Back in 2012, I decided that my dream job was to become a paid search consultant so I could work on my clients from literally anywhere. Remote work wasn’t that common back then, and since I loved to travel, I dreamed of being able to immerse myself in different cultures while also still working full time. I imagined myself on a beach in Jamaica, at a café in Portugal, or sitting on a blanket in Central Park, working from my laptop to pay the bills, then galivanting around my new surroundings when I was finished.
Fast forward more than a decade and remote work has become so much more of the norm that you don’t have to start your own business to work from home. Except that during that time, I also got married and started a family. Suddenly I’m not as interested in leaving my home or my city. I have things more important to me right here. And so my dream has changed…
Now I dream of a life that’s free from the 9-5 grind 5 days a week. Who says you need to be at an office for 40 hours a week to make a living? I can still do the work that needs to be done and prioritize my time so that all my clients are taken care of. Plus, without a commute or set 8-hour workday, I can fit in so many other important things that bring joy (like getting outside for a run and cooking homemade meals) and still have the energy for quality time with my family at the end of the day.
Back in 2012, I didn’t think I’d ever actually follow through with starting my own consulting business. How would I ever figure out how to do that and have the guts to walk away from the stable income and benefits provided from a full-time job? But here we are, and I’m excited for the possibilities this new path can bring.