Comfortable. A double-edged sword of a word that can hurt us just as quickly as it can heal us. For me, the word comfortable became ingrained in my mind as the word used to describe the every day, monotony of an office job I held for 3+ years. What started as an exciting career move, began to lose its appeal as I dreaded driving to the same office, to sit in the same desk, to do the same work, day after day. While some would consider high pay, steady benefits and a creative office environment to be a “dream job”, to me it was a barrier holding me back from a life I truly wanted to create.
I spent countless days and sleepless nights, making hundreds of excuses for why I couldn’t quit my job. Most relating to finances. This is where my mindset began to shift; I began to ask myself, what was more important – my happiness or my bank account? I began to visualize the things I would likely have to sacrifice in order to make a leap and leave a steady job, to dive into the unknown. Would I be okay living in a smaller home in a less desirable location? Limiting my weekend outings and spendings? Paying my own health insurance? This shift in thinking was pivotal in proving to myself that I wanted to make a change. I envisioned the freedom I would have, being able to work remotely, driving to a coffee meeting at 11 am on a Tuesday, taking a midday yoga class on my lunch break, and these visions proved to me that all of my financial worries and sacrifices would be worth it.
So that’s when I made the leap. With the emotional support of my parents and partner, I quit my job. And that’s when things started to fall into place. My employer offered me the chance to freelance while they looked for a replacement for my position. I happily accepted and made it clear that my work would be done remotely.
After a few months and some digging on LinkedIn, I found a second freelance position that also allowed me to work from home, and gave me the ability to test out having separate clients and prioritizing different workloads. Once my previous job ended, the second freelance position turned into a full-time role. The universe was doing its thing.
It has been over a year since I quit my full-time job to create this freelance lifestyle I have always envisioned. While there are days I feel frustrated at my high monthly health insurance payment or lack of a 401k match, I can confidently say that I have never been happier. I feel more creative, confident and comfortable than ever. I am writing this while sitting in my kitchen, enjoying a homemade coffee. At the end of the day, there are certain sacrifices I have to make and I don’t think working remotely / freelancing is for everyone, but I can confidently say it’s the right choice for me.
Moral of the story: Take the leap, do what YOU want to do. Life is short, prioritize the things that ignite your passions. If you want to try something new, or make a big change, do it. You’re likely the only thing holding yourself back.
Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Alexis now lives in sunny Los Angeles where she works as the Social Media Manager for Intern Queen. Aside from work, you can find her doing hot yoga, visiting friends in Seattle, or re-decorating her apartment. Say hi on Instagram!
