I've been in fulltime work, working for other people for the last 20 years or so. In that time, I've been a school teacher, vocational trainer, business analyst, project manager and held various different roles in IT departments. For the last five years I've also been doing some work on the side as a freelance writer/journalist and have managed to secure regular work for a number of the most respected mastheads in the Australian IT publishing scene as well as doing a couple of spots on national television. But it's only been the last few weeks where I've been working full time for a new boss - myself.

I've been very blessed to have worked with some very talented and dedicated people over the years. Some will remain friends for life while others have been friends but I suspect we won't keep up for ever. Such is life. I was once told that it's healthy for friendships to only be transient. In any case, I've never left a job because of the people - my driver has always been a more personal one. Like a desire to do something new or because I've felt that the partnership is no longer delivering benefit to both parties.

So, a few months ago, I realised that the relationship I had with my employer was no longer all it could be. The company I'd worked for was changing and it was clear to me that my personality and the new corporate culture weren't a good match. So, I started to think about what was next for me. And it was clear that my personal goals weren't going to met by simply looking for another fulltime job at another company. I knew that the next step for me was about working for myself.

Such a decision isn't easy when you're a single income family with a wife, three kids, a mortgage and all the usual stuff. The decision required some planning in order to make sure that we could maintain our family life while I switched from a regular paycheck to the peaks and troughs of self-employment. Having worked for over ten years at the one employer has some advantages. In Australia, employees have the benefit of Long Service Leave. After 10 years of continuous employment, employees are entitled to three months of paid leave. If you leave at that time, you get that paid leave as cash.

With some backup funds, a steady set of great editors and publications that I write for and the opportunity to seek out work in some other roles, I've embarked on the journey to independence.