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Freelance Life – How It All Makes Sense Now

April 22, 2013 By Diana Marinova 18 Comments

Freelance Life - How It All Makes Sense Now
Photo by Michal Marcol | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I don’t know about you, but having a freelance life (is this even a proper term?) makes a huge difference for me. I have found my inner balance and I am happy with both my work and my personal life. But I believe freelance is what I have to thank for all of it. Here’s why.

I work less and earn more

If I had a dollar for every time I had to stay late in the office or work over the weekends or talk on the phone for hours with clients who don’t know what they want and it’s my fault they live unhappy lives – well, I would’ve been a millionaire! Employers in the US may pay overtime but from where I am – best case scenario, you get a smile and verbal “bravo, job well done!” type of reward. As a freelancer, I get paid for all the hours I work and if I have to work overtime – I know I have chosen to do so and will be paid accordingly. Recently, I even started taking up fixed price jobs where they pay me for the work I do and not for the time I spent working – which is even better money-wise πŸ˜‰

I travel and go on vacations more often and when I need to, I want to, or just have a really great offer I can’t resist

When I was working at an office with fixed working hours, I was always looking forward to the summer paid time off or for the weekend so I can have some fun with friends and family, away from work. Now, I can go to the seaside or to the mountains, at my home country or abroad, summer or winter. Everything, and I really mean EVERYTHING is a matter of planning – planning my time, planning my financial resources, planning my work and deadlines… I guess it’s a good thing my significant-other is also a freelancer so we can just go wherever and whenever and don’t need to ask for permission his employer either πŸ˜‰

I am independent

As an employee, I always had to think about the mood my boss is in; or how unhappy my colleagues are with the constant overtime work not being paid; or if I will have to do somebody else’s job because they have messed it up and there’s no one else to fix it. It’s just the opposite in my freelance life πŸ˜€ I don’t need to work with people who I dislike or don’t respect. I don’t need to get up early in the morning if I have had a late night out. If I go out to lunch with friends and don’t feel like working afterwards, I can easily go to the park, to the beach or to the mountain for a nice afternoon outdoors – just because I feel like it! The only thing I care about and take into account is the deadline I have agreed to keep. But again – it’s all about a matter of planning.

I am appreciated and people treat me respectfully and professionally every day

Being a freelancer, I don’t need to cope with angry people who take their own failures on me; I am not getting just a smile and verbal reward for a job well done; I am not abused by unhappy clients who are upset that it’s raining outside and they are stuck in the office instead of going to a picnic as planned. To the contrary! I am surrounded by positive people who look for and see opportunities for improvement and not reasons to be upset or unhappy. I get paid well and have repetitive clients. People appreciate my skills, experience, and work. They see me as a professional and partner. They see my strengths and the flaws… well, let’s say we work together toward overcoming them πŸ˜€

I don’t waste my time and I am motivated to grow – both professionally and personally

We have a saying here – “I pretend I’m working and they pretend they’re paying me” πŸ˜€ And this is often the case with employees on a regular job. In my freelance life, it’s a different story. I am motivated to develop and improve my skills; to be a better professional so I get better clients and better projects; to stay up to date with the fast changing market and world. As a freelancer I have plenty of time to read books, attend webinars, follow blogs and internet magazines, to specialize or even change my specialty if I see a new trend on the market.Β  I learn new things and improve every day and with every new project I take upon.

So, to summarize what the freelance life is for me

It is a lifestyle!

I can do whatever I want with my time.

I can choose with whom to work and on what projects.

I have relative financial security.

I feel free.

Your turn – how do you see the life of a freelancer?

