Working as a freelancer for the past six years has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’ve learned so much about myself, and I have grown in ways I couldn’t possibly have imagined.
Here are lessons from my journey that might help you as you explore your opportunities.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Empowerment: Freelancing can empower individuals to take control of their careers, allowing them to shape their work according to their preferences and passions. |
| 2. Flexibility: Embracing a freelancing career offers the freedom to choose working hours, locations, and projects, providing a better work-life balance. |
| 3. Personal Growth: Freelancing challenges individuals to develop new skills, enhance existing ones, and adapt to various client demands, fostering continuous personal and professional growth. |
| 4. Financial Rewards: While freelancing may come with uncertainties, successful freelancers can potentially earn higher income through diversified projects and client relationships. |
| 5. Life Transformation: The decision to become a freelancer can lead to a transformative journey, unlocking new opportunities, experiences, and a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment. |
Accepted An Opportunity
It can be intimidating to say yes to an opportunity, especially when you don’t know what it will look like. I would always tell my friends that if they were offered something that sounded interesting, they should take it and figure out the details later.
The only way to grow is through trying new things, but sometimes we become so comfortable in our routine that we don’t even realize how much more we could be doing with our lives if we just took a chance on something new.
I used to be afraid of accepting opportunities because I thought they would make me anxious or stressed out but this isn’t true at all.
Accepting an opportunity allows us the chance to grow as people, which keeps us feeling young and vibrant even when entering middle age (something I struggled with for years).
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Designed My Life
Designing your life is about making choices to live the way you want to live it. It’s not an easy thing to do because of all the things that get in the way of designing our destiny our parents, our lack of money or education, etc.. But with proper planning and execution, we can design our lives so that they will work for us and not against us!
To me, this means living each day to its fullest potential because I am thankful for being alive! And if I were to die tomorrow (which could happen), at least my last few days on Earth would be memorable ones where I lived each moment just as how I wanted them to.
This mindset has helped me tremendously in my journey towards becoming financially independent from working full-time jobs at offices every single day with no freedom whatsoever.
Created A Schedule For Healthy Living
If you want to be more productive and successful, then you must take care of your body. You have to make time for exercise, sleep, and meditation (or whatever else helps you unwind).
This is probably the most difficult thing on this list if you’re a freelancer because my work can come at any time during the day. It’s not like I’m sitting at an office from 9-5 with regular breaks scheduled in between. So here’s what worked for me:
- We have a gym membership where I live so that means there are always machines available when I need them
- We meditate every morning as part of our routine before heading out into the world (and sometimes during lunch too)
- We eat healthy foods prepared by ourselves or brought home from the grocery store instead of ordering delivery all the time!
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Set Priorities
I used to feel bad about not being able to do everything on my to-do list, but then I realized that if I wanted to, I could just make more money and hire someone else who could do the things I didn’t want to do. But that’s not the point!
The point is that being able to prioritize your work by importance, urgency and time gives you so much flexibility in how you spend your day.
You can wake up and decide what’s important right now: maybe it’s sending out invoices or getting a new client on board; maybe it’s writing an article or building a prototype; maybe it’s answering emails or talking with clients over Skype. Whatever it is you’re not just doing one thing until bedtime because there isn’t enough time in a day (or money).
Started Freelancing
Do you want to make money from home, but don’t have the right skill set to get hired as a full-time employee? Don’t worry! You can still work on your terms and schedule by freelancing.
Freelance work is a great way to get started in making money online because it’s much more flexible than other ways of making money online. You’re not going to be beholden to anyone else’s rules, so you can make up your schedule based on what works for you.
It also means that when something comes up in real life (like having children or taking care of an elderly parent), there won’t be any guilt about taking time off from freelance projects if needed!
You might be wondering: What kind of things do people freelance? Well, anything from writing articles for websites like ours all the way down to creating videos on YouTube or even designing logos for small businesses looking for a fresh look.
