Member Articles

Big, big changes have been in the works! I am now completely FREE!

On May 31, 2008, I finished drafting my resignation letter for my full time job of over nine years. Yes, that’s right, I’m taking the freelance plunge -- officially going solo and becoming a self-employed entrepreneur.

This is something I’ve been looking forward to for such a long time now! Anyone who knows me knows of the insane hours I’ve been keeping -- working 60 to 70 hours a week, with not more than four to five hours of sleep a night, all to juggle working a full-time job, running my own web design business part time, and not to mention that thing called having a life -- which, in my case, is heavily centered around an almost 3-year-old.

I had my “AH-HA” moment the Sunday before Memorial Day. I was playing outside with my daughter in the sandbox, while sitting in a lawn chair right beside her. Watching and hearing her play, looking up at the clouds floating and birds flying by in the sky, hearing the relaxing sound of wind rustling through the palm trees, watching the squirrels playing (and napping) in the tree... a combination of things in that single moment, made me realize that this is what it’s all about.

My husband and I moved here a few years ago -- we had this house built on the lot that we picked (much more bang for your buck than where we were previously renting an apartment). It finally hit me that we moved to be in this beautiful place to enjoy each other and our house and our lives, now with a beautiful baby girl (OK, toddler -- she’s not a baby anymore!).

I realized these last few years living here, especially since my daughter was born, have literally flown past me in the blink of an eye. This year in particular has gone by so quickly! And what was I doing? Instead of enjoying the back yard on a regular basis, I was cooped up inside this office. Missing out on her growing up -- missing out on LIFE!

Now, I must say that I did work from home, and it’s something I was so incredibly grateful for! I have been able to witness so many of my daughter’s “firsts” -- her first smile, first bath, first time rolling over, first time crawling, first time walking... heck, even the first time she tried to get something from her Daddy (chocolate covered raisins), and then came to ask me when he said no! (Where did she learn to do THAT so quickly!)

It’s a lot of the little things, too. Working so much, I was constantly tired and stressed and thinking of work. So even when I’m with my family, my mind was still at least half on work, if not completely checked-out and wishing I were asleep.