A few years ago, I reached a major milestone in my career. I was running my own UI/UX studio, winning awards, and even competing with really big agencies and winning big clients.
Some would have said that I was living the dream, building a solid portfolio, earning six figures, and running my own business. What they didn't see were the little moments throughout my day that led me to complete burnout.
What hit me the most - there was no way for me to earn more than what I was currently earning if I continued working on my own. I started seeing limits and I didn't like it. To this day, I clearly remember feeling so desperate about the direction my life had taken that I didn't care anymore. I had money, I had a future, but there was no happiness in that. At the top of my career, I dropped everything. See, I saw only 2 options:
So I finished all my client projects.
Turned off my Calendly link.
And dedicated fully to creating and selling digital products. At the time, I had zero followers and zero traffic. To this day, I can clearly remember the moment when I realized that I will never go back to selling my time to anyone again. It was a beautiful spring day, I was spending time walking my dog with my girlfriend.
My phone buzzed as I received a notification.
"You made a sale!"
Only a day or 2 had passed since I had listed a Notion template for sale, and they weren't as popular back then as they are now.
But at that moment, it only took me a few seconds to realize that if I could sell it once, there was no reason why I couldn't sell it again and again.
So when I went back home and doubled down on Pathpages.
There were days when I felt lost and days when I doubted myself, BUT...
there was never a day when I wanted to go back to working for someone else, even when I was spending more than I was earning.
At the end of May 2023, just like I do on every last day of the month, I calculated my earnings. Currently, I have two income streams spread across multiple platforms. The number that appeared was $28,074.00, and the feeling was more than great.
Why I'm telling you this?
What I did in the past 2 years is possible for everyone. There is a chance that you could achieve the same even faster. And if you feel the same way I did - stuck in a life of calls, meetings, and other duties for others - take this as a sign.