If you’re thinking about taking the freelance plunge, there’s good news: You may be better suited for this life than you think. Sure, freelancing isn’t for everyone. It takes a lot of grit, a lot of hustle, and a strong sense of independence to make it work.
But here’s what I know after five years of freelancing: if you are at all curious about giving it a try, then I believe that going freelance could be right for you.
Why? Well, before any freelancer makes their leap into the unknown and risky world of self-employment, they must undergo an intense period of self-doubt.
They will question whether they have what it takes to succeed as an independent contractor in a lonely world where no one tells them when to take breaks or what projects they’ll tackle next.
Many will conclude that they are best suited to working from 9-5 with health benefits and a 401k match;
Others will decide that taking the risk is worth it because there’s something inside them screaming otherwise something intrinsic about themselves that can only be discovered by making the jump into self-employment.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Freelancing offers opportunities for professional growth and personal fulfillment. |
| Building a support network and community can help overcome challenges and provide guidance. |
| Managing finances and budgeting effectively is crucial for freelancers. |
| Developing a strong online presence and marketing yourself can attract clients and new opportunities. |
| Embracing continuous learning and upgrading skills is essential to stay competitive in the freelance market. |
| Balancing work and personal life is important to avoid burnout and maintain overall well-being. |
| Confidence, resilience, and adaptability are key traits for successful freelancers. |
| Setting clear goals and establishing a structured workflow can enhance productivity and efficiency. |
| Negotiating fair rates and contracts is essential to ensure fair compensation for your work. |
| Regularly assessing and improving your portfolio and professional brand can help attract higher-paying clients. |
You Know You’re A Little Bit Crazy
You need to be a little bit crazy. You have to be willing to take risks, fail and learn from your mistakes. You have to be willing to adapt as the world changes around you and learn new things without getting discouraged.
The best part about freelancing is that you can create your schedule, but it takes time for people with traditional jobs to get used to this freedom.
I’ve learned that it’s important not only for me but also for my clients, family, and friends not just to get used to my unpredictable schedule but also to embrace it as part of who I am as well as what makes our relationship special together!
Discover the advantages of freelancing alongside a full-time job and unlock your potential for professional growth. Explore our article on 6 Reasons to Be a Freelancer in Addition to Having a Full-Time Job to learn how freelancing can enhance your career.
You’re A Little Bit Of A Control Freak
That’s not a bad thing. Trust me, it’s not. It’s something that will serve you well in your freelancing career because being self-motivated and willing to take things into your own hands is necessary for success as a freelancer.
You won’t have an office manager or human resources team to handle all the annoying administrative details for you, so if you want things done, it’ll be up to you to do them yourself.
That can be scary at first (and again later), but once you get used to the fact that this is how things work in freelancing land and realize that there isn’t anything scary about taking control over your own life it becomes second nature and easy peasy lemon squeezy!
You Are Driven By Your Passion, Not Motivated By Money (At The Outset)
When you’re new to freelancing, it’s important to remember that money isn’t your driving factor. You are driven by your passion, not motivated by money (at the outset).
You may be thinking: “Wait a minute. I’m supposed to be motivated by my passion and not by money?” That’s right! We often think that if we don’t want something enough or if we aren’t motivated enough, we won’t get it done well.
But this isn’t true at all! In fYou be highly motivated and still not do a great job on something if there is no pay involved.
The truth is that being paid for something will give you more motivation than anything else can in most cases because it gives meaning and value to what you’re doing which makes for better work overall even though people often think otherwise!
For freelancing or any other business venture where there is no salary involved (like angel investing), success depends on three things:
1) having an effective system in place;
2) having a compelling reason why;
3) knowing what needs to be done next before tackling those items in order of priority until completion
Are you a Gen Z freelancer looking to thrive in the evolving gig economy? Gain valuable insights and practical tips from our guide on 15 Tips to Help Gen Z Achieve Success in the Freelance Economy and take control of your freelance career.
You Get Bored Easily
When you’re working on projects, you need to be challenged. You need to be constantly learning and developing your skills, not only because it’s good for your career but also because it keeps you interested in the work itself.
If you find yourself bored with what you’re doing or if the work becomes routine, then it’s time to look for something new. This might happen frequently if freelancing is not as scary as everyone makes it out to be!
You Can Be Disciplined (Kinda)
You can be disciplined, but you’re not going to be perfect.
You’ll want to be as disciplined as possible in your freelancing career.
Being a freelancer requires discipline because if you don’t have any, then your business will collapse on itself and won’t work at all. That being said, we all have bad days (or even bad weeks).
Sometimes it can feel like the world has been conspiring against you, and there isn’t much that can lift your spirits other than watching some Netflix or reading a book both of which should probably wait until after you complete some tasks for your clients!
You need to learn how to say no when necessary without feeling guilty about it (and without letting yourself off the hook entirely).
Your clients deserve a good service from their freelancer just as much as they deserve a good product; therefore, if something is preventing either one of these things from happening then there is absolutely no reason why someone should keep doing it even if that person happens to be yourself!
You Don’t Like Routine Or Structure
You may be the type of person who likes to work when the mood strikes you, and you might be more driven by your internal clock rather than someone else’s schedule. If this sounds like you, freelancing can be a great fit!
You’ll have the flexibility to work whenever and wherever you want be it at home in your pajamas or from a coffee shop on your laptop as you sip on an iced latte.
Freelancing is perfect for people who like being creative and working independently of others or anyone who just wants some extra cash!
Navigating the challenges of freelancing can be overwhelming, but understanding the common difficulties is key to overcoming them. Learn more in our article on Why Freelancing Is Surprisingly Difficult and How to Deal with It, and discover effective strategies to thrive in the freelance world.
