It's been four years since I left my full-time job

My last day at my full-time job was four years ago today. It’s been a fast four years, full of self-discovery and reinvention. I’ve been loving the journey and I’m not planning to return to full-time work any time soon. (Or ever, if I’m being totally honest.)

To celebrate this anniversary, I’m reflecting on four things I learned about myself in the four years since I left my full-time job.

#1: My point of enough is much lower than I thought it was.

For the past many years, I’ve been experimenting with my point of enough, which is a key factor in feeling a sense of fulfillment. Through this experimentation, I learned that I didn’t need as much as I thought I did to feel contentment and joy. I didn’t need as much money as I was making when I was working full-time. I didn’t need as many luxurious experiences. I didn’t need as many expensive things.

A funny thing happened when I became more selective with where I spent my money. I started appreciating everything so much more. A dinner at a delicious restaurant felt special, even though it wasn’t a fancy place. A road trip felt exciting, even though we stayed close to home. A new deck of oracle cards felt like a treat, even though I didn’t pay a lot for them. While I still want things at times, I put more thought into what I buy and I can mostly remain unattached to the wanting.

#2: Turns out I do love working from home.

I didn’t like working from home when I was at my full-time job. I didn’t have the proper setup for the work I was doing, and I felt guilty when I stepped away from my computer, like I was doing something sneaky or stealing company time. (I fully recognize that this is a personal feeling that many people don't share.)

Things feel entirely different now that I work from home on a part-time basis and I log all my hours. I have the freedom to step away from my computer for hours at a time. I’m not charging for this time so it is completely my own. The guilt is gone, making room for new feelings of expansion and freedom.

#3: I can thrive with minimal human interaction.

This was an aspect of myself that was illuminated during the pandemic. Outside of my husband, my immediate family, and a few close friends, I don't need a whole lot of human interaction to thrive. I sense that a lot of people would miss the camaraderie of connecting with their colleagues every day, but I’m happy as a clam spending all day by myself.

It also feels important to mention that what I reeeeeally don't miss about working full-time are the office politics, gossip, and drama. I love love love not being around any of that.

#4: My most cherished asset is time freedom.

I had a feeling this was true before, but I didn't have any proof because I didn't have time freedom when I was working full-time. Back then, I had many creative projects I wanted to pursue but work left me feeling drained and uninspired. I could buy pretty much all the things I wanted but I couldn’t buy more energy and motivation. I couldn’t buy more time. I was trying to mask my desire for time freedom with money freedom.

Now that I’ve made the leap to prioritize time freedom, I don’t think I could ever go back. I love the flexibility and optionality where each day is like a fun puzzle that is filled with choice and delight. My two very flexible part-time jobs leave me with enough time and energy to do everything I want to do and more. I have time to play. I have time to rest. I have time to create. I have time to dream.

Happy anniversary to me!