Work on I LIKED MY LIFE began as something to tinker with when I couldn’t give the corporate world any more; nights I couldn’t sleep, long flights, weekends. It was slow-going. Then the kids came along, eleven months apart, and writing was replaced with ear infections, diapers, and feedings. It was as if I had two identities—one in a business suit creating and presenting global sales programs, and the other in sweatpants with a toddler hanging off each arm. The only linkage between the two was the occasional pacifier I grabbed to sign a contract instead of a pen, or the audible bedtime tears when I was on a late night call with Asia. 
My kids turned three and four in what felt like one season and I missed a lot of it. I wasn’t unhappy—I was too busy to think about squishy things like happiness—but it struck me that I was earning money to support a lifestyle I didn’t want. Then one day I happened across I LIKED MY LIFE on my computer. It hadn’t been touched in years, but suddenly felt like the perfect out.
I was hesitant to broach the topic with my husband, assuming he wouldn’t be keen to cut our income in half, but my family didn’t nickname him Kevin from Heaven for nothing. We agreed we were failing at that work/life balance everyone goes on about, and made a one year plan to adjust our spending for a new reality.
In 2013 I resigned, dedicating my time to writing and family. Our children discovered this amazing thing called home cooking and my husband and I found time for things like sleep. It was magical, really, to see an entire household mellow out over night.
I once dramatically referred to my high tech career as a waste of a decade, but that’s unfair. The business world fostered my work ethic; it’s the reason I sat my ass down to write 5-6 hours a day even before I had a deadline. It prepared me for rejection—a skill I’ve needed in the publishing industry more than I care to recall. I was in sales before, and now I’m in sales again, only this time the product is my own.
Well done and good luck – you really do have to treat writing as a business and a job if its going to go anywhere and all the business experience comes into its own. As a debutante author to everything is crossed for you!
Thank you so much! I never expected my words to have an audience. It is equal parts exciting and terrifying 🙂
Real … honest … and determined! XO
Your story is a great example of each path preparing you for the next and finding your own happiness. Inspirational. Looking forward to your book!
I LOVE the line about the pen and the pacifier! Every time I hear mom work stories, I reflect on my own. As a part-time teacher, I’m half working mother, half SAHM. But I don’t know if I’ve found that balance….
Good call on the whole writer gig! Can’t wait for I LIKED MY LIFE