I moved from grueling 14-hour shifts to chasing a dream. Quitting dairy and industrial work helped me refocus on my tech career ambitions.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the cycle of procrastination, something I’ve wrestled with more often than I’d care to admit. For a long time, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why I was constantly in a mental fog. Simple tasks felt insurmountable. My drive to accomplish my goals always seemed stuck in neutral. After months of brushing it off, I finally confronted a culprit I had ignored. It was dairy. The brain fog it brought was real, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I took one of the first steps in clearing the mental haze by cutting it out of my life. However, I’m not here to talk about food intolerances.
What’s been gnawing at me lately is something bigger. I’ve just come off the tail end of a strenuous job as an industrial technician and cleaner—back-breaking, soul-sucking work. It paid the bills, sure. However, each day felt like a slow grind further away from the career I’ve been yearning for. You see, I didn’t dream of scrubbing floors or repairing industrial machines for the rest of my life. I dreamed of building software, of creating, of getting back into the tech industry. It’s a career I’ve been longing for, but for one reason or another—procrastination, fatigue, or life’s curveballs—I’ve stalled. Emails have come and gone. They are filled with the dreaded words: “Thank you for applying, but…” Those words wear you down. Constant rejections from tech jobs leave you exhausted. However, I’m tired of letting them define my progress.
It’s not just me, though. Everywhere I look, people are quitting their jobs to carve out their own paths. They are becoming self-made. Many are starting businesses. Others are pursuing passions with vigor. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like it’s time. Time to do the same. But not just quit a job for the sake of quitting—I’m talking about establishing a career. A career that’s been calling my name for years. I want to reenter the professional world. This be in the indie tech scene, through freelancing, or aiming for big tech. And that brings me to the crux of my dilemma and the theme of this post: momentum.
Momentum. It’s what separates action from stagnation. It’s the word that’s been sitting in the back of my mind. I’ve been itching to act upon it. All it takes is a small start. Something tangible to build off of. And after coming from the chaos of an industrial job, I can’t let myself continue floating in limbo any longer. I’ve decided that by the end of this week, I’m going to have something grounded—a prototype. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but it needs to be something. A start. A project that puts my knowledge to the test, that builds momentum. Because momentum is the key to keeping progress alive.
You see, momentum doesn’t just happen. You have to create it. I know this all too well, especially since procrastination has been my silent saboteur for so long. But once you get moving—really moving—it’s much easier to keep that momentum going. Before I sit down to write a single line of code, I need to do something simple. I clean my room. Doing this helps me draft the next step of my career plan. Seriously. Chores sound like the enemy of productivity, but clearing my space always clears my head. And after that? I’ll be ready. Ready to finally make that start.
No more excuses. No more waiting for the perfect time or the perfect job to fall into my lap. I’m creating my own opportunity. It’s been a long time coming, but there’s something powerful about recognizing that you hold the key to moving forward. The goal isn’t to land the dream job tomorrow. The goal is to get the wheels turning today.
This week, I’m challenging myself to begin—no matter how small the start. I challenge you to do the same. Whether it’s a project you’ve been putting off, momentum begins with a single step. Maybe it’s a career you’ve wanted to break into. Perhaps it’s even a side hustle you’ve only thought about. Take it. Let it lead you.
Because once you’ve got momentum on your side, nothing can stop you.
Momentum isn’t waiting for perfection. It’s creating the start. I’m making mine this week. What about you?