I couldn’t even imagine I’ll ever be in this position.
But it all happened because of those nine months.
A Secret Desire
This is a time I was pulled into countless Zoom calls at work where I wasn’t required. So I’d just surf the internet on the side to read about other people who actually had a life they enjoyed.
Of course, I thought it was just an internet thing and definitely not for me.
But I secretly wanted it. I also wanted to do what I love, work less, stress out less about meaningless stuff like corporate politics, and earn well.
It just seemed like a far-fetched dream though.
Brainwashed
I was annoyingly brainwashed (not in a nice way), but it paid off.
I discovered concepts I didn’t know existed, the biggest one being mindset.
I was the perfect example of everything wrong with a mindset:
- Terrible negative mental chatter
- Didn’t feel good enough or capable
- Thought making money is impossible
- The goal was to earn $1300 (lol) before 30
- Wanted to be financially independent by 45
And also with
- didn’t know my ‘why’ or my purpose
- thought doing anything out of the ordinary is for the privileged
The moment I realised all this could be changed, I was so shocked.
I felt like I could change my entire damn life if these people on the internet and books weren’t lying.
It was worth a shot just to try it out.
The Hard Part
Once I decided everything, it was time to actually do the work.
But what happens when you start out? You get rejected.
Multiple times a week, there’s a rejection email.
And I was idiotic enough to check my email as soon as I’d wake up because I was so excited. Every time, it set a sad tone for my day.
Today, I’m glad it happened because:
- my initial drafts sucked
- I’m now more resilient than before
- it encouraged me to work extremely hard
Also, back then I thought my work was amazing and deserved a lot. It's common to think that way because you’ve put so much effort and heart into your art.
And somebody telling you it's not good enough sucks.
Don’t worry, it’s only a way to sharpen your saw.
Compounding
The thing with the internet or maybe life in general is that nothing happens until things suddenly happen.
For the longest time, I wasn’t making enough money.
But I kept showing up, even through the rejections.
Kept applying for jobs on Upwork.
I anyway had a corporate job on the side so rejection didn’t make me lose much except time. Which I was happy about, but I spent that time doing what I absolutely love.
I really wanted to give this a shot.
Suddenly, everything started compounding!
Growing online. Earning via freelancing and other mediums. Everything.
Sure, it had its own set of challenges, like the client I was banking on once I became self-employed ghosted me. Back then, it felt like my world had fallen apart.
But it worked out for the best.
Surprises
I still don’t know how will things be 6 months later and definitely don’t know what will life look like in five years.
I never planned to do my own business or sell anything online as I do today with my digital products.
All this is a consequence of following my bliss.
This journey has been full of surprises and I don’t know what will unfold next but I know I’ll be okay if I follow my bliss.
My Advice to You
If you’re feeling like a misfit as I was, here’s what I recommend:
- Understand your why: so you know why you are dissatisfied, and what you’d want instead.
- Mindset: read about the abundance mindset, the importance of thinking clearly, and positive mental chatter.
- Self-learn: YouTube, blogs, Twitter, online courses. The first three are free universities.
- Show up: this is the hardest part. I thought I’d quit my job in 3 months, it took me 9. Stay at it for as long as it takes and keep learning and improving along the way.
It’s what has worked for most people I read about and worked for me too. I hope you benefit from this as much as I did.
All the best!
Love,
N