Wednesday 16 September 2015

TWO MONTHS AS A FREELANCER | 5 THINGS


Hello hello hello! It's been three weeks - such a long time since I last blogged. I've had so much on my plate - working on the projects that I mentioned in my last post, travelling, making sure my home is taken care of and trying to have a social life in between.

As you already know, I quit my 8-5 job 2 months ago and took a sabbatical. Looking back from where I am now, that was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It seemed like that short career break was vital looking at all the good that came out of it. My little business was birthed. My vision has never been clearer and chasing my dream full-time has brought an explosion of energy I've never had before.

Coming from an 8-5 job, having an independent job is a luxury in so many ways: working from the comfort of home, managing my own time, working at my own pace, chasing my own dream etcetera. I have been enjoying every moment of it. But behind that ideal facade lies a handful of responsibilities, challenges and a couple of matters I have learnt about freelancing.

Discipline
Having a free lance job has given me the freedom to work anywhere and at any time that is convenient and effective. I've been dreaming of this. As much as I thank God for giving me the opportunity to work my dream job, the struggle with working from home is real. There can be so many distractions that require a great amount of discipline to get work done. I find designating an area at home away from common distractions for work extremely helpful in keeping me focused. Also, setting daily goals and following a schedule helps to curb procrastination. 

Focus
This job proved to me that anything can happen. This world has so much to offer. Dreaming and striving to make things happen was so overwhelming in the beginning. Looking at all the amazing things people do and being so successful at it put a lot of pressure on me. I wanted to do everything and I burnt out. I took a step back and defined my own success, refocused on my dreams and realised that I must not ever try to fill my bowl with everything.

Keep on learning
It is just impossible to ever stop learning. Posturing myself to learn, being eager to grow, and having the right attitude about criticisms make learning so exciting and enriching. I have been learning about publishing books over the past two months. Though it has been challenging and some times I want to pluck my brains out, it has been worth it. Can't wait to show you what I've been working on!

Create opportunities
Having a business made me a lot more observant to the things around me. Even the little things. Anything can be turned into an opportunity as long as we keep our souls curious and be willing to push boundaries. As long as we crave for things beyond the ordinary.

Know how much is enough
Last but not the least for sure - know how much is enough. Content is the only thing that separates strive from greed. It is the one thing that secures joy. Know when to strive. Know when to switch it all off and call it a day. Know when to say yes. Know when to say no. Know when to take. Know when to let go.

What an exciting journey it has been! I hope this post will be helpful to some fresh freelancers out there. Have a beautiful day x

2 comments:

  1. Love, Love, Love this post<3

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  2. I think that I can definitely relate to this post, even though I'm not a freelancer. I do a lot of my office work at home and discipline is really important when it comes to getting things done. This was a great read!


    Paula
    Thirteen Thoughts

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