Can you believe I’ve been freelancing for EIGHT months straight? It’s wild to me that something that was meant to keep my skills sharp while I find my next role, has kinda turned into a career of its own.
So, in celebration, here are 8 lessons I’ve learnt in the last 8 months:
I should have been nicer to my Math teachers
I was an absolute nightmare in Math class. It never made sense to me- and things only got worse when they added the alphabet in high school. No, I don’t want to solve that equation. I used to tell anyone who’d listen that I was going to be a journalist and didn’t need Math.
Now look at me, trying to calculate long-term budgets and runway like I’m running a fintech startup (which incidentally was my last formal job).
Time is a social construct
This was my teenage excuse for staying out too late. Now? It’s a core business value.
Some weeks I work 10 hours. Other weeks I’m glued to my laptop/tablet/pen-and-paper doing research.
(It’s called “balance.”)
Some days i feel like i can actually do this! oTHER DAYS i WANT TO WORK AT STARBUCKS…OR MCDONALDS
Let’s blame this on nostalgia- both brands were vital to me when I worked in an office.
Also… I really want to learn how to use a commercial coffee machine.
resting is a valuable part of working
You cannot run yourself ragged especially if your business depends on YOU! Burnout is no one’s friend. No matter how often it tries to pop in uninvited.
i do not have everything figured out
There is ALOT of learning on the go when you freelance. You may not know everything but you will learn. The important thing is to keep showing up and be willing to learn.
working in pj’s is great…until it isn’t
At some point you start to feel ick and miss dressing up. Feel free to dress up to fetch your deliveries or even just to sit at your laptop. There are no rules.
every invoice paid brings me joy
I’m not sure if this is just me but I get really excited every time an invoice is paid. I think this stems from my background in corporate where freelancers would usually yell at me because their invoices were unpaid (I mean I get that they were unhappy about late payments and as a freelancer, I got it but as a former Customer Care consultant, I never understood why people got so mean when things never went their way).
“Let’s hop on a quick call” is never actually quick
Block out atleast an hour and ensure you have snacks and water.
What are some freelance lessons you’ve learnt along the way? I’d love to know below!