Quarterlife Crisis Update

posted 5th October 2009    Written by: Robyn    CATEGORY: All Posts, Life Lesson, Quarterlife Crisis, Robyn, Season 1

robyn in cali

My Quarterlife Crisis is continuing on steadily.

Some days I think I have it all figured out.  Other days I feel like I am back at square one without a clue.  I think the constant presence of indecisiveness and confusion are the significant indicators of a Quarterlife Crisis.  Sometimes I find it hard to make the simplest of decisions, so by my own definition…  I am still in the midst of my QLC.

My travels update: So far… no plans (sad face).  My job keeps me from doing anything even remotely fun, so that especially eliminates things that are ridiculously fun like traveling.  I used every last one of my vacation days and personal days in March this year.  I took the entire month off and traveled to London, Amsterdam, and the Dominican Republic.  I had the time of my life, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that my job was paying for me to drink lattes and snack on Dutch pancakes in numerous nameless cafes throughout London.

I originally thought taking a month out of the year to go abroad would settle my nerves and allow me to get through each boring day at my 9 to 5.  However, soon I was back at my desk realizing I had no paid days off to play hooky, and I was stuck awaiting holiday weekends.  This is why I decided I needed to transition to working for myself… which brings me to the job update.

My job update: I am still working at my 9 to 5.  My plan to slowly transition to full time freelance and work for myself has proved to be much more difficult than I thought it would be.  With the unsteady economy and all the cuts in the corporate world, my freelance work is limited and inconsistent.  I decided to stick with my 9 to 5 in order to “play it safe,” which leaves me irritated.  The impulsive side of me just wants to quit and take the huge risk that my freelance work might all disappear, but the realistic part of me says to stick it out until I am positive it’s the right time to make the change from secure job to working for myself.

For now, I am making the best of it and continuing to make future plans that I know will make me happier in the long run.

My Chicago-life update: Summer in Chicago has been uplifting.  I have been outside every chance I get.  I love leaving the office on a random Tuesday and still finding the sun high in the sky and shining.  It makes me feel like there’s still time in my day to do something I enjoy, so that’s exactly what I do.

I’m excited for fall and my favorite holiday, Halloween… but I’m dreading the painful Chicago winter that is right around the corner.  If my freelance plans work out accordingly, I am playing around with the idea of relocating somewhere warm for the winter months.  Other than that, I have been working on stuff at my condo—finally picking out artwork and getting completely organized…finally enjoying my home and my first real investment.

Once again, I am attempting to live in the moment and enjoy what I am doing for the time being.  I’m trying to find value in my work and my life, even if I’m not completely thrilled about where I am at right now. I know this is all part of the process of figuring everything out, and eventually it will all somehow lead me to where I should be and what I should be doing.

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One Response to “Quarterlife Crisis Update”

  • Sage Says:
    October 7th, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    Hello again Robyn,

    I have a friend who works almost completely in freelance. They had one 9 to 5 job in the city but it was an internship that ended when they went back to school. Since “graduating” they have worked entirely in a freelance field. I know it has been stressful for them on a lot of occasions; winter especially is difficult with very little jobs coming in. Recently they took a job that would allow them to limit their freelance work and have a salary and a steadier, predictable stream of income. They have been doing it for a while now and absolutely hate it. They can’t wait till this time next year when they have built back up their freelance work and never have to listen to what someone else tells them to do.

    I think there is a huge difference between working for yourself and working for someone else. It’s really difficult to complete a task when you know it is pointless or when you know there is an easier and more effective way of doing it. When you work for yourself it allows so much more freedom to choose. Maybe you work harder or later or for longer, but it’s a completely different feeling then just showing up and sitting at a desk. There is a purpose and everything you do benefits yourself. Yeah… it is hard when you sit and think, “what if next month I don’t have any jobs lined up”. It’s a huge risk to take, but what you get from that risk is completely worth it. There will always be money to be made. It just depends on how hard you want to work for it. Even after working in freelance for 3 or 4 years, my friend still worries about how the money will come in but they have a good point. Worst comes to worst they can always make money. Bartend, serve, pass out flyers, house cleaning… there are crappy jobs all over the place and if you absolutely HAD to… you could work those and make money. That’s your safety net.

    It’s never going to be the “right” time to transition to freelance work. You just have to do it. Unless of course you won the lottery or something…getting a large lump of cash all at once and not having to go to a 9 to 5 everyday would be the perfect time to make the move. You could try out freelance and at the same time use that money as a buffer. Plus you would have all day to look for work or try out new ideas or just write…My point is, you have a degree… you can always get a 9-5 job. Why slave away at one right now when there are other options available?

    Anyway, I logged on to tell you about all of the recent freelance work on craigslist these days and I end up being quite long winded.

    Good luck with everything!

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