I quit my dream job to build my dream life (my 6 month update)

March 29th, 2024. I was working in finance in my hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On this day, I closed my work laptop for the very last time. And just like that, three years of working as a project manager in corporate Asia was over. April 11th, 2024. Eleven days later, I flew to Sweden to finally see my sister after four years of being apart, and to meet my niece and nephew for the first time. I spent two months here, healing from burnout, making content, and most importantly, spending time with family and friends. July 2024. I went back to Malaysia for a little while, to pack up my life and to say goodbye. I got onto a one-way flight and began my new chapter in life. Which brings us to the present day. I finally took the leap, decided to escape the rat race and pursue my own path. For these next 12 months that I'll be in Australia, the plan is to go all in on building a meaningful life for myself on my own terms, making content and bringing value into the world in the best way that I know how, and learning everything that I can really about entrepreneurship, and then applying all that knowledge into creating businesses of my own. I've reached the six-month mark now, and I just really wanted to share a very honest and unfiltered account of how things have been going so far. The good and the bad, what it's actually like to go off the beaten path, whether I regret leaving my stable corporate life, and also what my plans are moving forward. So if you're someone who's thinking about leaving corporate, or if you're just planning to make a big life change in general, like searching careers or maybe moving countries, or maybe if you're just curious to know what it would be like to step out of the conventional path, then hopefully I can give a bit more insight into that based on my own personal experience. But first, let's go grab some coffee. Hey, how are you? Can I get one ice long black, please? Ice long black? Of course, can I just grab you an So I'm taking you guys to the Royal Botanical Gardens. This will be my first time here too, so I'm pretty excited. I don't know if you guys have seen that meme of like, what is it with Asian parents and, you know, people above 50 who like to pose with plants by like touching them with like a completely deadpan expression. I just thought it was so funny how there were these Korean tourists behind me and the guy was like doing exactly that with the flower tree. That was really cute. Okay, so I'm a little nervous right now because there is a seagull right behind me and they're known for being pretty violent. Anyways, you guys will tell me, right, if he starts coming closer and closer. I think it should be okay. It was actually not okay and you guys will see why in a second. Guys, what the f**k? I don't know if how much of that was filmed. Now it's circling around my bag and I just want to go and get it to like move to another spot. Oh my god, what the actual f**k? Initially, I was just joking, you know, I thought it'd be pretty cute for the video to say like, oh guys, let me know if the seagull starts coming closer to me and then it actually starts attacking me. It did this like demonic movement with its neck and then it started screeching at me and it just charged towards me. The trauma! You know, I keep telling people like, oh guys, Australia is not that dangerous. You don't have to worry about it but low-key, I don't know what to think anymore. Okay, so anyways, what I was saying earlier is that I quit my dream job for my dream life. What does that mean? Basically, if you guys watch my initial vlog where I announced that I had quit my nine-to-five, you will know that my previous job was far from perfect. In fact, I was burnt out like crazy. So what I mean by dream job is I guess the dream vision that I've always had from my life growing up and that vision was to get good grades in school, get a scholarship to go study at a uni overseas and then afterwards graduate and then get a good job in banking or consultancy or, you know, one of those jobs that people would proudly flex on LinkedIn. And after a whole lifetime of working so hard and ticking all the right boxes, I got to the end of it and realized, oh shit, I guess this isn't really what I wanted after all. And honestly, for those few years that I was working in corporate, my life was just crumbling internally because I was battling all these thoughts like, you know, where did I go wrong? Why am I so miserable? Didn't I do all the right things? How did I end up here? And so being in that amount of pain for so long was ultimately what gave me the courage to finally quit my job and move countries and yeah, just start life all over again. So I'll share a little bit now about how life has been since quitting my nine to five and what my days look like. The visa that I'm on allows me to work, live and travel within Australia for a whole year. And what I decided was that I didn't really want to dip into my savings after quitting my job. And so I decided to take on a part-time job and I do that three days a week. And for the rest of the week, I'm making content and I'm also building my short to medium term business. That's pretty much what I get up to during my week. For the rest of it, it's just, you know, going to the gym a few times a week and cooking myself, nourishing meals and taking care of my health, taking care of my sleep, which I found really hard to do when I was working my corporate job. So it's just nice being able to live this healthy, active, rested lifestyle. Whereas before I felt like I was so in a rush to get things done because I was working most of the time and I just had to like squeeze my YouTube work and squeeze health and fitness into the crevices of my week. Whereas now it's like, oh, I can actually allocate. Fly just went into my nose. I can allocate, you know, a decent amount of time to doing those things, which I really, really love. Honestly, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. So the