This is the last day I spent out at the cabin I had rented at Sleeping Dog Farm so I could make some serious progress on my book. I’ll be back tomorrow with two fresh posts, but I’ll leave you today with this post from the Tumblr archives which goes into my decision to make the leap to full-time writing. It was originally posted on September 21, 2010, although it seems just like yesterday when I made this call.
I made a life-changing decision this week. I’ve embraced my calling as a writer/performer and have taken steps to leave my full time day job as of late October.
I’m leaving my old life, and leaping full-on into my new one.
It’s strange that I’m listening to OK Go as I write this. Here’s an example of a band who left the “comforts” of a record label to go their own way, carve their own path. They are free to do what they want. They undoubtedly have worked hard every step of the way, but the only confines they now have are themselves. The less they work, the less work they will have. Their name inspires me almost as much as their music gets me going.
How am I leaving and taking the leap?
Well, I’m not bailing, for one. I’m doing my part to ensure a smooth transition. It’s not in me to leave someone in the lurch, professionally or personally. I want to be able to walk away from my current job with everything packaged up as reasonably as possible for the next person who will take up the mantle. I want to remain accessible – so I will. I’m setting up everyone for success here. That’s what I’m doing for myself now – so why not do it for my successor? I mean, the word “success” is right in there.
Secondly, I’ve put myself in a good place. I’ve left a job before with the idea of taking on a creative life full time. Problem was, I had no plan. Well, no working plan.
This time, I’ve got all of my ducks in a row. I’m the editor of a couple of great websites (WorkAwesome and the Netsetter) that are run by Envato, have been fostering Eventualism for a couple of years now, Dyscultured is starting to really take hold in the podcasting world and I am starting to branch out a bit more in general with speaking gigs and articles elsewhere. I’ve reached a plateau in terms of what I can do with my freelance work now, though. Time is the great equalizer…and I’ve plumb run out of it.
What’s next?
Well, my wife is on maternity leave still so that will allow me to create a solid roadmap that I can start to follow. I’ll have time to breathe and get clear. So will she. It’s going to be pretty amazing.
I’m also going to keep the momentum going. Take the extra time earned and invest it in my family, my craft and myself. Work my tail off. Foster my creativity. Write more – and get better at it. Take care of my kids. Make life easier for my family. Use my time wisely. Stop moving sideways and start moving forward again. I was in danger of moving backwards on all fronts. Now I’ve made the adjustment to make sure that won’t happen.
This adventure is going to be so rewarding, so empowering and so much what I’ve wanted to do for, like, ever. Yes, I’ll miss my colleagues at the day job. On my last day, it will be hard to go. I’ll want to pitch in even after I have left – maybe as a volunteer. So I’m not leaving the organization behind, I’m leaving my role with the organization behind.
Yet when I walk out that door on that last day, the first thing I’ll say to myself is:
“Ok, go!”
Photo credit: Rick Harrison (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
