I Used AI to Do My Job - Now I'm Using It to Quit

In my previous post, I mentioned my plan to start a side hustle, scaling down full-time work while maintaining financial sustainability.

Right now, my salary is above Singapore’s median income and even exceeds the average for my age group. Yet, no matter the role, whether low-stress/high-pay or high-stress/high-pay, I’ve never felt fulfilled. The rigid 9-to-5 structure always left me dragging my feet to work.

How AI (Like ChatGPT) Already Changed My Work Life

Ironically, my corporate job has become far more manageable, not because of passion, but because of automation. Since ChatGPT’s rise, I haven’t drafted a single report or email manually. I only provide inputs, and AI handles the tedious writing.

That said, my role still requires human skills, networking, meetings, and relationship-building, things AI can’t replace for now. But the fact that most paperwork is now automated makes me wonder: If AI can handle the "grunt work" of a corporate job, why not redirect that efficiency toward building my own business?

What I Really Want: Freedom Over Status

My ideal lifestyle looks something like this:

Weekdays:

  • Drop the kids off at childcare
  • Hit the gym
  • A quick post-workout nap
  • A few focused hours of work 
  • A long, leisurely lunch break
  • Wrap up remaining tasks
  • Pick up the kids
  • Family dinner
  • Playtime with the kids
  • Relax with my wife

Weekends:

Complete freedom, no schedules, no obligations.

Of course, this is an optimized version of the dream. Realistically, I’d need to keep my daily work hours short (4-5 hours) by automating processes and delegating operational tasks, something AI and smart hiring could help with.

The Trade-Off: Less Income, More Autonomy

The big question: Is earning less from a self-sustaining business worth leaving a high-paying corporate job? For me, the answer leans toward yes.

Here’s the reality no one talks about, while everyone in Singapore is busy climbing the corporate ladder, I found something better: a quiet niche in the market that people need but few are serving properly, precisely because it doesn’t come with office prestige or a fancy title. This isn’t about getting rich (I’m not selling anything) but about solving a real problem in a way that gives me what corporate life never could: control over my time. The beautiful irony? The gap exists because everyone else is too busy playing the traditional career game to notice – and now this overlooked opportunity is becoming my ticket to a life where I work when I want, earn enough to live well, and finally put my family and freedom first.

Final Thoughts

Corporate success brings financial security but often at the cost of personal freedom. Running my own business, even if it means a pay cut, could be the key to a life where work fits around my priorities, not the other way around.

If AI can already handle half my corporate job, why not use that same efficiency to build something of my own?

Would you take the leap for greater flexibility, even if it means earning less?


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