It’s been five years since I left full-time employment for the gig economy.  This, perhaps more than any other move in a life full of unexpected moves, is something I still can’t believe I actually did sometimes.

After all, it’s not like I didn’t like my job.  I was doing well, enjoyed the work, and, above all, really appreciated the people.

My reason for going cold turkey on guaranteed income and employer benefits was quite simple:  I wanted to see if I could make it work doing something I gravitated towards but wasn’t a core service of my agency at the time.  What I didn’t want to do was look back 10 years later and kick myself for not at least giving it a shot when I had the chance.

Fast-forward to today’s brain dump for gainfully-employed professionals toying with the idea of yanking the safety net as well.  I’m a sports guy, so consider this an ESPN-inspired 5 for 5.  Five thoughts for five years on this side of the business.

1. You’ll experience unrivaled flexibility.

Work with whom you want, when you want.  Do it from home, do it from the beach.  Go for a run at noon, go for a happy hour at 3.

Not bad, right?  No, not bad at all.  You’re your own boss—you decide if you’re going to take on a project, not someone above you.  Of course, you’re also your only employee, and therefore delegation is not an option in your company.

Manage it well, and flexibility is obviously one of the biggest benefits of going solo.  That said, it comes with some serious strings attached since…

2. You’ll also experience unrivaled pressure.

Everything is on you.  E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.  Want to eat?  Better find work.  Want to go on a decent vacation?  Better find even more work.  Want to get married, start a family, buy a bigger home, and then be able to keep the lights on?  Better find a lot of work.

When you don’t have a reliable bi-weekly check hitting your bank account, that can be, well, terrifying.  You start to think twice (or even thrice) about sushi night when you’ve had a slow month or two.

But, just when you start contemplating throwing in the towel, keep in mind that…

3. Finding stability takes time.

I spoke with a number of successful freelancers as I was getting started.  Every one of them said it’ll take a couple years to get your sea legs.  They were absolutely right.

And that can be daunting early on.  Taking a 100% pay cut flat out sucks.  Trying to envision yourself clawing back to where you were, and then exceeding that to handle all the insurance you now have to pay for and the IRA contributions you ideally need to continue (without the matching, btw) isn’t easy.

If you stick with it, though, it will come.  There’s a lot you’ll need to learn to get there, to be sure.  For instance, fully understanding what you should be charging for your work—and not second-guessing it before you send in the quote.  Which reminds me…

4. Finding confidence also takes time.

Not many people have the luxury of going into this without skipping a beat from their last job.  If you self-manage expectations, though, that can be a great motivator.  If forces you to do the things you need to do to get better:  ongoing training, seeking out pros to pick their brains, asking for feedback from your network.

As the wheel begins turning, you’ll gradually build a portfolio.  Former clients will start calling you again for new projects.  You’ll have more opportunities to show value, making you more indispensable along the way.  Revenue will grow.

In other words, stability and confidence go hand in hand, and this is really where you start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  No matter how long that tunnel ends up being, just remember…

5. Enjoy the ride.

It’s tempting to work 15 hours a day, seven days a week to make this thing work.  Trust me, I get it.  Just don’t let it take away from the reason you decided to do this in the first place.

I suppose that begs the natural question at the end of this little reflection.  It being roughly 1,825 days into freelancing, am I glad I left the only job I ever had to hang my own shingle?  Aside from the occasional “What the hell was I thinking?” moment, yes, I’m glad.  I’m not opposed to rejoining the corporate world if the right opportunity comes along, but for the time being it’s a life that I have no problem waking up to on day on 1,826.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go for a run on the beach.

No matter how independent you may be, no one does something like this all by themselves.  I’m grateful for the amazing support of my family, friends, former employer, and industry peers throughout this journey.  I’m also grateful for potential clients reading this who will reach out to do their part in helping me keep the lights on.