P.S. Subscribe to my newsletterΒ to get my new posts about freelance and marketing in your mailbox, plus monthly freelance and marketing tips, plus your free copy of my ebook “How to Make Your Blog Posts SEO and Readers-friendly” πŸ˜‰

Filed Under: Freelance Tips

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Comments

  1. Edward Reid says

    April 22, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    Certainly there are benefits to living the freelance life. Sometimes we all run into roadblocks from time to time but the reward from completing a project or work as a freelancer feels much better than when working a regular job.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 22, 2013 at 12:44 pm

      Thanks for your comment, Edward! The reward from completing a project really does feel good. And better yet – if i have a long-term project and actually see how my advice and recommendations make a difference – that’s even better πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  2. Aleshia Clarke says

    April 22, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    It is very nice to have freedom to work for my own pleasure, instead of following orders! It takes plenty of self-discipline too πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:25 am

      Well, to be honest – if i could NOT work, i wouldn’t LOL – but we all need money, i guess πŸ˜€ But I hear ya, Aleshia, it does feel better to do for a living something you like rather than be a prisoner of an angry boss who doesn’t know the meaning of “thank you” – no matter how much self discipline it takes πŸ˜‰ Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. graceyb says

    April 22, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Well put and congratulations on finding balance in your life!!

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:26 am

      thanks for your comment and for the encouragement, Grace!

      Reply
  4. Jeri Walker-Bickett (@JeriWB) says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:44 pm

    I enjoy the freedom, and definitely have the discipline, but I was not prepared for how isolating it can be to work from home.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:28 am

      right, it really can be isolating. But look on the bright side – unless your hands are full with many kids at home (for that i don’t have a solution :D) you can always get more social contacts through hobbies – sign up for a new language course, some kind of team sport, or just find some other fellow freelancers to hang around with while others work in their offices πŸ˜› Thanks for stopping by, Jeri!

      Reply
  5. Jon Jefferson says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:53 pm

    There is quite a bit on this list that is so very fitting for me. Over the years I have grown tired of the stifling constraints of working for others. Having control of my own life is so much more to my liking.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:29 am

      “Having control of my own life” – i couldn’t have said it better! Thanks for your comment and wisdom, Jon πŸ˜€

      Reply
  6. Lorraine Marie Reguly says

    April 22, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    Finding balance in your life, whatever your life contains, is important. Good for you for finding yours!

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:30 am

      Thanks for your comment and encouragement, Lorraine! Finding balance in life is important many don’t ever!) – and for me, well – i found my inner balance only when i started freelancing so i guess i simply were not cut off to be a 9am-5pm-work-in-office type of person πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  7. Elizabeth Scott says

    April 23, 2013 at 12:50 am

    What a wonderful post. I too have enjoyed my time since I began working for myself. I can often balance my professional and personal life to be able to really enjoy both. I agree that in order to acheive happiness and success, you need to be motivated and keep moving forward. I understand how you say “I pretend I’m working and they pretend to pay me.” I do not watch the clock waiting until 5pm anymore.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:32 am

      Thanks for your comment, Elizabeth! I am always happy to see more people feel the way i do – it makes me smile. Thank you for making me smile! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  8. Adeshokan Shamsudeen says

    April 23, 2013 at 6:13 pm

    Having the freedom to do what ever you want as at when you want it, is great, and living the internet life style is one thing every online marketers dream of. Am happy you’ve find a yours, Diana, online.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:34 am

      I agree living the internet life style is a dream for every marketer but i would go a step further – i believe it is a dream of majority of people, they have just not yet found out how to achieve it! Thanks for your comment and encouragement, Adeshokan!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Spot Bad Clients as a Freelancer | Diana Marinova Freelance Marketing Blog says:
    April 29, 2013 at 8:38 am

    […] beauty of freelance life is that we don’t have to work on projects we don’t want and with people we don’t […]

    Reply
  2. Freelance Working Hours | Diana Marinova Freelance Marketing Blog says:
    May 20, 2013 at 8:44 am

    […] tell you anything. Or if you want to have a long weekend (remember, this is one of the perks of freelance life ), skip Friday and next week – work more every day to compensate your absence on Friday. […]

    Reply

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