This post is inspired by ruangfreelance’s tweet on #DollarPertamaGue, literally means my first dollar (USD).

Mine was from pay per p0st thing back in 2007. Can’t really remember the amount, but it should be around $10ish only. Small amount but it’s enough to motivate me. Cause my vision back then was to quit my full-time job and work from home with the help of internet, so that after married I can be a stay-at-home-wife/mum and still contribute to pay the house bill and do credit report. Long term thinking/early planning or rather think too much, that’s me.

Fun fact: When I handed my resignation letter (my first ever job) in late 2007, the Boss asked what I’m gonna do next (as in what kind of job/field)? My answer: from blogging, the earning is about the same with my current salary. Sound silly, but well it’s an honest answer as I didn’t find any new job yet.

He definitely looked down on my decision, but heck. I earned peanut from that job and didn’t get any experience as I expected – see, I was already an idealist! So how can that job be any better than blogging, I thought? Plus with blogging I have time flexibility (which LDR-er needs), not the fixed 9 to 5 and 12 days leave in a year. Not a bad choice until I figured out what I wanted to do next.

Life post quitting from work wasn’t easy. Many pressure came in. But, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Who would know through my first dollar I was motivated to learn, discover, implement and accomplish my vision to work from home. Four years later which is now, I’m still earning dollar, not from blogging but web design with majority of clients find us from the internet.

One person to thank for, my dearest husband who opened the internet gate to me, as in the possibility and opportunity of world wide web. And, who would know that we will team up to run a web design business.

I am so thankful for all this! Now with two months left in this year, the two of us are working hard so we can launch our *new* personal project asap! Just need to gather commitment + passion + energy.

Two weeks ago my boy’s good friend was in town for a work trip and the three of us had breakfast together. His friend asked casually,”So how’s the freelance life? Good and loving it so far? Is it what you really want to do?”

Well, I absolutely loving my job and the lifestyle NOW. I mean, yes I am lucky that I get to work on what I love to do, I can have more than 12 days leave in a year, I have reached the certain amount of income that I set two years ago, I get to spend IDR1.800.000 (RM600++) on my hair which is impossible if I still work as 9 – 5 designer and so on.

But his question did make me think of so-what’s-NEXT? Is this what I really want to do for long term? The answer is NO!

People often says how nice our lifestyle and job is, being our own Boss, yadayada. The truth is, we are no different from people who slaves in their 9 – 5 job. Probably worse. We are the employer (Boss) and employee (slave) at the same time. It’s not a big deal as we’re enjoying the hard-work moment for NOW – which means face the computer for up to 12 hours a day, look for clients, do the design, coding, managing time, managing finance, cover from the start to the end of the project all by ourselves.

Now come the worst part, we are offering service, so when we are sick or away for vacation, no one will be working in the office and the income will be paused until we’re back to work. Bottom line, no work, no income; unless we hire people to do the job but we ain’t ready to build an agency yet. The downside of active income and freelance. No fix monthly income from the Boss and no yearly bonus too. At this point, I’m amazed at how my boy and I managed to travel average 4 times in a year. Whew..

As for now I can afford to face the computer for more than 12 hours a day, at least 72 hours per week, but not in the coming 3 years or when we plan to have Wong junior.

I envision myself to be able to enjoy the motherhood and at the same time having own business line which requires very little time commitment, i.e. not more than 12 hours working-time per week.

Yes, I mean passive income, where I can earn money while sleeping cause the internet is a sleepless world – 24 hours ON! Transaction can happen anytime.

To make it happen, we definitely need to sell our own products instead of offering services for the rest of our life. It could be joint health supplements, beauty products, shoes, anything. We’re aware for the challenges and hard time that will come during the first year or so. We’re so ready for it! After all, what does life mean without challenges and failures?

Well, I’m glad that my boy’s friend threw up that question. It might sound like a casual how-are-you conversation, but it helps me to stop and think of “what’s next?” – an important question that is overshadowed by the boring routine.