friday's confession: I have a part-time job.
Friday, October 19, 2012 In the past week, I've had two independent conversations where I've been told "Wow. It's like you're living a secret life that nobody knows about."
Say what?
Note: The whole reason that I write my friday's confessions is because I think it's so important to be transparent, that we can all learn from each other, that we are all actually struggling with the same things.
I'm here, today (happy friday!) to tell you: I have a part-time job.
*jaws drop*
It's true: Every morning, Monday through Friday, I get up and go sit at a desk at a San Francisco non-profit for a few hours before I bring myself back for afternoons filled with coaching.
Yes, it's difficult to compartmentalize both.
Yes, it currently takes me *way too long* to respond to most of my coaching business emails.
Yes, it's still worth it.
The reality is that having this part-time gig shows that I'm 100% dedicated to my coaching business. I'm dedicated and realistic - I know that building a business takes time and that you don't always see the money flow in right away.
I know that getting myself into a financial bind and having to take a full-time job to get out of it isn't what I want to do.
I know that seeds are being planted that will allow me to (soon!) only do my coaching full-time.
I know that having this job, the extra income, and stability is how I take care of myself. I'm not willing to live on not enough money each month in service of doing what I love. I'm not willing to get myself into gobs of debt so that I can build my business. I'm not willing to settle for not being able to take care of my basic needs.
And I don't think that any of us should have to.
And so, I've created this for myself.
Do I often wish that I had more time to blog and write and get inspired? Absolutely.
Do I dream of spaciousness in my life to do things with deliberate abandon? Hell yes.
And do I trust that, although it might be getting built slower than impulsive-me would like, that this is really the best way for me and my life? I undoubtedly do.
Reader Comments (5)
Thank you for your honesty. I am recently possibly being faced with the same decision; to leave my full time stable job to pursue my dreams. This means might having to work two jobs for awhile, but I do feel the sacrifice is worth it to make our dreams come true. The beginning stages can be so rough, but the reward at the end is far worth it.
High five, sister! I had part-time jobs while my business was getting off the ground - I nannied for the first year and had a part-time coding gig the second year. I full-heartedly believe that this is a great path to being fully self-employed (if being fully self-employed is what one chooses). Honestly? Sometimes I wish I could still swing a "fun" part-time job (like a barista or something) just for the socialization. :)
thank you for this very honest post. i was expecting something other than you sharing your part-time job news. i'm sure all will fall into place for you. :)
Love it. Needed it. And I already knew this news but it's nice to hear again that it's possible to live your dreams while still being based in reality. Thank you!
I just clicked through from your amazingly epic "Self-Care" email to read this piece of brilliance. Now I don't just want to be friends...I want to be BFFs. :-) Let the world hear a resounding "AMEN" and "HELL YES!" in response to every sentence in this post...except that mine is still a FULL time job for a little while longer. :-)