In the beginning (again)
I’ve had a few new beginnings in my life, both personally and professionally. And it seems that every couple of years I go for a hard reset on what I do and how I define myself.
I’ve desperately tried not to do this, but my mind won’t sit still and I’ve always got this, “only one life” mentality nagging at me to do things better than I did the day before or the week before or the year before. Sometimes that voice gets loud. And it refuses to go away.
So after a few years redefining my skillset and industry, gaining confidence, and seeing the results and impact I can have, I’ve taken the leap back into freelance work.
Why? People asked me. Why would I leave something that was a sure and steady thing?
I think it’s important to remember that nothing is sure, nothing is steady, and if we’ve only got this one shot at life, we’d better pull as much happiness and meaning and value out of it as we can.
I value my time and how I spend it.
There’s nothing quite like taking the morning to garden during the week. There are few things better than waking up without an alarm (Warm cookies directly out of the oven? Maybe that.). Running the show and (trying) to be your own boss is equally frustrating and rewarding.
I want to make sure that my value as a person isn’t derived from a job title and that I’m pushing myself to maximum muchness.
So if I’ve got this one chance at being alive, I want it to be filled with curiosity, hope, confidence, and a little bit of faith in myself.
In this (second) beginning, I’ve decided to commit myself to writing every day. In the past, journaling has been a great way to unlock ideas, spark creativity, and force myself to be okay with ‘good enough’.
And I know it’s not all going to be great. Having done this before I know the challenges involved with networking and clients and projects.
But it’s not about perfect. Work should be fulfilling and fun, and this is my attempt to find it.