How I Made the Leap to Full-Time Freelancer

I’ll admit, when I became a freelancer, I did it the way you’re not supposed to.

I didn’t have a long-term financial plan, or give myself several months to build up an extra emergency cushion. I didn’t weigh pros and cons, or stare at my budget and figure out how to make it all work.

So why did I make the switch when I did?

I meant to do it the right way. Carefully, logically, with a plan.

But I realized one morning that my day job(s) were making me unhappy and taking me away from the things I really wanted to be doing. They was also very adversely affecting my health and causing a lot of stress.

So what actually happened?

At the beginning of August, I sat down next to my husband and announced that at the end of the month I wanted to switch to full-time freelance. And he, angel that he is, said, “Awesome. Go for it.”

(Considering that he’s still in grad school and I’m the primary breadwinner, that takes a lot of trust on his part, and I love him for it.)

Could I have made a more careful plan? Yup.

Could I have spent more time freelancing on the side to build up a bigger savings cushion? You bet.

Would it have been better in the long run? I’m not so sure.

Because I woke up yesterday feeling amazing. I felt energized. I felt in control. I felt joyful.

And that’s really what I want out of my work. To be my own boss. To do the things I love, and do them with joy.

So, here I go. Wish me luck!

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There are a lot of great freelancers out there with step-by-step advice on how to prepare for the switch to fully self-employed work.

If you’re thinking about starting your own business or becoming a freelancer, and you want to do it with more of a plan in place, do some reading first:

How to Handle Being a Full-Time Freelancer (Without Going Nuts) from Kelly Gurnett @ The Write Life

Project Blog Full Time: My Master Plan from Budget Blonde

How to Prepare for Self-Employment from Making Sense of Cents

Launching Your Business – How to Start Money Coming in Quickly from Margaret Adams @ Leaving Work Behind