How Blogging Has Given Me Purpose After Quitting My 9 to 5

When I reached my mid-20s, profoundly difficult questions started popping up in my mind.

Questions that have no correct answer. Questions that I alone can answer. Questions like:

• “What is happiness, really?”
• “What does success actually mean?” and
• “What is the true meaning of life?”

I am not really sure what triggered them, but I know they are a coalesced outcome of all that I’ve encountered in life.

Experiences like the shocking loss of a loved one, unrelenting frustrations from work, emptiness from unrequited relationships, ecstatic moments of awe, exhilarating split seconds from adventure, and blissfulness from having a complete family; all must have caused me to ponder about life.

Heck, I even created a playlist on Spotify to help me answer those questions! Check out my Spotify playlist, Figure Life Out, here.

Luckily, there was one question I found uncomplicated to answer. It’s this: “What do I actually want to do in life?” 

For most of my life, I had a clear answer to that: “I want to be one of the world’s greatest engineers.”

I can’t stress enough how badly I dreamed of working at big companies like Google, Apple, and Samsung, where I could use everything I learned in college and make my parents proud. I wanted to team up with the smartest people to create innovative products that could change the world.

Unfortunately, the universe is playful, and the world is unfair. Once I started pursuing my career, it immediately showed me the greed and exploitative nature of corporations.

They turned my enthusiasm for engineering into detestation for corporate environments; my idealism about having a job into a distaste for employment.

Until one day (when I was turning 26), I realized I had enough of corporate oppression.

I decided to stop investing my hard work in something that no longer suited me or meant nothing to me, like my corporate job.

So, I boldly grab the hands of fate and twist them. I quit being an engineer, left the corporate world, and took a leap of faith into blogging.

Now, if someone asks me what I want to do in life, my answer is this:

I want to live life on my own terms, free from regrets—traveling, connecting with like-minded people, and spending time with loved ones. My plan is to earn money through a blog, turning my passion into a paycheck to support this amazing lifestyle.

Interestingly, blogging has offered me more than I expected—more than just a key to a life of travel and freedom.

As I strive to succeed at blogging, I realize that it’s giving me a sense of purpose, which is surprisingly the answer to some of the questions I asked myself years ago.

Having a purpose means having a reason to live, which in turn gives meaning to life.

Even now, I’m still mind-blown by this simple logic and the fact that all I was looking for was purpose.

While hearing the word ‘purpose’ seems uncomplicated, it’s never easy to explain how blogging gives me purpose. I simply know that it does because I feel fulfilled in various ways when I work on my blog.

Let me ask you a few questions to help explain it better.

• Have you ever felt that sense of worth from doing work you’re passionate about, the kind that really helps other people?
• Have you ever felt a sense of achievement from doing work that helped others grow, and in return, were rewarded with more time and freedom to do other things you like?
• Have you ever felt a strong urge to work on your projects because they help others and bring you closer to your dreams?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you already understand the sense of purpose I find in blogging.

Personally, building a blog has become more than just a way for me to make money or start a career. Blogging has turned into my meaningful direction in life—leading me to noble pursuits.

In a practical sense, blogging is what I’ve chosen to do in my life, so I have to make the most of it.

One example of a noble pursuit is highlighting the transformative power of travel on my blog.

I want to convey that traveling is not merely a fun escape; it’s an opportunity for personal growth, self-discovery, and gaining a deeper understanding of the world, just as I have experienced.

However, to clarify, my goal isn’t to persuade people to constantly introspect or overanalyze their travels; it’s ridiculous, as we travel for different reasons.

Rather, I aim to raise awareness. I want travelers to feel enabled to make their trips more meaningful and create more productive journeys.

Another noble pursuit of mine is sharing my spirituality.

You know, I have this deep calling to share the beauty of our faith (Christianity). Thanks to blogging, I have the opportunity and freedom to express it.

I’m not here to convert anyone; my goal is to inspire others to embrace a good life because I believe it enriches my soul.

