At the beginning of the year, I knew I needed a change. I was feeling stuck in my job in London. I had always wanted to pursue writing but didn't feel I could do it there.
My boyfriend and I moved to Canada to live with my mom, and I've had success in my new path. This year started at a crossroads. Working as a product manager in London seemed ideal — it was my 2023 goal to get that job, after all — but it didn't feel quite right.
I wasn't working toward my calling , nor did I have any distinct sense of purpose. Meanwhile, my passion for writing, a flame kindled since I wrote my first "book" at age 5, was quickly being smothered. I felt like I didn't have the time or capacity to cultivate it.
I knew I needed a change. The thought of quitting my job to pursue freelance writing was pretty irrational, if you judge rationality by safety and stability. Leaving behind the security of a regular paycheck for the uncertainty of freelancing was daunting.
But from an ever-growing awareness that I was ignoring my heart (yes, I, too, can see what a cliché that is) came the need to break free. So, on New Year's Day, I made a good old-fashioned goals list. All I wanted was to be a published writer, and at that point, I was doing absolutely nothing to achieve that goal.
I knew what I needed to do technically (just write!), but the practicalities required a bit more thought. Related stories We put our things in storage and moved to my mom's house in Canada Some "How can I make this happ.