I left my job two years ago to “do my own thing.” It was not a decision my partner and I made lightly. Our oldest son would be out of school soon, and he would need daily care. Services are difficult to find for adults that have disabilities that prohibit them from entering the mainstream. One of us would need to be able to work from home to stay with him.
I’ve spent my life wanting to write, writing a bit, and then, working too much to focus on writing. I left my job and took two years to develop my niche and create some income. Our son will be with us starting Labor Day Weekend, and I’m still working on the development aspect.
I won’t say I’ve not made progress. I’ve been published in major magazines. I’ve created copy for a business website. I’ve written for online publications for many years including Medium and here at Thrive Global. I’ve made headway. What I’ve not made is a lot of money ~ yet.
How do you get past the nay-sayers and the questions by friends and loved ones? Have a plan. We paid off ALL our bills before I left my job. That in of itself was a huge help to the new budget. If I had a piece of advice for anyone about to leap into doing their own thing, do that ~ pay off everything you can. The new single income is so much easier to manage when there are not three credit card bills to pay.
We moved to another state in the middle of this change over with one son about to head off to college and our oldest hanging with his Dad for the summer while we got settled. My partner secured a job; I do some side work as a ranch sitter, we bought a new home, and are getting settled back into a routine. The writing will begin again. Because of endurance.
“Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance.”
James Baldwin
You must have it. If you don’t have the patience to keep trying your idea, your passion, or following your dream, you’re not ready yet. Giving up the paycheck security blanket is hard. I won’t lie. However, people have lived on single incomes for generations before us. Live simpler, make cuts to the fluff (do you really need that double shot latte?), sleep more, have fun more. But endure the hardships. There will be some if only for the fact that you’ve created all these “must haves” that you can’t live without. Trust me you can.
What are you willing to give up to be where you want to be?