If there’s something out there that needs doing, chances are someone out there will pay someone else (you!) good money if they do it instead!
Freed Up Time
One of the most important things I’ve learned since I started freelancing is how to say no. The most common excuse for not doing something is “I don’t have time.” That’s simply never true because if we made time for it, we would make time.
Time management is one of the best skills you can have as a freelancer it’s also a skill that requires continual practice.
Determine which activities are important and which activities aren’t worth your time (or energy). It’s all about setting boundaries and creating routines so that you don’t overextend yourself or end up working nonstop with no breaks in between jobs.
The trick is learning how to prioritize what needs to be done now versus what can wait until later this week/month/year…and then sticking with that decision!
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Discovered A New Community
I’ve discovered a new community. When I started freelancing, I was very surprised by the people who were willing to help me. As I was learning the ropes of being self-employed, many of them became my mentors and supported me when needed.
This is also true for friends who also decided to become freelancers at some point or another. It was through a friend that I found out about Elance!
Learned To Be Vulnerable
This was probably the hardest thing I had to do. Before my freelancing career, I was a very shy person. I barely shared anything about myself with others and spent most of my time in my bubble. But freelancing forced me to be vulnerable and open with others.
I learned that being vulnerable is a sign of strength and confidence when done the right way! As a freelancer, you have to be able to receive feedback from your clients for them to feel comfortable working with you.
And sometimes it’s not easy at first. That’s why we must learn how to deal with criticism in a healthy way so as not to let it affect us negatively or make us feel bad about ourselves (which would result in poor quality work).
When working on projects alone all day long can get lonely sometimes; however, having other people around makes things more interesting! If anything goes wrong during work hours then someone else will always be there who understands your problem better than anyone else because they’ve been through similar situations before too.”
Started Taking Ownership Of Habits And Routines
The final step I took to change my life was to take ownership of my habits and routines. Taking control of your health, finances, and career is a great way to make a change in your life but sometimes you need to start small and look at the things that affect you every day.
When it comes down to it, there is only one person who can be responsible for changing the way they live their life: YOU! Our lives are not made up solely of what happens outside of us but instead by the decisions we make day-to-day based on those external forces.
If something is bothering you about yourself (such as a lack of motivation or willpower), then it’s up to you alone as an individual entity who has this potential within themselves
Redefined My Role In The Workplace
When you take on freelance projects, you are providing your services as an independent contractor. As the client, you are in charge of defining your role and managing the relationship with them.
Freelancing gives you flexibility in choosing when to work and how much time you want to spend on each project. This also allows me to pick up extra shifts/work when I need extra cash for something important like going on holiday or buying new toys for my kids.
Freelance work allows me to think outside the box more often than working for someone else does because no one person is telling me what to do all day long (unless it’s in my best interest).
Learned To Trust Me More Than Anyone Else
When you’re freelancing, it’s all about trusting yourself. You have to be confident in the decisions that you make and trust your instincts. This can be a hard thing for some people who are used to having someone else tell them what to do or where to go and what choices to make. But when you’re freelancing, it’s all on you.
So if something seems off or even if an opportunity looks like it might not be as good as another one, don’t let anyone talk down your decision-making abilities because they aren’t there with you doing the work every day.
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Found A New Motivation
Motivation is the driving force behind any action. It is what gives you the energy and desire to do anything great in your life. Motivation is a combination of many different factors that include:
- The reason why you want to achieve something (your dream)
- Your passion for whatever it is that you are doing
- Your self-esteem and confidence level
To have a successful life, motivation should be your main priority because without it there won’t be any actions taken or even any thoughts about achieving something big in life.
Discovered New Skills I Didn’t Know I Had
Once you open yourself up to freelance, you’ll discover new skills that you didn’t know were in there. I’ve always been very confident but felt like I needed to be “more experienced” before starting my own business. The truth is, anybody can do it as long as they have confidence and the willingness to learn something new.
