I wrote a list. I checked it 20,000 times
How my fantasy obsession turned into my reality
Let’s go back. Wayyyy back. Back into time. It was the middle of 2014. I was in New York, surviving. I was designing at a boutique Agency. I was freelancing. I was also changing the diapers of my 1 year old daughter, Monroe. Life was good. Well, life was rough, busy, full of PSD’s, bad habits and Hennessy but good. I wasn’t truly happy though. Yes, I had that weekly check coming in from my agency job, ready for me every Thursday (I negotiated Friday’s off at the Agency) and that was awesome but I wanted more. I wanted to run things my way, on my own time, with my style.
I wrote a list
Evernote, at the time, was my best friend. While at the agency my director purchased a 27” Mac for me. With that huge monitor I had enough space for Photoshop, Illustrator, Netflix and Evernote all on one screen at the same damn time. I wrote this list, it was called something like “What I want to do and when I want to do it”. The title kind of speaks for itself as far as the content and subject matter within the document. I wrote that I wanted to work for myself. I wrote when I wanted to achieve this goal, the date was March 9th 2015, my birthday. This was about May / June of 2014. Multiple times a day every day while at the agency I’d look at this list, I looked at it on my way home from work. I looked at this list in the morning on my way to work. I wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I wanted Monday mimosas instead of meetings.
I set up to set up shop
I knew there were some things I needed to do to master my exit. I had to have clients even before leaving. I’ve always freelanced and took on extra desgin work while working my 9–5’s but this time it was different. There was an extra level of importance and urgency. I had to have enough clients and enough work for pay these bills, to feed my daughter and to pay for any and everything else without the pay from the agency. I networked. I was in those streets, shaking hands and hugging folks and mashing them in the stomach with my laptop bag by accident as I went in for the embrace while saying hello to them. I carried that laptop bag everywhere! I never knew when I had to hop off the train, check my email, go to a nearby Starbucks, send a design or an invoice and get back on the train and go home. I was non stop.
I found my definiteness of purpose
The great Napoleon Hill always insisted and suggested that one must find his or her definiteness of purpose in order to truly reach their goals. He says:
“A definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievements”
It was time to design. It was time for me to design when I wanted, how I wanted, where I wanted for my own clients. I wanted freedom and flexibility. I wanted to solve other people’s problems with design on my own terms. My long list of what I wanted to do and when and for who was my roadmap. I had it favorited on Evernote so as soon as I opened the app, boom I was able to review again and again. Checking this list constantly and putting my plan into action was my obsession.
Conclusion
January 1, 2015 I started working for myself. It was the official beginning of EJordanill. I had my clients. My style was set and all of the people I told about my business were starting to support me and refer other people that would support me. I reached my goal even before my target date of March 9th 2015 and I am forever grateful to have made the decision to work for myself. It was and still is full of many challenges but the feeling of doing what you love and how you like to do it is priceless and very rewarding.
Questions
What is on your list either written or in your mind that you want to do but haven’t done?
Why aren’t you doing it? Remember, that fear that you feel is not real.
Also remember, you can’t get yesterday back so the next best time to start is now.
Let’s Work
Ready to work together? I can help you with the designs, apps and resources to get your idea started! Click here to teach me more about what you’d like to achieve with your business.
I’m Eric Jordan but go by EJordanill (Eric Jordan Illustration) I’m a designer and consultant. Check my works both written and designed on my site www.ejordanill.co. My aim is to share relevant apps and resources to help the entrepreneur “Fire Their Designer” and get it done themselves.
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