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I love spending 30 minutes or so a day perusing the interwebs looking for good content that will help me be a better ME.
One of my favorite “go to” sites for solid and useful content is Make a Living Writing founded by Carol Tice and today was no exception. I Quit My Job to Be a Freelance Writer: What Was I Thinking? (a guest post from Teressa Campbell) and it really hit home and prompted me to leave a heartfelt-here’s-all-my-crazy-showing comment. A long one.
A blogging guru once told me, if you leave a comment that’s longer than two sentences, stop, and go write a blog post instead. If you are passionate enough to leave a lengthy comment, you must have a lot to share about the subject.
So I am doing both 🙂
Please check out Teressa’s post here and I am sure you will see my novel-like comment. But in case your are pressed for time, here’s my comment and thoughts to the question; is there ever a good time to quit your job?
My Comment: Wow! Great article and it is a story eerily similar to mine. I did have the 80K job with bennies, but I had a strong feeling the company was circling the drain and, as one of the higher paid employees there, I saw the potential writing on the wall. I had my spouse’s support, but he was self-employed at time too (doh!) so no safety, security OR companies bennies at all for a while. However, I have no regrets. I have always been blessed with steady work and it’s work that I absolutely love to do. I make roughly half what I used to, but the fact I can be more present in our kids’ lives now that I work from home is worth more to me than money. You’re right, there is not a “right time” to quit, but working from home on your own terms is sooooo do-able and soooo worth it. Do your research, have a support system, and get your ducks in a row. Life is an adventure. 🙂
This part of Teressa’s article also really hit home as well; “I let the doubt and depression from everyone telling me that I was crazy to quit my job for “a hobby” seep in and cause me to feel overwhelmed and afraid to put myself out there.”
I know that feeling. It’s the feeling kinda like being an ant under a magnifying glass as the world watches with bated breath, waiting for you to publicly bomb and end up working the check-out line at a Big Box Store. Only it didn’t happen. I didn’t bomb and I now , in hindsight, I think much of that perceived “watching” was just my own self-doubt barking up my butt and undermining my confidence.
Now, I am over two years in this self-employment adventure and I am truly excited to get out of bed every day. There are scary days and tough days and YES, I agree to NEVER stop prospecting because you never know when a good client will decide to throw you under the bus or “cut your expense” with not much noticed. The good news is, my bills are paid, we are happy, clothed and fed there’s never a question of “how will we make it this month.” I am blessed. The business I created just works. And I worked my tail off to get there too.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Are you “there” and feeling ready to make the leap? Have you leaped, but now find yourself floundering in a sea of What The F* Was I Thinking? I’d love to hear your thoughts and I’d love to help as well. Speak your piece 🙂
Hi Rebecca —
I don’t know why this just now popped up in my pings, but I just discovered this post! It’s fun to see that Teressa’s guest post on my blog inspired a post of your own.
The good news is, with freelancing you don’t have to make half what you used to. After I replaced my staff writer income with freelancing, I realized your earning potential is unlimited. 😉
But the bottom line is that never missing a kids’ play, assembly, doctor appointment or soccer game is what really makes freelancing worthwhile for moms. I have zero regrets there, lack of security and all.
I personally think job ‘security’ is increasingly illusory anyway. And I’m hopeful that as Obamacare works the bugs out, healthcare will be more available and affordable, helping more writers to have the courage to quit and freelance.
Thank you so much Carol! I have to admit getting a comment from you is like getting one from Oprah in my eyes! I love your site and read and learn as much as I can from you. Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting…and keep being awesome! 🙂
AWESOME post! I love the blog guru advice about more than two sentences in a comment. I find myself doing that often. What a great thing to remember. Thanks for sharing your story!
I think what you did was brave and to quote good ol’ Ralph- “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
My situation was different… when it came down to it I had no choice, or at least I thought I didn’t. I was in a really bad place and the only way out was, well…through me. I had to make the choice and I was done letting others who didn’t respect me or even remotely value me make my choices. I realized that sometimes doing something is better than doing nothing and just about ANYTHING had to be better than that! I think you’re right and it all comes down to choices but it also comes down to taking the leap and following it through. It also helps to have so many great friends to lean on when the going gets rough 😉