Making what are viewed as large purchases, especially when you’re a freelancer, can be stressful and scary.
Questions like “Is this the right thing?”, “Can I really afford that now?”, and “Will it really help me?” can plague us before and after a purchase that is out of norm. My personal preference is to research an item or new equipment a lot before I purchase it. I shop around and see if what I want both suits my needs and can be found at a more affordable price.
For me this happened earlier today. Those of you who have been reading some of my more game centric posts know that I currently use a lower end PC for play and I use a rather communal laptop to do my work. This mean I have a lot of my stuff spread between two different PCs. What I would prefer is to consolidate as much as I can to one computer, that way if someone needs to borrow a laptop I’m not held up with my work while they use it.
I purchased a refurbished desktop. I asked people who do more things with PCs than I do about my upcoming purchase and I was lured in by the specs and low cost. I had found one that fits me. It’s not a bunch of flashy colors and things that can be used to hike up the price. It’s utilitarian, powerful, and not a riot of color, just the way I like it.
I really don’t like a needlessly flashy design. I just want something that will work and do what I ask of it. And from my peers and research it seems like it will be more than enough for what I’ll be doing. But there’s still that nagging unreal feeling of finally getting a computer that can keep pace with the modern world.
We sometimes get caught in the old ways that we’re used to. And there’s nothing wrong with sticking with what works, but we sometimes have to take that leap of faith and improve our methods and equipment.
It’s still scary but courage is action in spite of being afraid. For me this is a stepping stone to doing my work better both for recording/streaming and writing because I’ll be independent of other’s people’s need to use resources that I’m currently using. Take the first step in your journey to upgrading. Don’t make it a foolish step, but carefully plan it. Then take it like you have all the confidence in the world.
Sincerely,
The Irreverent Gentleman
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