It was last Spring. I was at my favorite watering hole the night before, after a recent break-up. I drank too much, stumbling home with disappointment realizing I wasn’t living the life I wanted. I had given up my dream of independence for money.
I awoke the next morning swimming in remorse, for that day I had to work—and I knew I wasn’t going to be productive. I wasn’t going to be the employee I was being paid to be: Smart. Thorough. Efficient.
I wasn’t going to be the employee I was being paid to be: Smart. Thorough. Efficient.
It was a Friday. Not the worst day of the week to log-in at home feeling a bit froggy. But all the same I felt I was somehow breaking the rules.
During our morning SCRUM I took stock of my remote colleagues. They were undoubtably the smartest and most talented individuals I’d ever worked with. And as each of my brethren gave their daily update, I started to recognize all of them had something I did not.
The morning hummed on as usual. Ad hoc chats with design. Support and pairing with junior engineers. Vying for time with product stakeholders. All the while I kept thinking about the night before, and this strange feeling I somehow couldn’t understand.
It was lunchtime before I figured it out. What was it. What did my coworkers have I did not? And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. They all had families, and all seemed happy.
I welled up with remorse, and called myself in sick for the rest of the day. It was at that moment I decided to leave my job.
It was at that moment I decided to leave my job.
I spent the next few days thinking about it. And come Monday I sent in my firm resignation. For in my weekend of reflection I realized something: I still had time to restore my dream.
That weekend I had finally found the motivation needed to live life on my own terms – I decided to become a freelancer. And this is my new bible:
Welcome To Your Independence: The Freelance Handbook
If you're considering freelancing and haven't read the handbook yet, I highly recommend it. It's chock-full of beautiful illustrations; and will save you weeks of research, days reading the wrong things, and help to quickly instill important knowledge needed to successfully transition to a life of independence.
And though I gave up a six-figure salary to gain my independence, I don't regret the decision to do so. After all, it lead me straight to Bali.
