understanding.

I can see my progress by reflecting on my recent actions, such as consistently writing blog posts, treating failures as opportunities, and maintaining optimism by trusting the process.

Through writing, however, which is the main aspect of blogging, I’ve found and continue to find greater clarity in my life.

This blog post serves as an example of how writing helps me achieve that clarity. By reflecting on my strengths, weaknesses, and motivations, I’ve gained insight into what I stand for.

I liken writing to polishing a gem, with my thoughts as the gems I mine. Each time I write, I clean the gem, making it more brilliant and clear.

The time I spend recalling, researching, and questioning if what I’ve written is true to my heart creates a cycle that brings clarity to my mind.

You can see the benefits of writing I’ve gained after three years of blogging.

With my plans for Explore to Thrive, I’m confident that blogging will lead to more personal growth and clarity. I’m stepping up my strategies and trying new approaches, which will definitely lead to new learnings. For example, utilizing different sources of blog traffic.

It’s exciting, and that’s another reason why I’m committed to blogging.