Do I Regret Quitting My Job?
I’m supposed to be a guest speaker in MMU (Multimedia University) tomorrow, and I’m thinking of what to say. Somehow I can foresee someone asking this question: “Do I regret leaving my job to be an entrepreneur?”
I always get this question from my friends who really can’t understand what I do for a living nowadays, and why I would leave a job that paid RM2,900 plus all the “perks” for an “uncertain future”.
Do I regret leaving my job?
Absolutely not.
I make twice as more, I wake up without an alarm clock, I only work with people I want to, I can take a vacation whenever I want, I can go swimming at 3.00pm, and I can blog at 5.50am 
But those things are petty compared to this: For the first time in my life, I feel like I have something to look forward to. I feel like I have a purpose. I feel like I can do this every single day for the rest of my life and still want more.
You don’t get that feeling when you’re just working for money.
If you want my story, here it is.
I started working in Telekom Malaysia early July 2002 after I graduated from MMU . I resigned end of July 2005 and after serving a three month notice, I was free in November 2005. Since it was the festive season, nobody was around when I packed up my things on the last day as an employee. Perhaps it was for the better.
To tell you the truth, the first six months as an Account Executive in TM I worked hard. I was frustrated to be put in a technical division when I wanted to do something related to my degree, B.B.A Multimedia Marketing. However, since I had no choice I told myself I was going to learn it up anyway. I borrowed some books on telecomunications technology and I even referred to an “encyclopedia” of telecommunications terms. I often went home hours after everyone else simply because I wanted to overcome my disadvantage as soon as possible.
After six months I suddenly felt very lost. Somehow I didn’t quite feel like I found a career. I often found myself saying “There must be something more out there.” My mind was looking for answers in a place where the only answer was ‘work hard, get married and have kids’. I didn’t buy that concept.
I did some snooping around, and I found out that it would take me at least 6 years to become a manager. And when I did, I could expect to get a salary of about RM4,200+ and a whole lot more senseless work.
To be frank after that I didn’t look forward to work at all. I dreaded every single day. In my three years there I was put in four different jobs. One of those I actually liked, which was sales and marketing. But at the end of the day, it really didn’t matter what I want.
You see someone up there in HR decides that I should be doing something else. They call it manpower management. There are some people who seem to be ok with this, but not me. I couldn’t allow someone else to decide my future. This is what I think corporate life is all about:
To make a long story short, fast forward 3 years, and I’m on the verge of a breakdown. I had a job that I least cared for. I had a band which I wanted to go places with. I had a passion that I knew could be the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of my life. Yet, I was spending 10 hours a day for what I cared the least.
I finally realized that I can’t go on like this.
When the decision came it was quick. I told myself I will quit. But the question was “When?”. I had credit card debt, an empty bank account, and a I was technically bonded to TM for 8 years for my education scholarship.
All I had was a plan. A masterplan, to be exact, consisting of Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D. I worked for almost a week trying to figure if I can actually make it work. I set a target for myself to make USD5,000 by July 2006 and USD10,000 by December 2006. My plan revealed three things:
1) I had untapped sources of income
2) I could double whatever I was making if I was doing it full time
3) I had underutilized and underdeveloped skills
Satisfied, I sent in my resignation letter and slogged for the next three months. By the time my final day came I had already paid up most of my credit card bills and other short-term debt. I had also doubled whatever income I was getting from the Internet.
In my first month full-time, it was tough. TM witheld my final month’s salary for credit checking, and I realized on important lesson: cash flow is more important than revenue.
Sure, you can make a lot of money. But if you don’t get that money in time, you’re going to be stuck. Note that I had zero savings and was taking a huge leap of faith.
In my second and third months I started investing in several business opportunities including auto-surf programs, which went great for a while. While it lasted, I was making $1000 in referral commissions from one program alone. Suddenly my goal of making $5000 a month seemed a bit too easy, and I started getting a bit relaxed.
Then came the dreaded February, when all the autosurf programs came tumbling down. With them went most of my earnings and some of my faith. It was a depressing few weeks as I felt like I’m starting from day one again when I first laid out my Internet business masterplan.
It took me a few weeks to get out of my depression, and somehow I bounced back. I told myself I had too much to lose if I quit and found another J.O.B. After all I still had an e-book which I knew had potential but somehow managed to lose focus on. I still had a contract as a freelance writer. I still had a few projects which I havent even started working on, including one I’ve been putting off since January.
Most importantly, I still loved doing it. When I came to my senses I realized that the situation wasn’t that bad after all. It just seems that way when you get kicked while you’re down.
My new goal is to make $5000 a month by July 2006 and $15,000 a month by December 2006. Yes, I actually increased my target
Here’s what I found out: Anything can go wrong anytime, but as long as you have a masterplan things eventually even out.
I remember talking to TV Smith, who told me that when he quit his job he had a few hundred thousand in savings to cushion the impact. Yet by the end of a few years, just before his MyCen pet project really kicked off, he was near broke.
Savings is important if you’re considering to be a full-time Internet entrepreneur, but not a requirement.
To me, passion, determination to succeed and willingness to learn from failure are more important ingredients. It’s easy to lose focus, but with the help of friends who keep you on track and the inspiration from friends who show you the way, I believe it can be done.
