I look back at this past year and I realize that my biggest accomplishment was also my biggest failure. When the year started, I wrote down a dollar amount on my mental chalkboard. Looking at the YTD gross of my last paycheck, I achieved it. But what did I achieve? I traded my time for money. I spent the year working my ass off. And when the year was done, my company laid me off. I can’t stop thinking about all the time and energy I invested into my territory. Time that was mine. And how that territory, because of my work, will continue to yield $$$ for my employers but not for me. I made the money I wanted to make and yet I feel robbed. Robbed of my time and investment. I sold myself short.
This is eating at me because I need to find a new revenue stream but all I know is working for other people. Padding their pockets. Trading my time for money. There has to be a way to earn a living without having to sell my soul. The problem is I have no clue. I don’t even know where to look. And there’s this part of me that thinks that I should just be a good girl and get a job and earn money and forgetaboutit. I am going to try to figure this out and hopefully next year I can write about how I found a way to make money that makes me happy and allows me to live a good, happy decent life.
“When the sun came up this morning
I took the time to watch it rise
And as its beauty struck the darkness
From the sky
I thought how small and unimportant
All my troubles seem to be
And how lucky another day
Belongs to me
And as the sleepy world around me
Woke up to greet the day
All its silent beauty
Seemed to say
So what, my friend, if all your dreams
You haven’t realized
Just look around you
You’ve got a new day to try
Today is mine, today is mine
To do with what I will
Today is mine
My own special cup to fill
To die a little that I might learn to live
To take from life that I might learn to give
Today is mine
Like most men I curse the present
Void of peace of mind
And race my thoughts beyond tomorrow
Envision there a sweeter time
But as I view this day around me
I can see the fool I’ve been
For today’s the only garden
That we can tend
Today is mine.”
(Song was written, by of all people, Jerry “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” Reed)
When you come up with an answer, be sure to post it!
The best comment I can give is the old truism “time = money”. If you don’t feel you’re paid enough to justify the time expended, then you need to “renegotiate.” It always comes back to the “invisible hand”