first thing I would say that I really struggle with at the very beginning is realizing that it always takes longer and costs more than you think it will. And I think I had this pretty unreasonable expectation that, yeah, in this one year in Australia, I'm going to go all in. And by the end of this year, you know, I'm going to have achieved all my dreams and everything that I set out to do. Obviously, that's not realistic. And for, you know, the majority of people, unless you're like Jeff Bezos or something, then, you know, your first business isn't going to be your greatest hit. It's not going to be the thing that takes you to your dream life. And for most people, success takes a really, really long time. It's just consistent effort executed over a very, very long period of time. And even with growing like a YouTube channel, you know, for the longest time, your first hundred thousand subscribers or followers is usually the hardest hurdle that you have to get through. And then once you pass a certain threshold, then your growth is just exponential. And then suddenly people are asking you like, oh, you know, you got famous overnight. Well, it seems that way only because that growth compounds. Yeah, I realized it was going to take me a lot longer than I initially anticipated. And I really struggled with that because I was just impatient, I suppose. But now I've come to terms with the fact that, OK, I'm in this for the long haul and, you know, I'm not going to be a gym receptionist my whole life. And I should learn to stick it out for a lot longer, learn to love the grind, the day to day work and not focus so much on the timeline of it all, because, you know, the time will pass by anyway. The years go by so quickly, even though individual days can feel very slow. So, yeah, I'm trying not to worry so much about that anymore. The second thing that I really struggled a lot with, especially when I first moved here, was loneliness, because I didn't know anybody in Melbourne. And when I hadn't started working at my receptionist job yet, I was super lonely and it was hard just like getting used to how things work here. Everything just felt super unfamiliar at the start. And I really had to learn how to just be happy with my own company. But after I started my gym job and, you know, I met people from work and just meeting people through other means, then things got a lot better. And I also just like learned to enjoy my solitude. I love going out on solo dates now. I do that a lot. The third thing that I struggled with was also a lot of self-doubt. I realized that, you know, with content and with business, there is a whole mountain of things that I don't know yet and I don't know how to do well, even if I am aware of those things. And so I started to have a lot of self-doubt creep in. Can I actually make this work? I have so much to learn and so many skills that I need to sharpen. And I'm just one person. I wish I had a team to help me with all of these different little projects that I'm working on. And really, at the beginning, when you're starting a business, you are like a one-man band. You are wearing every single hat. You are the one that's doing the fulfillment. You are the one that's generating the leads. You're the one that's closing the sales. You're the one that's doing the customer service and the marketing and just absolutely everything. The admin stuff as well. And even with content and making videos, you are the talent. You're hair and makeup. You're the director. You are set design. You are also the camera guy and also post-production, editing the videos. You are absolutely everything. And just having to wear so many hats all the time and having to switch between them, like, it's really hard, guys. It's really freaking hard. But it's hard in a good way. I feel like because I'm doing so much, I'm constantly learning. And this is another thing that I was really missing in corporate. I feel like now my brain is at full capacity. It's operating at like a hundred percent. All of my neurons are just firing at the same time and it feels so activated. Whereas before, when I was working my nine to five, I felt like a zombie, like my brain wasn't fully being utilized. And so I think this is another nice problem to have is the fact that I have so much to learn. Whereas before it was like, yeah, I did learn stuff in my job. But after a while, once you are competent, then that's really it. Like there's not much progression, really. And even if there is progression, it's like, I don't care about the work that I'm doing, you know, doesn't really mean anything to me or to many other people, except for the shareholders on top that you're making rich, I suppose. But yeah, now I feel like I'm constantly learning new things. And as soon as I learn them, I apply them straight away. And because of that, I feel like I'm growing at such a fast pace. And I love that. You know, my channel is all about self-improvement, living your healthiest, wealthiest, and most fulfilling life. And I think part of living a fulfilling life is growing as a person, always evolving, always being better. I have so many moments now where I think to myself, OK, now what? OK, I've got to figure this new thing out. And how do I do this? But the process of figuring it all out and experimenting with things is actually really, really fun. And it's almost like you're playing a game. And every time you figure something out and you achieve it, you unlock the next level. You know, obviously, it's like not nice feeling lost and not really knowing what to do. But also the whole journey of figuring it all out is genuinely really fun and rewarding. And the nice part is as well, like as part of my receptionist job at the gym, I'm learning so much about customer service and customer retention and fulfillment and picking up a lot of those kind of skills. And also I've like closed a few sales, like I sold a few gym memberships. I got to go for like this three day sales training where they teach you how to effectively sell gym memberships and the whole psychology