What are you willing to give up to free up the time to chase your dreams? And are the significant others in your life who would be affected willing to give up as much?

That’s the dilemma I’m facing at the moment. I do believe, as I’ve indicated in past posts, that the universe gives you what you need – to learn, to grow, to stretch yourself. So when I received a notice that my job was targeted in the layoffs in New York State, my first thought was “holy cow – I’ll have time to do what I want to do now! To finish my second book, to pursue life as a full time writer, not one who has to squeeze it in around job and commute time” (totally roughly 12 hours per day when I don’t have to travel for work).

But I’m also a realist. I have fixed expenses, and an unemployment check isn’t going to cover all of them.

I have options in this. I can use my seniority to bump someone with less seniority and take a job that is less enjoyable and less convenient – in other words, make my life more complicated, not less, less enjoyable, not more. OR I can figure out how low I can go in my expenses – determine what can I eliminate, what am I willing to sacrifice. How much will I save by not commuting nearly one and a half hours twice a day (by car – so I can’t do other stuff during the commute)? In gas, in wear and tear on the car? In the cost of parking? I need to itemize all of the ways I would save just by not working.

And then confront those bills that come in monthly. What am I willing to delete? Satellite TV? Netflix? High speed on-line service ( nope – need that for all the social media requirements of the writing life).

Have you had the need or choice to file your living expenses down to the nubs? What went and what stayed?

What are you willing to give up to pursue your dreams? I really want to know!