Why I Don’t Settle
Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got. -Janis Joplin
Paul offered to fly me out to Pittsburgh for Valentine’s Day, for as long as I wanted to stay. It sure was hard to say no, and of course I really appreciated the very sweet thought. But I have work and appointments and lots of good things happening, so I need to stay here and do them well. I know he respects my commitment to my goals as much as he desires time together, and I feel the same way about him. I’ve been working my tail off, and I have been quickly rewarded for my efforts. I’ve gotten more work from relatively new clients, as well as acquired a new client that has set me up with a company e-mail address and wants me to work for them long term, and prospects are looking very good for increasingly interesting writing work and opportunities. Instead, we planned a longer visit here in early March, the weekend after I return from visiting my friend in New York — I am eagerly anticipating both of these visits!
I ended my two-and-a-half-year stint abroad in Germany and moved to Albuquerque at the end of 2004, for love, knowing full well that I might face some major difficulties. One of my main concerns was that I would have a hard time finding a good job in my field, and that was definitely the case. I temped for crap wages at sad, drab offices and submitted hundreds of job applications. I had never had such a hard time finding satisfying employment that paid well.
Circumstances necessitated that I try working for myself. The idea was somewhat far-fetched, but since I do not fear and even enjoy facing some amount of risk, I decided it would be worth my while, that even if I did not succeed I would learn a lot in the process. Throughout my life, I have found for the most part that if I leap, the net will indeed appear.
I started my own writing and editing sole propietorship and began advertising and seeking out clients. I had a few clients that I had been working with since I lived in Germany, and I began looking for new ones in North America. As luck would have it, some of my earliest clients hired me to write inspirational articles about career success, and these inspired me and gave me ideas that I could apply directly to my new venture. I found time and again that one aspect of my work would fuel another, which would cycle back and boost yet another.
My freelance income increased, tapered off, took off again, then dipped back. Some months I had more work than I could handle, while other months I spent most of my time trying to locate clients who needed me to work for them. All the while, I worked to bring to life my personal values of integrity, honesty, and quality in my business. I was also working hard to learn about marketing, communication, accounting, business administration, pricing, graphic design, programming, and making personal connections with people of various personalities. After about six months of freelancing exclusively, I took on a part-time job at a small company as a report and video editor, with the aim of stabilizing my earnings, and I earned about half of my income from that job and half from freelancing. I also observed this company’s business practices and analyzed what worked and what did not.
Now, a few months after I finally made the big move to Chicago, the place I have believed for a long time that I really want to be, I have begun working for several small businesses and publishing companies that are happily paying me well to do work for them that is dynamic, fun, educational, and enjoyable. I still have a ways to go at developing my business and turning handsome profits consistently, and I am taking nothing for granted, but I am so happy that I am well on my way.
The most important thing I have learned through all of this is that I should never, ever settle for less than I want. As long as I have the energy to persist and work to turn my hopes into realities, I will find a way to do it. It’s not worth it to settle in any facet of life. My clients want the service I offer and are ready and able to pay a fair rate for my service as a writer. Why would I want to waste my time doing work I don’t care about when I could be doing something I enjoy for someone who needs the service I provide? Lately, I have been working long hours, weekends, late nights, but I don’t mind a bit because I enjoy what I’m doing and I love the freedom and control I have over my work and my future. Following my heart and intuition and coming to Chicago has so far rewarded me in every way I hoped it would.
