My first salary was Rs. 22,700 to be exact. Living in a city like Pune where the house rental soars as high as Rs. 48,000 for a 3BHK in a decent society, I was treading on thin ice with my finances. Living with 5 other girls and paying Rs. 8,000/monthly for rent meant I was barely left with Rs. 14,000 for other expenses like light bill, phone bills, food, and more.
I was living for the weekend. Working to my fullest potential at my job till Friday (not enjoying it to the fullest) and then sleeping all day long on the weekends.
One day I just imagined if THIS is what my life would like for the rest of the years to come. If I was only meant to “live for the weekends”.
That’s when I started freelancing on the side.
So I was working a 9-hour job from Mon-Fri and then, cooking my own meals, washing utensils, and then working 11 PM- 4 AM for my freelance clients. A short 3.5 hours sleep and back again to get ready to reach the office by 8 AM.
That’s what my life looked like for a full year before I made the decision to call it quits. It was taking a toll on my physical, mental, and emotional health. The only thing that went well for me at that time was my finances.
I knew that if I could be making more than my salary WHILST working at a full-time job, I could make much more if I became a full-time freelancer and poured all my efforts there instead.
And I did.
Freelancing hasn’t been an easy sailing. No matter what you see on social media, people work 14 hours to boast about their 6-figure incomes here on LinkedIn. And why shouldn’t they? They’re certainly putting in all the effort required and even more.
This little story is just to give you a peek into the behind scenes. Not everyone had it easy. Some of us had to live independently in a far away city from our parents, pay our own bills, and figure our own way out.
Next time you see someone on social media, don’t presume things. Everybody has their own journey. So you can’t follow an exact step-by-step method to reach where they are. You’ve got different challenges, responsibilities, perks, and skills.
Make your own journey. And make it damn worth it!
