How Freelancing Changed My Family

When my only child was born, I was able to stay home with her until the age of eight months. After that, it became necessary that I leave home life and join back into the working world, which meant daycare and even more expenses. I know that daycare did help to make my daughter more socially active and perceptive, leaving her there 5 full days a week quite frankly sucked. Plus, the added expense almost made it counterproductive to even go back to work to make money. Until my daughter was 5, I worked full time jobs for people who could have cared less about me, my family, or my obligations to that family. My husband worked full time on swing shift hours and never had weekends off. Basically, during those years we all just coexisted.

I already knew I wanted to work for myself since graduating high school, but it was many years before I would eventually do just that. As the start of kindergarten approached, my husband transferred positions within his company and landed a Monday-Friday schedule. It was time to do something. I finally made the leap the February before the start of a new school year. I had one client I worked with doing marketing work. The money was better than the job I had just quit so it seemed like things were worth the risk... until the rug was pulled out from under me and I lost the client due to his lack of money six months later. I freaked out and scoured the internet for a new client with no success. That is, until I answered a craigslist ad for an administrative assistant and my life and the life of my family changed for the good in a way I didn't think was possible.

I met Debbie Dragon who quickly surmised being an administrative person was essentially "beneath me" because I was a great writer. I already kinda' knew that but had no idea I could make a living writing. But she not only proved herself to me in no time at all, she proved to me that there was a ton of opportunity and money in the online writing world. Lo and behold, her coaching me actually evolved into a full blown class for other people called Make Money From Writing- because of my success and because she was constantly getting hounded by strangers asking her for advice.

My family's life has changed immensely for the positive. My daughter went off to kindergarten as excited as could be and was even happier to find me waiting for her bus when she returned home, as I was able to do everyday for the entire school year. Even though I was really business in just a few short months and making sufficient money, I still had complete control over my life and my schedule. Of course, time management isn't always a piece of cake but I finally feel that I truly have my family back. I may be on the laptop when they want to talk to me but at least I am here for them in the same room. We can finally take impromptu road trips to go camping or visiting. We can eat dinner that I finally have time to make each night as a family. Both my daughter and husband respect my time when I am working on most days and benefit the most from my career change.

Personally, the freedom gained has only encouraged me to go farther. To take it all behind anything I could have imagined and surprisingly, not only am I doing that, but I am finding it easier and easier since making that initial jump. Even if writing is not your cup of tea, just going after your own passion can improve the quality of your life a hundred times over. It makes everything seem so much more wonderful because I know that while sometimes I may be chained to a laptop, it is MY laptop and I am working for only me and those that I love. No longer am I having to fake a commitment to someone I loathe! What freedom! If you have the dreams and the desire to change your life, just do it.