What I’m listening to: the sound of laughter and family
I’m in Santa Cruz and sharing time with my in-laws, who are just great people and great fun. I’m probably trying to get a little work done between 6 am and noon, but that’s because I didn’t plan the trip and he assumed I could take off without much problem. We both messed up there.
I heard from a writer friend who’s thinking it’s clearly time to make her leap. See, she wrote a guest post not long ago. In it, she mentioned a coworker who wasn’t so easy to work with. Lo and behold, didn’t a coworker read it, assume it was about her, and complain to management? Not that there was anything all that heinous said, but it was embarrassing for the writer and it’s soured an already difficult situation. Ugh.
To her, the post backfired in that it didn’t solve the problem, but only made things worse. To me, it’s a huge waving flag — your career is over here, not over there! And it’s opportunity.
I too had something I said backfire once — a lot of somethings I said, and it cost me my job. I let frustration out to coworkers instead of heading right to the source and having a one-on-one, and allowing it to get a little ugly. Instead, ugly happened as they walked me out of the building. But what happened after they closed the doors behind me, well, that was just what I needed.
I learned that freelance career I’d been pining over was staring me in the face. It was there waiting for me to take hold. While we sit in secure jobs we don’t like wishing for a career that lets us define the path, it’s right there. We’re mere inches from the start of something wild, slightly neurotic, partially manic, and completely wonderful. Yet we let that security get in the way.
So how do we find ourselves self-employed and happy as hell despite the hell itself?
Backfires.
Missteps.
Opportunities screaming in our faces.
Lack of options.
So the question I pose to you: How did you get your start in freelancing? What sent you down that path? What worked? What didn’t? How did you find your way?
Also, what in your life backfired and ended up being your blessing in disguise?
Hey, Lori, I gotta jump in on this one. Looking back over my working career several mis-steps have created a reasonable foundation for what I've done.
(1) I got kicked out of typing class in high school for telling the teacher to go to hell, under my breath, but what I didn't realize at the time he was looking over my shoulder and could hear what I muttered, so straight to the principal's office I went. This was back before electric typewriters. The upside to this story is that the teacher got me out of his class and won the battle, but I learned to type in spite of him and went on to make my living for several years typing on much the same vintage manual Royal typewriter.
(2) I failed the civil service exam to work for the post office.
I'm sure there were others that don't come to mind at the moment, but that's enough for starters.
Enjoy your time in Santa Cruz. I'm sure you'll want to go back soon to be able to enjoy the unique culture that's taken many,many years to cultivate.
Well, I've probably told you before how I made my leap but it was losing my job after the birth of my son. Once my FMLA and short term disability was exhausted I was let go because I wasn't cleared to go back to work by my doctors.
Six years later it was still the best thing that happened to me because it lead me back to writing and introduced me to blogging and social media, both things I've turned into a part time career. But given the chance to go back to writing full time and I wouldn't turn it down. I have some of those wheels in motion now so hopefully it won't be long.