The Joy In Projects

A week ago, I left my job of 11 years to pursue building my own projects, freelancing and just … freedom. Let me tell you, it’s been great!

Back in April, I went to React Miami and got to see a ton of people that were very into (or not into) React. I personally don’t care too much about React and multiple times, I asked myself what I was doing there. More importantly, I got to hang out with some folks that seemed like they were having the time of their lives. They seemed so happy, excited and filled with a certain joy that I felt like I was lacking. I was just overwhelmed with awe. These were people that do more for themselves in a day than most people do in a week. They were constantly busy trying to outdo themselves and put all they have into their work. At one point, I asked one of them "but it's fun though?"

It really just reminded me of the days I used to feel that way. Where I would stay up late to work on a project. Where I would code endlessly to just make something happen. Compared to that, I felt like I was smothered by the dread and growing stress of my situation at work. I wanted to be happy with what I was doing too and at React Miami, I was being reminded very hard of what life could be. After leaving React Miami, I started my silent march towards leaving my job. It wasn't a fast exit. It was an exit that was thought through and discussed very thoroughly with my family and trusted coworkers.

In the last 7 days, I’ve spent mostly building projects that I’ve wanted to work on. A client portal. A color by numbers CSS tutorial. A mobile app for my kids. A game (more on this next week). Some ideas have fizzled out but the fact that I can just do things that I really care about? It is amazing. 

I can’t share the details of what I was dealing with at work, but I can say this. If you’re stuck in a place that’s dimming your light, it’s worth taking a hard look at what’s possible. Sometimes that means responsibly taking a drastic step, like leaving a job that’s weighing you down. Other times, it’s simpler. You might take a trip to reconnect with people who inspire you, like I did at React Miami. Either way, find your happy place. Remind yourself there’s more to life than what’s in front of you. I’m just starting to rediscover mine, and it feels like coming home.

Enough yapping about this. This is the last time I'll talk about my unemployment. Next week, I'm going to show you what I've been working on! 😄