It feels a bit odd to be writing this post heading at almost 40. I had always thought that by this time I would be settled, happy and satisfied in whatever routine I would have found myself in. I was gravely mistaken.
I have recently become part of a much spoken-of statistic: the Great Resignation. People to whom Covid-19 and the consequent lockdown has made realise that where they were did not make them happy, that a new work-life balance was needed. It took me two years from the moment of that realisation, but I finally found the courage to quit a permanent contract to jump into… well, nothing.
After considering my options for a while, and following a small but burning disappointment, I have finally made up my mind: I have decided to try the freelancing route once again. I know, I have already tried it once and it was a bit of a disaster. The taxation system in Italy is the opposite of freelance-friendly and I ended up working long hours for very little money. But I have grown and learnt from my mistakes. I am also 10 years older now, I know my strengths and weaknesses more deeply and I understand more clearly what it is that I am getting into.
Despite all the difficulties, the financial hassle of freelancing and the instability, I am now convinced that this is what I should be doing. Working on my own terms, at my own pace, making my own decisions and managing my time as I see fit. There is no doubt that I learnt a lot and got a lot out of my previous job as employee, but I feel it is now time to be more in charge of my life and time.
I might be wrong, and I might be coming back to write that I changed my mind in a year or two, tired of fighting Italian bureaucracy and leaving about 50% of my income to the government, of crazy demands from clients and late payments. But for now I feel positive and motivated.
If you are able and willing to support my effort, why not visit my website, and possibly like/follow my facebook or instagram pages. The hard part is yet to come, but new beginnings are always wonderful. As my good friend always reminds me, per aspera ad astra.