You’ll learn how to trust your instincts and make decisions quickly on your own. For me to succeed at freelancing, I needed to be able to think independently to trust my gut instinct when making decisions about money and time management.
For me not to waste time on dead ends or mistakes that could cost me money (or both), I had no choice but to learn how and when it made sense for me to do things on my terms rather than someone else’s.
Felt Satisfaction With My Daily Progress And My Accomplishments As A Whole
I started reflecting on my accomplishments and achievements. I looked back to see what I have done and how much I have grown as a person. I took the time to appreciate my accomplishments, big or small.
I learned it’s important to celebrate your wins, no matter how small they are. Celebrate the small wins. You can also take time to appreciate all the other things that you have accomplished in your life through freelancing so far, for example, teaching yourself a new skill or saving money for something special.
Developed Confidence In Pursuing A Vision Of Success Beyond That Of The Working Class
Confidence is a byproduct of success. Confidence is a skill that you can learn, but only if you believe you can do so. Confidence isn’t the same as arrogance or ego.
Confidence means believing you can do something other people say are impossible or improbable because they haven’t tried yet. I believe my confidence comes from knowing what my vision is and believing that I am capable of achieving it, so much so that nothing will stop me from reaching my goals.
It’s like having a superpower; once you have it, nothing can stop you!
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Final Thoughts
So there you have it, the things I’ve learned about freelancing. There’s so much more to say about this topic but I think that’s enough for now. I was a little hesitant about writing this post as some may not want to hear what is being said here.
But then again, most people don’t want to hear anything because they are too busy being successful on their terms! It’s all up to the personal preference of course, but I hope these tips were helpful!
Further Reading
How Freelancing Changed My Life: A personal account of how freelancing transformed one writer’s life, showcasing the positive impact of pursuing a freelancing career.
How My Life Changed Since I Became a Full-Time Freelancer: An insightful blog post detailing the transformative journey of a freelancer after transitioning to full-time freelancing.
People Also Ask
What Is Freelancing?
Freelancing is a term used to describe working as a self-employed person or contractor. You may be asked to work on an ongoing basis, or you may be hired for a one-off job.
Freelance jobs can include anything from writing or graphic design to website development and web design, programming, or marketing.
What Are The Benefits Of Freelance Work?
Working as a freelancer means that you have total control over your schedule, which means you can choose when and how much work you do. You can also choose to work as much or as little as you want on any given day. You also don’t have to worry about office politics, which often results in less stress and more productivity at work!
How Did You Get Started Freelancing?
I was working at a company that was laying off staff, and I decided to take the opportunity to make a change in my life. I started looking for freelance work online and found many websites that offer jobs like editing and transcription. I applied for a few of them, and one of them called me back.
They asked me to do some work for them, so I did it and they liked it and then they offered me more work.
What Are Some Things That Helped You Succeed As A Freelancer?
The most important thing is picking the right client. You don’t want to just take any job that comes along; instead, look for clients who will pay well and treat you with respect.
That way, even if you don’t always get paid on time (which happens sometimes), you’ll still feel good about working with them because they’re treating you well.
Another thing that helps is making sure your social media accounts are up-to-date and active with content posted regularly.
How Did You Overcome These Challenges?
The key thing is finding something that works for you and sticking with it until it becomes second nature.
If there’s something you’re struggling with right now related to this area of life (whether it’s managing time or something else), try making an effort every day towards solving this issue until one day when you wake up and realize that problem has been solved!
How Do I Know If This Is The Right Path For Me?
It’s hard to say because it’s different for everyone. But I can tell you that it’s a lot of work, and not everyone is cut out for it.
You have to be willing to hustle and keep yourself motivated when things get hard and they will get hard.
You have to be able to stay focused on your goals and keep yourself accountable even when no one else is looking over your shoulder or checking up on you.
But if you think freelancing is something that would make sense for you, then go for it! It’s an incredible opportunity that many people don’t even realize they have.
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.
