Real talk: is the flexibility worth it?

Dec 191 min read

Been freelancing/consulting for 3 years now. The flexibility is legit - I take my kids to school 4x/week, we eat lunch together some days, I can shift my schedule around doctor appointments.

BUT: the income is less stable (fluctuates $4-8k/month), I have way less structure so sometimes I work until 11pm, and there's this constant low-level anxiety about whether I'll have work next month.

My wife makes good money so we're comfortable, but it's not the same as the security I had in a corporate job. Some days I think I'd trade some flexibility for the peace of mind. Is that just me being ungrateful for what I have?

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Comments(4)

SShane K.New DadDec 19

I did consulting for 2 years and quit. The flexibility was amazing until it wasn't - suddenly I was working at 10pm and on weekends "just answering quick emails." The boundaries between work/home got blurry. Corporate job is boring but my brain actually stops sometimes.

PPete L.RegularDec 19

Lunch with your kids 4 days a week is genuinely incredible and worth a lot. Don't minimize that. But the "but" in your post suggests you're burning out. What would it take to keep the flexibility and lose the burnout part?

MMatt W.RegularDec 21

The "but" is usually where the real answer lives. What's the catch? Unstable income? Can't really turn it off? Clients don't respect the boundaries?

LLuke N.RegularDec 19

This is the real parenting question nobody asks: is the time with your kids actually quality if you're stressed about money/work the whole time? Sometimes traditional job = less time but less mental load overall.