The Day I Started My Journey to Self-Employment

Standing in front of the office building, I smoothened my outfit. With a deep breath, I walked through the doors, approached the reception desk and gave the name of my interviewer. A week prior, I had received an invitation to be interviewed for a position with one of British Columbia's biggest companies. I had mixed emotions. On one hand, this was a coveted opportunity that had potential to lead to a secure career path. On the other hand, my instincts pulled me away, attempting to convince me that maybe this wasn't meant for me. Going back to interview day, I looked around the office and knew that I craved for more. I want the choice to do work that matters to me. That same day, I made the vow that I would carve my own path, and eventually start my own business. I'm happy to say that today is the day I will make this goal a reality. 

Core values

Throughout the year, I've been doing more reflection of what I'd like to do with my future. Although plans aren't (and should never be) set in stone, our core values will generally stay the same. These core values should guide the decisions we make. I've realized that there are three things that are most important to me: simplicity, curiosity, and helping others. 

1) Simplicity - I've been a follower of Leo Babauta, over at ZenHabits for many years. His writing on living a simple and balanced life resonates with me. Too often, we clutter our homes, our minds, our lifestyles, and so on. We're left too distracted to accomplish anything. One of my ongoing goals is to live simply, without a worry of what the world will think of me. 

2) Curiosity - There's so much to see and do in the world, and I can't wait to experience all of it. I've always been a believer that we can all learn one thing from one another, and I'm driven by a curiosity to learn from others. One of my goals is to continue experiencing more of what our world and its people offers. I want to be always learning.

3) Helping others - Related to my previous point on being able to learn from one another, I believe it is also important to continue helping others by passing your knowledge. Too often, we look at our interactions with other people as transactions: "If I give them this, what do I get in return?". A goal of mine is to help others as selflessly as I can. 

I asked myself, "How can I live a simple life where I can continue to experience the world, while helping others?" My answer to this? Start my own business offering copywriting and marketing services to entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners. 

And so, my journey to self-employment begins.

I'm excited to share this experience with the world. I want to share my highs, my lows, and to become a useful resource to anyone who may be considering a similar transition. If you'd like to stay updated and be first to hear about my official launch, make sure to subscribe to my RSS feed, or better yet, join my mailing list below! 

Thank you for reading. 

Photo Credit: kevin dooley and unknowndomain both via Compfight cc