behind sales. And it was just really cool, like getting paid to learn all about sales. And essentially that's one key skill that I need to have as someone who is delving into entrepreneurship. So that was pretty awesome. And I do plan on going into a sales role within the fitness industry here, too. I'm in my Hormozy arc, if you will. I don't know if any of you guys are a fan of the Hormozy's. Essentially, they started with selling gym memberships. They were like sales reps. So this was completely unintentional, by the way, like I do consume a lot of their content. But honestly, I applied for these gym roles in Australia because I just wanted the free membership, to be honest. And I just I just needed a job, you know, to not dip into my savings. But now I'm like going into a sales role soon. And it's just, yeah, it's all completely coincidental. Okay, so just making a move now. The next thing I wanted to talk about, I guess, is like what it's been like not having a corporate income. And honestly, guys, when it was like my last few months at my old job, I was pretty anxious and nervous about not having a stable income anymore. And I already started to reduce my lifestyle, not spend on things that I don't need to. And just like I started getting into the habit of saving way more money than I'm used to. I thought to myself, like, shit, this is going to be really hard, isn't it? Just trying to maintain a very low level lifestyle, especially since I was going to be on like a part time wage. And when I got to Australia, to be honest, like it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There's a few reasons for this. So firstly, I mean, it really helped that I got into the mindset of saving money like months before I officially quit my job. So it was good having that mentality already. And the second reason is that in Australia, wages are really, really good here. Like minimum wage is $24.10. I talk all about this in my Melbourne vlog. So if you guys are interested about working in Australia or my visa and things like that, it's all in that vlog. But yeah, you can work part time in Australia and pretty much cover all your basic living essentials like your rent and bills and groceries. Not too much beyond that. I mean, depending on how much you want to work. I only wanted to work three days a week because I really just wanted to give myself time to work on my content and my business. So yeah, I could definitely earn way more, but I'm choosing to sacrifice that income with just giving myself a bit more time to do my own work, which is primarily why I came to Australia in the first place. And the third reason, which I think is the most important, I think being in Australia and doing this whole thing has made me realize that I don't need much to live a happy life and that I'm capable of living on way less than I thought. The only reason why I was spending all that money when I was working my nine to five is mainly due to emotional reasons. I felt like I needed comfort. It's like a, I don't know what the, I forgot what the term is. It's like working tax or stress tax. And that tax is like the money that you spend because you need emotional comfort from the stresses of working in corporate. So that's treating yourself to take out more often than you should. Or maybe if you drink, then going out for drinks every weekend just to like de-stress or even, you know, needing to pay for therapy because your job just gives you that much stress. And there's so much added hidden cost to working in corporate than people realize. But yeah, I realized I was spending all that money because I was trying to fill this void inside me. I just wanted to feel something. And now that I have something that gives me purpose and I feel more fulfilled on a day-to-day basis, I don't feel the need to spend money on stuff. Like I don't have the desire anymore to buy takeout or to spend money on clothes or just like random little luxuries or tech gadgets or just whatever. Like, like I don't need that stuff anymore, which is, it's really freeing. And also the fact that, and this is going to be my last point on this, I came to this country with a suitcase and a dream. And yeah, I had to really travel light on this one. Initially I was really devastated about having to give up my desk setup at home with my, you know, double monitor situation and having my mechanical keyboard and everything, you know, that whole aesthetic desk setup. And I was like, oh man, I'm going to have to like rough it out. Like I only brought three pairs of shoes with me, two of which I use for the gym. So I only really have one pair of shoes that I use every single day to go out and stuff. I came here with like the bare essentials and it's just, it's nice, like living light. And I never realized how burdensome having a lot of stuff can be. There was a bee, so I had to run away. There's so many people here. So I keep having to like, I guess like walk in different directions to avoid them. Cause I still feel a bit awkward vlogging outside guys. Like I'm not going to lie. And then like in that first shot where I was like sitting on my picnic mat and just before I got attacked by the seagull, there was like this couple that sat, I don't know, maybe like 10 meters away from me on their own picnic mat. And I was like, ah shit, I guess these guys are going to be here for a while, but I still vlogged on until the seagull attacked me. And then they saw me, you know, going through that. And that was super embarrassing, but it's all good. You know, you build thick skin doing this. Okay. So what, what was I talking about earlier? Um, yeah, moving on to my next point. Uh, one of the things that I guess I sort of worried about, but not too much, to be honest, was downgrading my life. So going from, you know, typical glass office tower, nine to five corporate job and finance, and then downgrading to gym receptionist. And I think a lot of people are not willing to go through that. And, and real, real, like two years ago, I genuinely would have looked down on people like that. Not