I do a few different things to support myself.  Since September, 2010, I’ve had four income streams.

I’m ready for a change – a big one.  So I’m leaving all current income streams behind.  Not burning bridges, mind you.  Just having the “Today is my last day,” conversations.  The response has been only positive, peppered with a few “I wish I could do that’s” and “I’m going to live vicariously through you.”

It’s much easier resigning now that I only take work that is expected to be temporary.  On Monday, I ended a consulting gig.  Here’s the thing about consulting: you think it’s temporary, but every time I’ve done it they’ve wanted to hire me full-time.  They make this offer thinking it is much better being salaried.  I disagree.  Why would I want to punch a clock when instead I can just come in when I want to, take off when I want to?

The best thing about 1099 work  is that whoever you’re working for can’t tell you when you have to be there.  So I can say to myself, “I need a day off…or a week,” and then tell the big bosses that I won’t be in for a week.  Sure, they can choose to end our engagement at any time, but they like my work so much that so far I’ve always been the one to end our engagement – not them.

So I’ve been working with these folks for over three years – choosing when to go in.  Sometimes it was twenty hours a week, sometimes just a few hours a month – depending on their need and my availability.  Sometimes it was a big portion of my income, lately it was just icing.

And now, it’s over:)