Whilst I’m very proud of myself for this achievement, you’re only as good as your next sale in this business. In order to maintain this level I need to continue hustling, find a way to scale my business, or both.
I’ve learned a lot since setting out on this crazy freelancing journey a year and a half ago – more than I can probably wrap up in a single post – so here are my top five lessons learned from leaving work behind to freelancing full-time.
1. You Have to Have a Strong ‘Why’
When I talk to brand new freelancers, I try to express the importance of having a strong “why” behind what you’re doing. For me, my “why” has always been my family; those three important mouths I have to feed.
Being a webpreneur is tough and not for the faint of heart. I want not only to be successful, but be inspired and most importantly of all, to be happy and motivated by my chosen career for myself and my family.
If you don’t have a strong reason why you’re doing what you’re doing, it’s too easy to quit when the going gets tough. And the going will get tough sometimes.
What’s your why?
2. Action and Perseverance are the Keys to Success
Taking action and persevering through challenges are what has most helped me to grow my business, and it all starts with that single first step.
Don’t let analysis paralysis get the best of you. Don’t read every article and newsletter that arrives in your inbox without taking action; instead, draw a line in the sand, realize when the time to read and think about what you want to do is enough, and when it is time to start acting.
Scared of failing? Join the club. Do it anyway.
Not confident you know what you’re doing? The best way to learn is to do. Ask yourself what’s the worst that can happen and move forward anyway.
I was recently talking to a coaching client of mine who said she wasn’t sure if she was more fearful of pitching for a writing job and being rejected, or actually getting it. She decided on the latter.
This isn’t unusual, but don’t let it keep you from trying. I told her the worst that could happen is the client wouldn’t like her article. They would either ask for rewrites or not hire her again.
It might sting a little, but it’s not that bad. You won’t be the perfect fit for every client, nor will they be for you. Do it anyway.
3. The Sky Really Is the Limit
Back when I started, making a couple thousand dollars per month seemed like a big stretch – let alone $5,000 or $10,000 – but I made every one of those benchmarks.
Now I have my sights on a much bigger goal: I’d like to gross $250,000 in 2016. That seems a huge goal to me, and maybe I won’t make it, but I’m going to try otherwise it’s certain I’ll fail.
Where is your current limit? What seems crazy or a stretch for you right now? It’s probably not as far away as you think.
Set big goals, break them down into acheivable smaller targets and get to work. Even if you don’t hit every one, you’ll be much closer than if you didn’t set your sights high in the first place.
4. It’s Easy to Become a Workaholic
Success doesn’t come without its challenges, and working too much can be one of them.
When you like your career and have a lot on the line like I do, it’s easy to work too much and never stop thinking about your business. It can be hard to separate work from home life, especially when you work from home as well.
You can’t work all of the time and not burnout though. You will be far more productive if you give your body and mind regular breaks and focus on work during predetermined and specific times.
5. A Flexible Schedule Is Great (Until It Isn’t)
Another challenge for me has been figuring out when to work while traveling a lot this summer. Having a flexible schedule has been great for trying to take vacations.
My husband is a stay-at-home dad, so the only real schedule we have to work around right now is mine. Part of the reason I decided to pursue freelancing is that I can work from anywhere. In theory, this is completely true, but in practice there are complications.
I’ve found myself working from hotel lobbies, numerous coffee shops, a hodunk bar and even from my car. Sometimes you have to take a decent internet connection when you can get it!
I also have to try to cram a lot of work into a small amount of time in order to take a little time off. I usually end up working extra long hours the next week to try and catch up or having to sacrifice some of my business growth goals for the month.
Like anything, it’s all about establishing some kind of balance. Figure out what your priorities are and cut out anything that isn’t really important or urgent.
Give yourself grace until you get it figured out. Realize that it’s not all going to go according to plan, even if you’ve spent a bunch of time planning it out ahead of time.
In Conclusion
Leaving work behind is still one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m so much happier building my own web-based business than I was building someone else’s.
Having a strong ‘why’, taking action and persevering are all things that have helped me succeed long-term. The sky really is the limit when it comes to growth and your income potential is unlimited when working for yourself. But freelancing also comes with its own set of challenges. It’s easy to become a bit of a workaholic, and while having a flexible schedule is great, it can be hard to find a balance between and working and actually ‘living’.
I’d still do it all over again though!
Photo Credit: Julia Caesar via Unsplash