To be honest, even if there’s no heaven to reward my good deeds, I feel a strong urge to spread beauty, positivity, inspiration, hope…

There’s nothing quite like the transcendent joy that comes from being the reason for someone else’s happiness.

The same goes for sharing my knowledge about blogging and online business; it’s rewarding to see others succeed or find freedom thanks to what I’ve shared.

What I enjoy about pursuing these goals through blogging is that it includes new experiences—usually things I’m interested in—and constant learning while I help others.

The best parts? (1) I can earn money while I do it, and it’s really scalable. And (2) blogging builds cycles of motivation that help both me and my audience grow over time.

Cycles? Here are examples:

First cycle: I begin by trying new things that really interest me and learning from those experiences. Then, I publish a blog post about what I’ve learned. I share it, and I earn some money from it. The income? It motivates me to explore and publish blog posts even more.

Second Cycle: I start by exploring new things and learning about topics that pique my curiosity. Then, I publish a blog post about what I’ve discovered. When a reader finds it, engages with it, and shares positive feedback, it encourages me to write even more!

Of course, I didn’t immediately feel a sense of purpose from blogging when I transitioned from my job.

It wasn’t until my second year of blogging that I recognized the sense of purpose it was giving me.

While working on WanderInEurope, my second niche site, I discovered that I could dive deep into writing endless insightful and inspiring articles about topics I loved—like the breathtaking Alps, captivating Western architecture, rich European history, and the beauty of Christianity—even if I was earning only a small amount of money.

The positive feedback I got from readers and travelers planning their trips was super motivating, pushing me to keep sharing my passion!

However, I have to admit that as someone who wants to live a good life, the potential rewards of blogging as an online business served as my bigger motivation back then and continue to be one of my biggest motivations today.

These rewards keep me moving forward, even when I hit setbacks, like when Google suddenly cut the traffic to my two old sites for no reason.

So, what kind of rewards are those? It’s all about having the freedom to do what I want, whenever I want, and go wherever I can.

I’m obsessed with those rewards because they open up endless opportunities, especially for creating unforgettable moments with my loved ones, which is the most important part.

What I’m trying to get at is that blogging has opened up another meaningful direction for me. It’s all about chasing success on this path I’ve chosen.

This is a challenge I’m wholeheartedly embracing, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Not only does it give me something meaningful to do every day that fosters my growth, but it’s also helped me become stronger in resisting temptations and cheap pleasure that would only lead to regret.

Like, after imagining how incredible my life could be if I succeed, I couldn’t help but throw everything I have into making it happen—my energy, focus, time, all of it.

Anything that doesn’t push me closer to that goal, like mindless distractions and cheap pleasures, is automatically off my radar.

Facebook, Instagram, online games—they’re all out of my life now. This, frankly, has allowed me to spend more time with my family as well.

The perk of having a purpose in life—that guilt-free feeling from avoiding cheap pleasures—is something I truly appreciate now.

Now that I’ve discovered my purpose, what can I expect from it, and how can I turn it to my advantage?

I’ve got four ideas in mind. If you’ve also found your purpose and are curious about how to make the most of it, these tips might help you out.

• First, I can use my purpose to build resilience. If I hit setbacks, like a failed project or just a rough day, I remind myself that these challenges are part of the journey. Most importantly, I can learn from them and get better at fulfilling my purpose.
• I can also use my purpose as a source of motivation. When discouragement and self-doubt creep in, I can turn to my purpose to remind myself of my “why,” my goals, and the rewards that await me. Reflecting on these things should help me reignite my passion and determination, giving me the energy I need to keep moving forward.
• My purpose can be a great asset in building stronger relationships. When I live by my purpose, connecting with others who share similar values feels easier and more natural. I think we all have relatable experiences we can share with those who have similar values and interests, which can spark deeper connections.
• Lastly, I can focus on my purpose to help me figure out how to reach my goals faster. By keeping my purpose in mind, I can avoid getting sidetracked by unimportant activities that might slow me down. Also, I can choose stepping stones that are more in line with my ultimate goal, making the whole journey to success more meaningful, as well.