So here I am at 7.27 am and I still haven’t a clue what I’m going to say later in MMU. I’m beginning to think this post wasn’t meant for that anyways. I think it was just meant for me to say out a couple of things I’ve been keeping to myself for a while.
I hope you don’t mind
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wow…never thought I was “tagged” into this post.
but one thing I realized was that I’ve never regretted knowing such a person with a strong and firm believer in one’s faith. And that person is you Gobala.
Keep up the spirit.
“To begin a journey one must have courage; to finish a journey one must have preseverance”
Hmmm very inspiring…i can think of getting you into one of those feature articles in my NST paper ( by the way I claim anything I work for…work with or associating me as mine )…but it will make a better feature story if u could prove your outcome as something that could benefit not just your bank balance but the countries tax balance too
…so u actually escape paying tax rite?… and say I am a lil patriotic ( no doubt I came frm a family that strongly believes in the oposition leading party)….but how do u think u could contribute to the nation?:)
Actually, every business needs to pay income tax, even Internet-based ones. I’m like struggling right now to get that done amid all the other work I have…
Hi Bala,
I am glad you made it after all the discussion and living in the way you wanted to but not the way you forced to….
Well done and keep it up …….. we are in the same bot now.. haha… At least I am not lonely doing the similiar things on my side.
Thanks
Steven Wong
This is a great post. It’s great that you pointed this out because not many really thought of it this way.
And you know what, us little people need to help each other out. I am sure there are times when I would seek you for help and advice.
“us little people need to help each other out”
Very, very true Kidino. You and me can either be competitors or we can be partners. Trust me I don’t want you as a competitor…
One thing I’ve realized is that I can’t do it all by myself. Another thing I reaized is that TIME is much more valuable than MONEY. Even if I could do it by myself, sometimes I choose not to simply because I value my time.
I know a lot of people who spend hours looking for free stuff and trying to get their way without paying anything. But they don’t put a $$$ amount to their time and they think they’re smart but they’re not.
It’s just false economy…
Hi Gobala
Read with interest your struggles in becoming an Internet entrepreneur. Not many people have the courage to quit their jobs and the stamina to carry on without losing focus. You are great.
hi there,
pls teach me how to make the money. i also want to quit my job. i am sick and tired of it. robert kiyosaki said there are two things that keep a person staying at a job. 1) fear 2) greed. i am more to the first one because my family is not doing very well, and i have some credit card debts to settle. almost rm 6k, and my bank account is empty too.
please mail me. thanks!
Hi Gobala…My name is Terrence…I really interested in online business,but i dont know how to do it…Can you help me?
gobala, i’m reading your history half a year later and i have to say it’s very inspirational. it’s good you lay out the realities of IM, especially to those who just see $$$ signs.
keep the faith, man..
Hi Gobala, Just read your story. Very touching, as I’m ex-TM too and you were right about the stale career options over there. Jumped ship into smaller companies now, but making way more than when in TM. Trying to build Internet businesses now, but slowly getting the hang of it. Maybe we can JV if you have the time? Take care, dude!
It is great to see some one making it and the very thing I want to strive for too. Keep it up.
You knew what you want and made decisions and put them into action. You let go a stable income. That’s brave.
Hi Gobala,
Nice knowing you’re on ur own now and on the way to be online entrepreneur. Great to know you’re from MMU as i’m.
Never had the time to know u better, but i believe we took the same subject once….i guess it was the film making stuff.
Anyway all the best fren….good luck.
Hi Gobala,
You’re really my hero!!
Sound fantastic to choose the life you want.
Hopefully I will follow your footstep one day. Great work, dude!
As a Malaysian, it is really proud of you where you strike to achieve your dream all by yourself.
Gobala, I think I am in that phase now.
And, I am proud of you man 
There’s gotta be more to life.. And of course better way of making money.
wish me luck
Hi Bala,
Your story is a malaysian version of victory in pursuing true freedom. That is freedom of time and financial. I have to say you are an inspiring free man where nobody can tell you when to wake-up every morning and what your pay slip look like at the end of the month.
salute!
Hi Bala,
It’s a great story of an entrepreneur who decide to leave the corporate job, kudos to you. Too bad, I still building my portfolio to be an entrepreneur. I am currently working in a corporate world in a monkey suits, climbing the corporate ladder.
Your thoughts in this blog really wakes me up, I can’t be spending my whole life serving for the big boss.
Your story is quite similar to mine. I have been going through all the process of being an employee, I was a salesperson, promoter, cashier, waiter, and now engineer. To be frank, most of us hate wake up early in the morning, travel in congested highways, sit in the office all day long, listen to nonsense by the big boss, abide by the rules and regulation, go back home….it just like a neverending routine.
So, I believe you have the great courage to leave your ex company for good, I hope someday I also can do the same thing like you did!!!
Great jobs, bala!!
I feel ya…. excellent lessons-filled story. So, what did you end up talking about at MMU?
Hi Gobala,
It’s the great story of yours. I already quit my job too, just want to focus on this internet marketing. I often visit your site and it’s my honor if we could coaching one-on-one, please contact me. I appreciate of your help & share.
Hi Gobala…
My name is sathies…I really interested in online business,but i dont know how to do it…Can you help me?