A friend of mine recently shared a blog post via Facebook that hit home. It was a rather tongue-in-cheek take on the achievements (or lack thereof) made by those who pursue their dreams in the hours around their day job and familial commitments. (The blog was written by David Ferguson and posted on www.theonion.com if you’d like to read it for yourself.)
Every word that man wrote seemed to come directly from the little sarcastic being that whispers words of doubt and belittlement to me on a daily basis. I am one of those who attempts to achieve my dreams around the day job (it pays the bills) and my family (who offers much needed support). If I were to challenge the role of either of those entities in favor of 100% pursuance of my personal dream, would I be happier in the long run?
That is the ultimate question isn’t it?
We could make a list of pros and cons in an effort to determine the best road to take. Let’s see… if I quit my day job and write eight hours a day, five days a week…
Pro: My stack of completed pieces would be substantially thicker than it is currently. I would also be able to commit more time to the business side of writing, perhaps generating some income through freelancing, etc.
Con: I would be unable to meet financial obligations, which could lead to such things as vehicle repossession or even foreclosure on my home.
I think I can answer with certainty that the inner turmoil of the con in this situation would wreak havoc on my creative juices. Although I would have 8 hours, chances are I would be less able to create the high quality work I currently expect from myself in my abbreviated time slots.
The crazy thing is, I don’t disagree with Mr. Ferguson at all. I don’t want to be one of those people who says, “Well, I gave it 50% and it didn’t pan out, but at least I tried.”
I want to be one of those people that can say, “I did all I could with the time I had and it’s finally working out! Now I can quit my day job!”