Why Full Time Employment Isn’t For Me

Yesterday there was a bit of a mass Exodus at work, with a good chunk of my department being wiped out – old and new employees being discarded in the name of their positions being “eliminated”. Seeing people who just came to a company 2 or 3 months ago being let go is just sad when you think about the excitement they had not that long ago to find a new position. The plans they likely made or had coming up on their calendars thinking about the paycheck they thought they could count on. Seeing people who’ve been with a company for years, some from inception, being let go is just infuriating when you think about all the time they’ve invested. The years they’ve devoted building others up only to be knocked down themselves by those same people.

I’ve had many a conversation with Nathan about blogging as he doesn’t share my viewpoints on it, seeing it as just a hobby … a dream … or a waste of time when it’s something that *may* possibly happen in the future as a full-time career choice when I could be doing “real” things in the present. But I don’t see it as “wasting” my present, I see it as investing in my future.

I don’t want to pour my heart and soul into building someone else’s company up only for them to throw me from the top of the building without a parachute … I want to build my own company up and know I’m working for something that matters to me and someone who cares about my future. I don’t want to think I’m comfortable in a “traditional” role where there are benefits and a steady paycheck, only to go into work one day and find out the paychecks will no longer be coming and my insurance stops at midnight. I don’t want to have 2 weeks of vacation to take meaning even if I make a decent wage, I have no time to actually spend it on traveling unless I’m only doing day trips. I don’t want to miss important school events or have to turn to summer camps, after school, etc .. because I’m not available to my children until after 5 pm. I don’t want to be expected to give a 2 weeks notice if I decide to leave, but be given a box and 5 minutes to vacate if they decide to let me go … don’t forget the security escort, like you’re a criminal when it’s them who has stolen from me … my time, my efforts, my ideas, my joy, the better parts of my days.

One day, a year from my start date to be exact, this blog WILL be full time and I will be working for myself, providing quality, heartfelt content to sponsors for myself and my readers to enjoy. I will see the investment I’ve given and my financial outcome will only be limited to my efforts. My hard work won’t go unnoticed and I will be able to reward myself with a month-long trip if I’d like because I will have the time and freedom to do so. It won’t be easy, far from a walk in the park, there will be long hours and early mornings/late nights, but I will be happy, day in and day out, because I will be doing something I love.

I thought about starting this blog 4 years ago and didn’t in favor of full time employment. This past March I finally started and yesterday not only reminded me why full time employment isn’t for me, it pushed me to work harder on becoming an entrepreneur. No one is going to look out for me like I do and THAT’S why I started my blog, why did you start yours?