I am one of many freelancers that love designing, coding and working without a boss. I'd like to share my story, in the hopes that it might shed some light over some of you who wish to work independently, but have a hard time pulling through. If you're not one of those people, then this might just be interesting to read :)
I always dreamt of becoming like one of "those people" that work remotely from home, whenever they want, however they want, and freely choose their own projects. I looked up to them, thought their life must be so interesting and flexible. Up to my 20s, I imagined being one, but never really did try to look for freelancer websites or ways to work at home and actually earn money from it. I was surrounded by the definitive idea that you first had to work for someone, a year or more, gain experience, learn from your bosses, learn discipline, and then maybe get to be on your own. I don't think that's necessarily true.
You don't need to learn from anyone to start working independently. You don't need to read motivational books or work somewhere before you get your first customer. You learn on the way.
My experience and discipline started as soon as I got my first customer. And the most challenging part of being a freelancer was FAILURE. Yes, I have failed big time in my first projects. But I had lots to learn from there - what I did wrong, what seemed good, what I should do better. I adapted and gained knowledge. I got to know myself and found out what I was capable of.
All this sounded unreal before trying it out on my own, especially because I've heard the opposite over and over again, from most of my friends and family. Here's a few points:
There will always be pluses and minuses in every decision you make, always sacrifice something for something better. I've been a freelancer since 2012, and even to this day, I am proud of not listening to most people around me, and listening to my insticts instead.
| Having a job | My translation |
|---|---|
| You'll learn how to work with people. | You might be in a situation where you're forced to work with people you don't like or don't fit, people that are lazy and leave all work on you. |
| You'll have a fixed 8 - 16 schedule, just like school. | Yep, that ugly alarm every, single, weekday morning is going to make your life very organized. Or you might end up working like a little robot, while thinking about that soft bed at home you miss so much. |
| You'll have a stable income. | Until you don't. People can get suddenly fired because the company is losing money, or you're simply told that "your services are no longer needed". |
| You'll have a fixed, organized schedule. | Say goodbye to all those morning where you could open your eyes without an alarm, tuckle a little longer in bed, dream a bit more about how good life is. Your time is now owned by your boss, and he tells you that's what it means to be an adult ;) |
| A job assures you a pension. | True. It saves a percentage of your monthly salary into a trust fund. But you can also save pension money all by yourself. |
| Freelancing is not enough to add to your CV. | Unless it helps you build a strong portfolio and gain experience working with customers. |
| You'll be like normal people. | Wasn't it enough that you had to wear the same uniforms in school, think the same way as all the other kids, learn the same things, do the same things, wake up at the same time? Don't you think it's time to prove what you're made of, instead of continuing to wake up at the same time as others, have the same desk, same chair, same coffee breaks, same unfulfilled dreams? |
You might be a student that recently graduated, or just a person that was never good in school and doesn't feel worthy of starting a business or working as a freelancer. In both cases, you know you want to think free, work freely, and you have all the will and dedication to make this come true. But you're afraid to start, so you're thinking of getting a job first. I was afraid everytime I was about to cross an important barrier of my life, but that was a good sign. It meant that I was about to accomplish something that was going to make me better, stronger, happier. Isn't that the whole point of living?
