Man, 2017. What a year. I remember starting it feeling like I was just kinda floating, you know? Like a fish in a big old ocean, not really sure where I was heading. I had this idea, this half-baked dream of doing something completely different with my career, something that felt more… me. But the whole “how to actually do that” part was a massive blur. I was working a job that paid the bills, but it wasn’t lighting any fires, and every single day felt like I was just ticking boxes. I knew I needed a change, but taking the leap felt like jumping off a cliff.
So, I finally decided to dive in, headfirst, without a proper map. I’d seen a bunch of people online doing their own thing, building stuff, writing, creating. And I thought, “Why not me?” That’s where my “Pisces Job” really kicked off. It wasn’t a formal job, more like a personal project, a side hustle I was trying to turn into something real. I figured, if I put in the hours, good things would happen. Simple, right? Oh, boy.
The first few weeks were a mess. I was trying to learn a whole new skill set – stuff like setting up a website, figuring out how to get my work seen, even just writing emails that didn’t sound completely desperate. Every Monday, I’d sit down with this huge surge of motivation, telling myself, “This is the week I crack it.” By Wednesday, I’d be staring at my screen, feeling like I’d made zero progress. Thursday would bring a fresh wave of doubt, and by Friday evening, I’d usually just be exhausted, wondering if I was just wasting my time. I’d try one thing, it wouldn’t work, then I’d jump to another, then another, all scattered. It was a complete scattergun approach, and honestly, pretty draining.
I distinctly remember one particularly rough week in March. I’d spent days trying to get this one piece of content just right, tweaking words, messing with images, agonizing over every little detail. I finally published it, all proud, expecting some kind of reaction. Nothing. Crickets. It hit me hard. I felt deflated, totally lost. I even considered just quitting the whole thing. But then, on a Saturday morning, while I was just stewing, I stumbled upon a small online forum. Someone there mentioned how they just kept showing up, even when it felt pointless. That little nudge was enough to make me think, “Okay, one more week. Just one more.”
That next week, I tried something different. Instead of chasing perfection, I just aimed for “done.” I broke things down into tiny, bite-sized chunks. Monday, I’d plan out three small tasks. Tuesday, I’d tackle one of them. Wednesday, another. No big, grand gestures, just tiny, consistent efforts. It felt less overwhelming. I started sending out a few cold emails, even though my stomach twisted into knots every time. I’d reach out to just one new person a day. A few rejections later, someone actually replied, asking for more info. It wasn’t a client, but it was something.
Finding My Rhythm, Week by Week
Slowly, ever so slowly, things started to shift. I started seeing patterns. I noticed that when I spent a few hours on actual outreach, rather than just tinkering with my website, I’d get a tiny bit more traction. When I focused on creating useful, simple content instead of trying to be super clever, people actually stuck around longer. It was like I was finally learning the language of this new world. Each week, I’d review what went well and what totally bombed. No fancy spreadsheets, just a mental note, sometimes scribbled on a napkin.
- Consistency was key. Even if it was just an hour, making sure I touched the project every single day made a difference. It kept the momentum going, even when I felt like packing it in.
- Small wins kept me alive. Getting that one reply, or someone sharing my content – those little bursts of validation were gold. I learned to celebrate them, no matter how tiny.
- Talking to people, even when it was awkward, helped. I forced myself to connect, to ask questions, to just say hi. You wouldn’t believe how many doors creak open just from a simple conversation.
- Don’t overthink it, just do it. Perfectionism was a trap. Getting things out there, even if they weren’t flawless, was better than waiting forever for them to be “ready.” I could always improve later.
By late summer, I landed my first small project. It wasn’t huge money, but it was real. Someone actually paid me for my work! That felt like a massive validation. It wasn’t an overnight success story, not by a long shot. It was a steady, often frustrating, climb. But each week, I learned a little something more. I learned how to deal with setbacks, how to keep pushing when I felt like giving up, and most importantly, how to listen to myself and what my gut was telling me. The year 2017 wasn’t about finding the perfect job right away; it was about building the muscle to create my own.
Looking back, that “Pisces Job” time was really about me figuring out how to navigate uncharted waters. It taught me that real success isn’t about one big break, but about a million small, often invisible, efforts repeated over and over. It’s about not being afraid to make a fool of yourself, to try things that might not work, and to pick yourself up every single Monday morning and give it another go.