You Have A Clear Sense Of Self-Worth
You know your worth and are confident in your skills. You know what you want, what you are willing to do, and what you are not willing to do. You also know what is worth it for you to work for someone else’s vision or yours.
This can be challenging at first because many people have been conditioned to believe that they don’t deserve their ideas or have enough power over their lives, so freelancing seems like the only way out of a bad situation.
But once one realizes that there is no need for this kind of thinking nor does anyone benefit from it (especially oneself), then there will be no holding back any longer!
You Accept Failure As Part Of The Process
One of the most important parts of freelancing is learning how to accept failure. When you’re working for yourself, you don’t have anyone above you to catch your mistakes or correct your errors.
You can only improve by growing from what didn’t work and trying again in a different way.
Give Permit yourself to fail. The first step in accepting failure is permitting yourself to make mistakes, miss deadlines and otherwise fall short of perfection every once in a while letting it stop you from doing more work or making more attempts at success later on.
* Understand that failing doesn’t ruin everything. Failing doesn’t mean that everything else was wasted time and effort; it just means that there’s something else worth trying next time around.*
Learn from failure instead of dwelling on it too long when it happens but don’t get stuck in a cycle where each successive failure makes it harder for you to learn anything useful about what went wrong.*
Remember: no one gets things right 100% of the time (or even 50%!). Don’t feel bad if things don’t go according to plan it happens!
You Will Learn On The Job
You will learn on the job. This is a phrase that anyone who has ever worked in a traditional office setting has heard, but freelancers hear it even more often.
It’s not that freelancers are dumb or untrained; we just have to figure things out as we go. If you’re working with clients, they might have needs that are different from what your experience taught you to expect.
If you’re working in an industry that isn’t familiar to you (like if my day job before I started freelancing was at a museum)
Then there are likely plenty of little things about how businesses operate that won’t be immediately obvious until someone points them out to you (like how much work goes into making sure everything looks good online).
The best way for new freelancers to learn? By doing this by getting real-life experience and figure things out as they go along!
While freelancing can be demanding, it’s important to differentiate between the genuine challenges and the misconceptions. Gain insights from our article on Freelancing Is Hard, but Not for These Reasons and discover a more realistic perspective on the freelance journey.
You Do Not Need To Be Validated At Every Turn
There is a great deal of pressure to be validated at every turn. Some will tell you that your ideas are stupid and your work is not good enough.
They may even tell you that they cannot see any value in what it is that you do or have done.
This can be incredibly discouraging, but if these people exist in our lives, they don’t matter much because they aren’t helping us get closer to our goals anyway.
The only person whose validation matters is yours. You know what it takes for your business to succeed, so trust yourself and go for it!
Freelance Work Is Possible For Everyone!
So, you have the skills and personality to be a great freelancer. You can do it! But what about the other side of it? Can you laugh money to live on?
Yes! You can earn more than enough money in your field by being an independent worker.
The reason why most people don’t is that they let their minds get in the way before they start.
They worry about how much money they will earn or whether anyone will want their services, but these worries are pointless if you have the right mindset and attitude towards freelance work.
Ready to embark on an exciting freelance career? Explore the possibilities and benefits of freelancing in our comprehensive article on Freelancing Can Be the Career for You – Here’s Why. Unleash your potential and discover the freedom of being your own boss.
Conclusion
If any of this sounds like you, then freelancing might just be the path for you. Don’t get us wrong freelancing is hard work with long days and an ever-evolving landscape, but that’s also what makes it so fulfilling! You are in control, and you get to make all the calls.
As long as you can say yes to most of the above points, we don’t see any reason why freelance work shouldn’t be on your list of possibilities. If you’re ready to take the leap, check out our article on becoming a freelancer to learn more about how to get started!
Further Reading
Here are some additional articles that provide further insights and perspectives on freelancing:
Why Freelancing Is Not What Everyone Makes It Out to Be: Gain a fresh perspective on freelancing and explore the realities behind the common misconceptions.
Freelancing Isn’t for Everyone: Discover why freelancing may not be the ideal career choice for everyone and gain a deeper understanding of its challenges.
Reasons to Go Freelance: Explore the benefits and considerations of pursuing a freelance career from the perspective of professionals in various industries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Freelancing?
Freelancing is where you work for multiple companies at once, being paid by each of them for the work that you do. You are your boss, but it can be difficult to juggle multiple projects and clients.
Why Should I Try To Become A Freelancer?
If you’re not happy in your current job, or if you just feel like something is missing from your life, freelancing may be a good option for you.
You can make more money than you would at another company, and have more flexibility with your schedule.
How Much Money Can I Make As A Freelancer?
It depends on what kind of work you do and what kind of clients you have.
Some people will only earn enough money to cover their expenses for the month and others will be able to live comfortably by working part-time or full-time as a freelancer!
I Don’t Have Any Experience Or A Portfolio. How Can I Get Started Freelancing?
Freelancing is a great way to build your portfolio, especially if you’re just starting. There are lots of different ways to find gigs that don’t require much experience, such as working as a virtual assistant or doing some freelance writing for smaller publications.
I’m Worried About Getting Paid. What If Clients Don’t Pay Me?
As long as you have an agreement in place before you start working on anything with a client, they’re legally bound to pay you whatever amount they agreed upon.
As long as you have contracts in place and make sure your rates are fair, this shouldn’t be too big of a concern!
What If I Don’t Have Any Experience?
Don’t worry! You can start small and build up your knowledge by working on smaller projects and learning from other freelancers who have more experience than you do.
You can also find mentors who can help you learn the skills needed to succeed as a freelancer.
How Do I Find Clients?
There are many ways to find clients:
Networking events, job boards like Upwork or PeoplePerHour, social media groups focused on freelance work, and referrals from friends or family members who have worked as freelancers before (but make sure they’re not going after the same type of client as well).
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.