Nine To Five
I wake at 6:30 on most mornings. Quickly, I prepare for a day of work, and I am in my car by 7. My goal is to be at work by 8, but it does not always happen, though I only live 25 miles away.
Each day is long. It seems to never end, but somehow it finally does. Then I lug my worn body back into my car for the hour and one-half commute back home.
At home I continue to work. I freelance write and edit for several clients. Evenings and weekends—the work never ends.
I probably could afford to freelance fulltime, but I am afraid about not having health insurance nor a steady income. I know there are options, but the what ifs scare me. Maybe some day I will take the plunge. Maybe some day I will work only nine to five.
Probably not. An eight-hour workday is not a luxury I can afford.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
What you describe so powerfully is the feeling I had before making the plunge into freelance full-time. Should I or shouldn’t I? I assembled the things I knew: I didn’t have dependents or huge loans anymore; I did not want to continue with my job; I wanted to write, and my job was holding me back from committing to that in a rigorous way; I had some contacts (OK, one) who could help me if I took on a job that was too much; I knew I would always think about what could have been. That last is what got me off the fence. Since then, it’s been a slow process of finding the right health insurance and the right jobs, but it’s been a positive and rewarding and exhilarating ride. Everyone is different; you may not be able to take the plunge for many reasons. One suggestion I have is to assemble the “what would you need’s” in order to become a freelancer. Assembling and knocking them down one by one might very satisfying. I hope you continue to post about this decision and the process, however you decide.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I also work full time as well as freelance. It’s really difficult to juggle my time and allow time for myself.
About 10 years ago I did take the plunge. I quit my full-time job and started freelancing full time. It was an exciting time. I dressed how I wanted to, had extra time to devote to my pets, created my own schedule, and met all my deadlines. I was always busy, but I still had time to devote to my friends and family.
It all worked beautifully for about 9 months, then the holidays hit and I had no work. I dipped into my savings to get by. It’s amazing how fast your savings can dwindle to almost nothing. I thought I had saved enough, but obviously I hadn’t. I never dreamed I’d be without any assignments for about 3 months. Poor planning? Not sure.
Let’s just say, it scared me enough to go back into the work force, where I still am. I still freelance and I have to turn down many assignments because of my job, but I’m happy because I have the security of my income, great benefits, and a fantastic health plan (since I’m in the healthcare industry).
Will I freelance full-time again? Probably, but I’m afraid to because now I have health issues, so my health insurance will probably be expensive or I probably won’t be able to afford a plan or be insurable at all. In the meantime, I’m secure where I am.
Every time I get a huge project or have to turn down a project, I always think if I should be doing this on a full-time basis. I’ve done it, I learned my lesson, and have yet to figure out when to try it again.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I really wonder how you could write a post like this on Nine To Five. You really organized all those thing in a very fantastic manner. I really appreciate it.