Growing up I have always been a fan of Disney fairy tales. Apart from the glitz, the drama, and the occasional prince charming, there is always something in their stories that made us hopeful growing up: the assurance that after the story’s climax, the plot will turn around and everything will end well. That blissful feeling of happily ever after. The promise that everything will be alright at the end of the tunnel. But did you ever wonder what happens after?
I, for one, wondered.
Working in the corporate world for 7 years taught me so much about myself. It was a never-ending cycle of circumstances, the good and the bad. Finally, after a major setback, I decided to quit my day job and start working at home.
Freelancing was the answer. This is the assurance that I will never be stressed with my work environment. This is the end of my fairytale.
But, there is always life after every ending. There are choices to choose, decisions to make. And here are some of the things that I realized after quitting my job.
Time is in your hands. I used to work for 9 hours every day, that’s excluding 4 hours of travel time to and from work. Working at home gave me 4 more extra hours a day. 4 more hours to decide whether I will take a nap, exercise, relax or hustle. It is your duty to decide how you will spend your time.
You need to know who you are. With opportunities left and right you will have a hard time choosing what path you are going to pursue. It is easier to decide if you know yourself and your biggest why. After all, no one wants to be the jack of all trades, master of none.
It is all in the mind. Ever wondered why other people are good at what they do? Because they believed. The hardest battles are the ones within ourselves. Having an optimistic mindset is a great asset of a freelancer. Being resilient is they key to succeed in this dynamic business.
You have to work hard and study. It is said that one should invest in their greatest asset and that’s none other than ourselves. Freelancing is constantly changing. This is not a playground for the meek and lazy. Equip yourself, read every day.
It is ok to make mistakes. Experience is the best teacher. You might find yourself committing a mistake but that is fine. Science, itself, believes that trial and error are one of the fundamentals of problem-solving. So do not fret over a mistake learn from it.
Be accountable. You will now work on your own. There will be no one to turn to or share the blame. Take ownership and trust yourself.
There are people like you. You will not be a fish out of the water if you choose to go freelance. Join communities for freelancers. Connect to people, share your experience and learn from them.
Freelancing is a wide ocean and two things are possible when you decide to take a plunge. It’s either you swim or you get drowned. I chose to swim and brave the waters. And I hope that you will too.
