In 2017, I had my highest earning year of $148K and totaled up $128K in 2018. But in 2019, my earnings just broke $100K. Yes, I know that’s still a lot of money, but anytime you don’t hit your goal it’s a bit disconcerting.

Technically, I got pretty darn close to my goal if I count the money I earned in 2019 but which wasn’t paid until 2020. But I calculate my earnings based on tax years and the actual money deposited into my account during that year. I set three goals every year: my goal ($120K), my stretch goal ($140K), and my minimum earning amount ($100K). So at least I met the minimum.

Initially, I was upset with myself – and I did a mad marketing dash and picked up a lot of assignments in December. While that didn’t allow me to meet my 2019 goal, it did get me set up for a very good January, which is a positive thing. But after the dust settled and I wiped off the embarrassment that I felt, I made myself sit down and make a list of the reasons my earnings fell off for the year.

The 3 Reasons I Freelance

I quickly realized that it wasn’t for lack for work – I turned down a number of clients and projects during the year. The reason really came down to the fact that other things in my life were just more important to me this year than making a crap ton of money. I reminded myself that the main reason I freelance is the flexibility that it gives me for my family, travel, and dogs. And when I looked back on my year from that perspective, I remembered:

• Family. My daughter is in her senior year of high school, heading off to college in August, and my son is his junior year of high school. They won’t be around much longer. And I’ve learned that when teenagers need you, you have about a 15-second window to be available before the moment passes. So I’ve really tried to be there for them – and sometimes that means waiting around for that window. My friend Stephanie reminds me that it’s a lot easier to focus on work and income when you’re an empty nester. I don’t have much longer before I get there, and I don’t want to regret these short years.
• Travel. With the kids getting older, I was able to tag along on two amazing work trips with my husband (to Bali and Australia) this year. He won’t be taking these trips forever, and I have to seize the moment. So for these two trips and our family vacation to Scotland, I took close to 7 weeks off for travel, which is a pretty significant amount of time. Taking the time off to go on trips that are much more affordable when my husband is already going is something I will never regret. But that decision does impact my bottom line.
• Dogs. In late 2017, I got back into dog rescue after a 16-year break. Then I started our own dachshund rescue in early 2019, with three other women, and we rescued and adopted out 200 dogs last year. As one of the coordinators, at least half of those came through my arms and I personally managed getting them into rescue, finding a foster, getting them vetted, and finding their perfect home. I am amazed at what a difference we were able to make in the lives of these dogs and so many families. But my income did take a hit.

Going Forward in 2020

I am not going to change a single thing about family or travel this year. I will continue to prioritize them over income because I know that when I’m 80 years old I will regret putting both of those on the back burner if I do so. And I’m not going to stop rescuing dogs, but I did realize that I need to put some parameters around it and not just take advantage of my flexibility all the time. I decided to get other volunteers to do tasks that they can help with, like transporting dogs and doing some vet visits. I’m also going to schedule as many of my rescue tasks as possible for after 2:30 pm, and then only make exceptions for a true emergency – such as an injured dog in a shelter. I’ve had pretty good success with this, and I found that it already made a difference in December.

Overall, my takeaway is simply that my priorities shifted (and will likely continue to shift) as the stage of my life changes. And that’s not just okay, but it’s how it should be. My income went up as my kids got older and more self-sufficient, but it makes sense that it would go down as I focus on family during these last few years of my kids living at home. And the reason I got back into dog rescue now was to find a hobby that will fill my soul after my kids move out.

Taking a hard look at 2019 was a good lesson – and a clear reminder to be kind to myself. Freelancing isn’t just about the money, but also the flexibility to change the amount we work based on our income needs and everything else going on in our life. When it comes right down to it, I am very proud of myself for prioritizing the other parts of my life last year.