One Snarky Chica with Issues

You know, routine is a funny thing.

You would think that routine could be a good thing. I mean, from a time management standpoint it certainly is. From a stress standpoint I would say that it is too because if you are doing the same thing day in and day out it seems a bit more difficult to get stressed out.

I have a declaration to make.

Routine is not a good thing.

Routine is the very thing that squashes potential and blows out the candle on your dreams.

Think about it. How many people do you know that have had lofty dreams and visions but never achieved them because they fell into a routine? You know, getting a “proper” day job but all the while insisting that they were just doing it on a temporary basis until they had enough saved or whatever to chase their dreams.

The problem with routine is that is brings comfort. People get comfortable making $60,000 a year selling insurance even though their heart wants to be a writer or an actor. And with comfort comes that other dreaded “C” word - complacency! Eek!

So, you might be wondering what has led me to this anti-routine declaration. The short answer is my recent getting fired from my job.

The long answer?

I was working a job that I hated in an industry that I hated all because I liked the money. And you know what? I have been doing it for years! Years! I was working in accounting when my degree is in English/Journalism for a reason. So, why was I doing accounting when I had no desire to do so? The income. It is no secret that accounting pays more than writing. I got comfortable with the whole getting well compensated to do something that I hated and consoled myself with the logic that making all that money now would allow me to focus on something I enjoyed once I had made enough money to pay down bills.

I have said before that I piddle in making money online as a bit of an income supplement. I use all that money to pay down my debt. With the job loss last week, I decided to push it and see just how much I could make. Because, honestly, writing on blogs and whatnot for cash is much more rewarding than looking at numbers and balancing accounts all day long!

It wasn’t comfortable as it was unknown territory for the most part. Instead it was something new and something moving in the right direction.

Want to know what I discovered?

When focusing on writing full-time over the past week, I have averaged more per day than I made per day at my desk job. But the best part - in one day I made more than I made an entire 40 hour week at my job that I just lost. Wait, let me say that again - in one day I made more than I made an entire 40 hour week at my job that I just lost. And I have an MBA so I was getting paid pretty decently at that job.

That is exciting.

It is also sad because clearly that potential was there all along but I was just too comfortable in my routine.

While I am excited about this whole thing, I am still approaching it with caution. I know that the income could drop just as easily as it had increased. So, while I am “all in” I am also prepared to get another job if I need to. But here’s hoping that won’t be the case!