Take Time to Surprise Yourself!
I remember singing "What about me?" by Moving Pictures while mopping up a slushie spilled by a toddler. In early 2010, I was working part-time at a gas station. Choosing between heat or coats with a six-month-old to feed and diaper. Three years ago, I was left in a lurch with a rescinded job offer, a rent payment I could not afford and my toddler had spilled a slushie of her own. One year ago, I was stuck in a dead-end sales role. I decided that 2016 was the year to double down on my efforts to strike out on my own. I have carried an interest in computer logic since making a Commodore 64 play Happy Birthday in Basic. I started putting in 12 hour days. Making time in my evenings to focus on what I wanted to do. My part time job was web development, even if no one would pay me yet. Building a portfolio was my first task. I then started reaching out to old friends for recommendations. Preparing proposals and studying up in the next web framework that the project required.
In 60 days, I had sourced enough work to move from sales to freelance web design. After a few months, one of the freelance gigs turned into a full-time software engineer position. The previous hurdles were actually stepping stones. The momentary pitfalls were wells of knowledge. I did have the skills needed to move forward as long as I kept going. This was a revelation. Each day, there were challenges. There was always something to do. I often fell short of my expectations. I just kept digging from that point the next day.
I wanted to take a moment a recommend this path to everyone. If there is a career that matches that you are passionate about, start preparing today on your path. Find self-sufficiency and you will be valuable to an employer. Peeking your head out of the foxhole can be scary and laying down in a rut can be comfortable. What steps do you need to take to make the turn to where you want to go?
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6 年Great Post!? Thanks for sharing your journey! It is inspiring!