Journey to my dream job
Quit your day job to pursue your dream JOB.
WARNING: your dream life is on the other side of fear
This week marks my one year anniversary that I said BYE to my corporate job to pursue my passion! In this year I have never ever regretted my decision to leave my ‘financially safe’ job for my dream job. So I decided to share a little bit more about how I finally got the guts to quit my job & pursue my dream job FULL TIME!
If your google search history looks like this:
How to quit your job
How to pursue your dream job
When you quit & start your own business
How to be your own boss
Live life to the fullest
I was right there with you! Working a desk job was not for me, the company I worked for was awesome but it was such a different life style that I never really got used to. My mornings started at 4:25AM to hustle & bustle to catch a train to join the rat race downtown. I’d clock in & count down the minutes until lunch when I could get a minute to breath fresh air outside. Coming home I felt like I didn’t ever have time to do things that I really wanted cause I’d be so beat from the 12 hour day of traveling & work. Weekends were my time but I hated living a life waiting around for a weekend. I wanted a life that I loved every single day - even Mondays!!! Life is to short, too precious to be waiting around for a weekend, I had to make a change!
A few months into my desk job I started freelancing for a bridal hair & makeup company on the weekends for extra cash. Never did I think I would love it so much!! My Saturdays were always booked with weddings & I LIVED for it! I then started my own company, Pretty On Arrival - I’d spend my lunch breaks by myself at my desk working my second job - answering client requests, scheduling appointments & setting up photo shoots to build my portfolio.
About a year into launching my own company I realized that this was what I wanted to do full time & no matter what I HAD TO GO FOR IT! Why should I work 40+ hours 5 days a week doing something I didn’t love? It’s a waste of time! It was like I was constantly having to use my time off to actually do what I did love that I didn’t want to have to do that anymore. Living for Saturday’s wasn’t enough, I wanted to wake up & be excited to goto work every day!
January 2018 Goals: Start Pretty On Arrival Full time - that was the headline of my word document I’d open every morning on my work computer. Every single morning I’d take 30mins to think of new ideas on how to reach my goal. I’d read blog posts, books anything related to quitting your job the right way so I didn’t fall flat on my face. It’s funny how the universe always gives you an extra push right when you need it. While planning for my big career change I had bought a house with my ex at the time, who was never really supportive of me wanting to leave my job, ‘how will you pay the bills?’ ‘you won’t have enough income’ ‘we just bought a house you need to keep your job longer’ blah blah blah. The universe then pushed him out of my life right before my 2018 goal deadline. Funny how the universe knows when to get rid of the negativity right?! That was a rough time to say the least, it was extremely hard to stay focused on my end game of starting my business full time. That could’ve been the end of my story. It would’ve been easier to stay in the comfort of my desk job with my paycheck every 2 weeks, 401K savings, health insurance, etc to rebuild my life on my own. But I felt even more compelled to take that leap, to prove to myself that I had the strength to do it. My January 2018 goal got pushed back to July 2018. I prepped as much as I could before my last day but I’m also the type of person who has to do things before they’re ready or else I won’t do it. Fear was not gonna get in my head - nobody has time for that kind of negativity! So my last day came, I said goodbye to that chapter & welcomed my new one.
My tips to getting your dream started:
Write down your goals clearly. Open a word document, get specific on your goals & how to achieve them. Read them EVERY day. Stay focused!
Start living with less to save more; eat out less, spend less on entertainment, cut down your bills.
Pay off debts! On my goals list to be able to start this full time was to pay off my student loan first. Debts paid = less monthly bills
Build your safety net; calculate your bills per month & save for 6months of that total.
Have a support system & rid yourself of ANY negativity! There’s always gonna be people who say it’s too risky, you shouldn’t leave a job with a 401K well if it’s your passion no one needs that kinda negativity. Supporters only please!
Here a year later I’ve never felt more blessed to say I’m still thriving! It’s insane what can happen in one year - things you never thought you could do! The universe brought me my biggest supporter, my boyfriend Brad who keeps me motivated & inspired daily. My amazing mom who’s believed in me from the start, without a support system of some kind I don’t think I’d come as far as I have. You should believe in yourself even if no one else does. If you have a burning in your soul to create your art, to pursue your passion don’t let anyone get in your way, you CAN DO IT! You’re always only one decision away from a totally different life & I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!XOXO Marissa