like look down at people who are gym receptionists or cleaners or whatever. It's not in that sense. It's more like, Oh, I would see these articles of people quitting law, quitting their fancy title jobs in order to, you know, pick fruit in Australia or go work as a waitress or a receptionist or a barista. And I used to think like, Oh my God, these people are crazy. Why would they give up all of that? You know, that fancy title, that comfortable desk job and all the perks that come with it, that salary in order to earn a wage doing something that is, I guess like well beyond their education level. And that honestly never made sense to me until I went through that journey myself. And I get it. I really get it. I think a lot of people reach that point where they realize that, Oh man, that fancy title, that fancy office, you know, all those perks, it's pretty meaningless, especially since like most people do it for other people. They're not even doing it for themselves. Really. It's like, if no one was watching you, if no one gave a shit about like prestige and status and all that, how many people would actually be working the jobs that they're working now, especially once you think about like what the trade-offs are. So I guess, you know, your mental health, your sense of fulfillment in life and, you know, not being able to spend time doing the things that you love and spending time with people that you love. I lowkey want to just like grab some food right now and then maybe finish the rest of the vlog whilst I'm eating. Then I have to be around other people. We'll see how it goes. Let me try and find a nice cafe to go have some food. So the food just arrived and I swear, brunch or cafe food or just food in general in Melbourne is always such an event. I'll show you what I mean. Look at that. So I got the chili scramble and this is their taro latte and I got it with almond milk. Seriously though, look at how beautiful this food is. I swear it's always so chaotic for me to film these vlogs. So I do apologize if the vibe is a little all over the place. It's so bad of me just cutting off halfway through a main point. But anyways, earlier I was talking about downgrading my life and how I felt about that. Going from this white collar banking job to gym receptionist and whether I feel bad about it and just want to reiterate that I really don't. There's a quote from Jim Carrey that I really love. If you're not willing to downgrade your lifestyle for a year to have a lifestyle that you want forever, then you care too much about what other people think. And it really emphasized the importance of prioritizing long-term goals over short-term comforts. I know that this isn't gonna be forever. I'm not gonna be a gym receptionist forever. I'm not gonna be in this season of my life forever. Like honestly, everything is temporary and you know, what's a year or two in the grand scheme of your whole life? And the final point before I conclude this very chaotic vlog. I do need to finish up soon because I'm on 17% battery. A lot of people keep asking me, so what's the plan after Melbourne? Like what are you gonna do after these 12 months in Australia? And wouldn't you like to know? Because I sure would too. I don't have an answer for you. And I'm not saying that to keep you on your toes or whatever. Genuinely, right now I don't have a concrete fixed plan. I do have a few options that I'm exploring and they're all pretty exciting options. I don't want to share anything just yet until it's actually confirmed. So I'll check back with you guys in six months and let you know what the official plan is. And also like what the options were. But yeah, honestly the thought of leaving Melbourne makes me so sad. I don't know if this is just me, but like have you guys ever been with someone? Let's say it's like a significant other or like a really close friend and they have to like go away soon or you're a long distance or whatever and like you like them so much that even when you're with them, you feel like you miss them. Does that make sense? Is that just me? I don't know. But yeah, I never thought that I could feel that way about a place and that is exactly how I feel about Melbourne. Even though I'm here, I feel like I already miss it. So sappy. Genuinely, Melbourne has been magical. It's my favorite place that I've ever traveled to, that I've ever lived in. I've not lived in many places. So I lived in Malaysia for most of my life and then I went to uni in the UK and I worked there for a bit. So I was there for like five years. And Sweden earlier this year doesn't really count, although like two and a half months is a pretty extended period of time and it gives you a pretty good understanding of what it's like to live in a place. But yeah, like honestly I don't think anywhere that I've been to, travel-wise, living-wise, even comes close to Melbourne. Like nothing compares. It's interesting because for me, the UK didn't feel like home. Even though I was there for such a long time, I think it only started to feel homey and familiar, if you will. Kind of like a second home. Maybe a few years into living there. But with Melbourne, it's like after just a few months, I completely fell in love. And yeah, it just, it feels like home. So yeah, that's all I have for my six months update vlog after quitting my 9 to 5. Overall, it's been such a journey and I have absolutely loved it. But of course, it hasn't been like all sunshine and roses. It has been far from easy, moving to a new place, dealing with all the struggles of that and just entering this new chapter, this new season of my life, of like building the life of my dreams, trying to pursue my own path. But it's a challenge that I am so grateful to be going through and the journey of it has been so incredible so far. And I've never felt this fulfilled and this motivated to just take charge of my life and really do great things with it. And yeah, I'm just really excited to see what else is in store. Hope you guys enjoyed the vlog. As always, take care and see you in the next video.