You know why people get so excited about pizza at the office? Because they’re such miserable, soul-crushing places that literally any bright spot dulls the oppressive weight.

The idea of working in one dedicated media job, shlepping to the same desk every day, over and over again, for years, is on the way out anyhow. It’s something I’ve been trying to explain to my traditional workplace colleagues. By the end of the decade, more than 40% of the entire workforce will be made up of freelancers and the self-employed one study suggests. As Quartz writes on this very topic, the Scarlet Letter of the freelance life is being scraped away. “Traditionally, being self-employed used to come with a social stigma; you were self-employed if you couldn’t get a ‘real job.'” What does having a “real job” even mean anymore?

If that doesn’t convince you to unburden yourself from the outdated job model, consider freelancing this way: it’s the closest approximation to a life of promiscuous dating that most of us get after we’re married. Each assignment at a new publication brings with it the same sense of gratification and excitement that a new sex partner does, each pitch brings with it the thrill of the chase, and convincing a new editor to take a chance on you is an act of seduction. Maybe all of that seems a lot sexier because I’m sitting at home writing this with no pants on.

Quit Your Media Job Today: A Freelancing Endorsement