 As I prepare to take my leave of the daily 9 to 5 of the corporate world in just two short weeks, I’ve been thinking about what working for myself – specifically from my home office – will look like for me.
Obviously, I’m beyond exhilarated to become my own boss for the first time. Since I’ve never done it before, though, I imagine there’ll be a pretty big learning curve. It’s probably going to take me awhile to get my sea legs under me. In addition to doing some mad business development during the past six months, I’ve made it a point to pick the brains of other successful freelancers and home-based solo practitioners, in the hopes that I can learn from mistakes they have already made.
1 Comment
 To quote one of my favorite movie characters, Clark Griswald: “Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where’s the Tylenol?”
OK, let me ’splain. On Monday of this week, I quit a steady, full-time, salaried job to follow my bliss as a freelance writer, editor and media consultant. It's official, I iz an entrepreneur. Without a safety net. For the first time, well… ever. Goodbye regular paycheck, hello risk and uncertainty. Can you say, “dramatic lifestyle change??” Eeek! Yep, I am definitely feeling equal parts hallelujah and holy shit, with a generous side of acetaminophen required.  I’m sure that just about everyone struggles with self-doubt from time to time. I’ve experienced lots of self-deprecating moments throughout my adult life. I’ve questioned my judgment on everything from my career path to parenting to relationships.
Hell, I’ve beaten myself up over a decision as simple as a coffeemaker purchase. Most of these moments are fleeting, and an internal pep talk gets my self-esteem out of the gutter and back to reality pretty fast. I gotta say, though, making the choice to build a freelance writing and media consulting business and be my own boss has really put my confidence to the test. I have had more “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?” episodes in the past six months than I’ve had in all my prior years on this planet.  I’ve truly enjoyed using this space to share essays that detail my personal journey, and I am thrilled that a few people beyond my parents are reading my posts. But truth be told, I’m still trying to figure out what I want this blog to be when it grows up.
In the couple months since I launched my website, I have been satisfied to simply use this space as a public outlet for any old random topic I want to write about. And it turns out my favorite topic is me. (My inner circle of friends and family are collectively rolling their eyes right now.)  I spent a pleasant afternoon running errands with my mom yesterday, and one of our stops was Feeders Supply. Mom and I both have dogs. Hers is a 6-year-old Japanese Chin. Bridget is a pushy little bitch, but that’s true of any alpha female, canine or otherwise. She is sweet and sassy, and my mom is really attached to her.
I think she would say the same thing about me, but I digress. Anyhoo, I have two very spoiled little pups, Charlie and Sam, aka Sammi Sue (see photo at left). They have the same mom and dad but came from different litters, two years apart. Their breed is what I call a fancy mix, because it’s trendy though not yet recognized by the AKC. As “Teddy Bears,” they have Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise in them. I am willing to bet they have terrier or something else in there, too. All I know for certain is that they are damn cute. A major component of the Amy Reinvention and Reconstruction Project of 2012 is getting myself healthy. Well, healthier, anyway. Prior to embarking on the ARRP, I smoked a pack a day and ate all kinds of fried food, sugar, salt and general crap. I sat on my behind at every opportunity and ran only when chased. Only by the grace of God and good genetics was I not an overweight sloth with high blood pressure and hypertension.
In June, after the dust had settled from the breakup of my marriage (more on that later), and with my 40th birthday looming (July 31, to be exact), I looked in the mirror and thought, “Girl, you have really got to get your shit together.” I had lost a lot of weight because of the stress of that long and painful breakup, and I had zero energy. I looked scrawny, pasty and pitiful. And frankly, it pissed me off. |
About Amy HiggsA former newspaper columnist, Amy takes her random, slice-of-life stories to the web. After 12 years, she's still just saying. Archives
September 2020
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed