Freelancing can give you a great amount of freedom as to how you work, but with it comes great responsibility and stress. I’ve already written about some of the productivity tools that can keep you going, now I’m going to share some more enjoyable aspects of freelance work.
More (or less) free time
When you’re working for yourself, work ebbs and flows and it’s difficult to tell when you’re going to have everyone screaming for you at once. In the down time, you’re free to pursue personal projects.
It’s almost an embarrassing testament to how much money I’m making of late to note a number of personal projects I’ve been working on. I’ve recently finished my blog, my personal homepage, and even made a start on my new business site.
Flexible business hours rocks
I’m a major proponent of standard business hours, but of late I’ve been taking a late lunch break from work to get some exercise. I’ve decided to start cycling more regularly, and with flexible hours during the day this is a great way to stay fit and motivated.
My office phone automatically forwards to my mobile so I can take calls on the go, and email while important, will be there when I get back.
When an emergency strikes I’m at most half an hour away, and I find getting my exercise in the afternoon before the peak hour rush is a lot more enjoyable and motivating than battling traffic.
It’s common knowledge that diet and exercise are major contributors to mood and stress, and it’s especially important to stay focused when your success depends on yourself alone.
Every day is a new day
While brand management and public perception is an ongoing thing, every day (or every week at least) is essentially a new day to freelance in.
Every day brings a new contact, a new prospective client, a new discovery. There’s no such thing (or shouldn’t be such thing) as cublicle work when you’re contracting your services out.
The ebb and flow can be a stressful, taxing, and sometimes thoroughly depressing experience, but it’s not like that all the time. I just thought I’d write this to remind myself next time I’m feeling down and out in the freelancing game why things will always get better.