Summary

The author describes a pivotal 30-minute meeting where they learned about their unexpected underperformance evaluation, leading to a severance package that has motivated them to pursue entrepreneurial goals and personal growth through writing and learning.

Abstract

The author recounts a significant turning point in their professional life initiated by a performance review that did not reflect their perceived contributions at work. Despite the setback, the author views the severance package as an opportunity to break free from a well-paying but unfulfilling job. They are now focused on creating content and sharing knowledge on Medium, aiming to build an audience and explore personal interests. The author is optimistic about the potential for this new direction to change their life for the better, with the safety net of severance reducing the perceived risk of failure.

Opinions

The author feels that their performance review was unfairly influenced by their previous manager's personal feelings about their team transfer.
They express a sense of relief and lack of personal offense at the negative evaluation, confident in the quality of their work.
The author sees the severance package as a positive catalyst for change, allowing them to pursue personal projects without immediate financial pressure.
They are motivated by the prospect of creating a meaningful livelihood on their own terms and are committed to learning and sharing valuable insights with their audience.
The author views the upcoming months as a critical period to test the viability of their independent endeavors and is prepared to return to the corporate world if necessary.
They invite readers to join their journey by subscribing to their email list and following their work, indicating a desire for community and support in their new venture.

How a 30-Minute Meeting Changed the Course of My Life

Last week, I joined a Zoom meeting with my manager. Right off the bat, I could sense something was off. My manager soon implied that there was bad news.

I was underperforming at my job.

This was a weird situation where I transferred teams during the year, but my previous manager was the one who wrote my evaluation. When I was transferring teams, this manager did all he could to try to persuade me to stay on his team. Eventually, I was able to transfer.

Long story short, my previous manager shanked me in my performance reviews despite me receiving nothing but positive feedback from him. I think he took offense to me getting off his team. It is what it is.

Unfortunately, my new manager didn’t get any say in the evaluation.

I was a bit stung, but I honestly felt a weird sense of relief. I didn’t take it personally, as I knew that it wasn’t my fault. I’d done good work on both teams I’d been on.

I would be receiving a few months of severance. This was my ticket out of a boring job that paid well.

I view this as an opportunity to do what I want on my own terms.

It has forced me to break free from the golden handcuffs, where I am earning good money but bored out of my mind.

The boats have been burned

In a few months, I won’t have any form of income. It’s stressful, but it’s also motivating.

I have created two options for myself: try to make a living on my own terms or go back to being employed as a means to an end.

I’m really hoping to avoid the latter situation.

The days feel so much better than they did at my previous job. I’m learning about a lot of different things and applying it to what I do.

It’s been a period of significant growth for me and I am grateful for this opportunity.

If I’m able to succeed at building something meaningful on my own, my life will change for the better.

If I’m unable to build something meaningful, then I’ll just go back to working in tech after a few months break.

Yes there’s risk, but there’s less risk than there would be if I didn’t have a severance package.

I’m experimenting on my own terms in a situation where failure won’t be detrimental.

Where I’m at now

Right now, I’m focused on writing each and every day. I’m working on learning new things and honing my craft so that I can deliver more value to my audience.

My main goal is to share aspects of my journey and useful information that can improve readers’ lives.

I’m only a few months into my journey here on Medium and have only been posting consistently for the past month or so.

What I’m working towards

I’m hoping to build an audience of like-minded individuals who are looking to learn and grow in their own lives.

I’m tired of feeling like a cog in the machine where I’m forced to learn and study things that either the school system or my employer deems valuable.

My hypothesis is that I can go further if I’m able to creatively explore the things that I actually care about in life.

The next three months will determine whether this is a financially viable pursuit. I really hope that I can make it happen. Time will tell…

If it fails, I’ll probably still post for fun even if I have to wander back to the corporate world like a puppy with my tail between my legs.

I’m going to be spending the next few months heads-down building and writing. If you want to follow along in my journey and see how things pan out, please consider doing the following:

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