It was a very hard decision, but I took the risk anyway. I was driven with ambitious mind, wanting to own a business, work on my own, competing in the world of entrepreneurs.
The drowning moment made me decide to leave.My corporate job is challenging, I was learning but I think it was a bit too much to handle. It is a common thing to have so much in our plate and we are struggling to choose between finishing the to-do lists or producing quality work. In corporate life, deadline is a must, whatever tight it is. As an artist, it is hard for me to compromise my work in order to compete with the deadline, the good side is, no time were wasted because I always do something, the bad thing though is that I wasted the opportunity to focus on what I really want, and that is honing my skills which takes time.
I am doing freelance for some time now, and it helps me do the creative side. It was in mid 2018 when my freelance career is boosting, abruptly. I have pool of clients coming in and it is really hard to reject projects you love. I’m doing good for both corporate and freelance but I was drowning, and I need to choose one.
If the comparison is only about money and opportunity, I would definitely leave my corporate career instantly. But it was the people, my corporate family, made it harder for me to decide. But we were always be family even if I’m out in the company’s premises.
Life after leaving corporate job.
It wasn’t easy at all. I have to bear in mind that I will no longer receive scheduled pay checks, I have to work harder for it. I have bills to pay but it wasn’t a big thing at all since my freelance career is paying me more than my corporate salary. What makes it hard is when you’re unsure if you are taking yourself in the right path.
Procrastination is always in every corner. I have tons of projects that I’ve just set aside and do lazy stuff that consumes my entire day. It is very tempting to procrastinate. Watching movies, playing, eating, sleeping, you name it.
I feel lonely, most of the time. Being alone is not hard for me, but somehow the isolation makes me feel so sad. It was just a month of isolation when I decided to go back home with my parents. I did consider so many things before going home, distractions are awful but it is better than having myself drown in depression because of isolation. I also consider the cost, I will no longer pay rent, utilities, food and I can save much more.
Distraction is anywhere. I have prepared for it anyway so I started with a time schedule. I set my working hour when everyone is asleep, so I’m a night owl. Morning is very distracting, random people coming to our mini store, my mother who is always yelling, television with high volume, motor engines from neighbours, etc.
I am definitely happy to work more. I am my own boss and I take full responsibility of my actions. No more office dramas, just straight to the work’s objective. More time to discover things, more time to learn new things. Everything is almost on the web now and it is really an advantage for me as a freelance designer.
Speaking of Advantage. I have to take advantage of my youth to test the waters. Leaving corporate life is not always the final thing, if it doesn’t work, then I will come back and still be competitive because I’m still young. But taking freelance full time will work, then dream do come true.
[photo credit: pixabay.com]