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Do you find self-employment fulfilling?
For most people, including freelancers, their work isn’t just about making money. It is a way for them to flourish and achieve a higher goal in life.
But to be fulfilled as a freelancer, you need to do a few things:
- First of all, you must be happy with your own working conditions. This way, you tell yourself that you take charge of the way you work and that you don’t take others’ word for it.
- Second, you must continue to grow professionally; This way you will see that your career is progressing, even if there is no change in your job title.
- Third, you must ensure that your private life and living conditions are consistent with what you do. Otherwise, your life situation could hinder your sense of fulfillment.
- Finally, you must use all the advantages offered by this working model.
So today, using this framework as a starting point, I’m going to break down a few ways I think you can feel more fulfilled as a freelancer.
Create your own workspace
In theory, you could be working somewhere on a beach in Cancun or sitting on your living room couch in nothing but your underwear. However, while this seems amazing, the truth is that it is far from ideal.
You see, there is a reason why offices insist on certain provisions and rules. No, it’s not just for reasons of decency and formality.
The truth is, you need your own workspace. You need to replicate an office setup so that you can enjoy all the benefits of an office space without experiencing the downsides.
How to create your own space
To create a space that truly suits you, start by designating the right spot. Ideally, this would be a room facing the courtyard and not the street so that traffic doesn’t bother you too much. Secondly, it would ideally be in an area away from the house so that noise from common rooms and footsteps outside doors do not bother you.
This, of course, is provided that you have the privilege of choosing a room. Otherwise, you only use the available space. Just keep in mind that dual-use rooms (bedroom-office) are not ideal for people who want to take home business deductions.
In the next section, we’ll discuss the equipment you might want to invest in; however, you want to design the place so that it is optimal for work. Adding a few motivational posters, plants, air fresheners, etc. might also help.
Invest in yourself
As a self-employed person, the cost of your personal development and the acquisition of equipment will be your responsibility. So, to feel like you’re working to the best of your abilities, you need to establish a self-improvement budget.
You should use it for online courses and learning materials. Of course, you can find everything online for free, but online courses are worth it. Just set a budget and make sure you still attend an online class or plan to start attending one.
As for equipment, the truth is that your equipment directly affects your productivity. For example, everyone knows that a second monitor increases your productivity by 46%. A third improves this further (but not to as great an extent).
Getting a reliable mechanical keyboard is definitely worth it for those who type a lot. The tactile feel will make you enjoy your work more, and the keyboard mechanics will even increase your typing speed.
Noise-canceling headphones are the most important part of the equation. They are there to isolate you from the rest of the noise in your home. Just because you’re not in the office doesn’t mean everything is calm.
Besides computer peripherals, you may also want to invest a little in ergonomic furniture. If you spend an entire day sitting in your chair, it is essential that the chair is good for your posture.
The height of the desk must be adequate; in fact, it would be ideal if it was adjustable. This way you can adapt it to your posture, the angle at which you look at the monitor and the position of your elbows.
An adjustable desk can even be transformed into a standing desk that studies have shown can be really beneficial for some people.
Learn how to market yourself correctly
Ultimately, as a freelancer, your opportunities within a single company will be somewhat limited. This is why it is so important that you explore your other opportunities. Generally speaking, as a freelancer, you don’t work as much on your rank within a company. What you’re really doing is trying to increase your rate by increasing your CV and the number of your recommendations on freelance platforms.
So you need to start by working on your LinkedIn profile. This is the first platform that everyone will want to check out before hiring you. Make sure your profile is sharp and you keep your CV up to date.
The next thing you need to do is keep shopping. No one will call you just to tell you that rates have gone up and it’s time for you to ask for a raise. Instead, you should always look for new opportunities, even if you don’t intend to change jobs or find a new form of employment.
Keep your profiles active on multiple platforms, schedule interviews just to stay in shape, and don’t be afraid to change jobs when something really compelling comes along. This field is more dynamic than you think, so don’t be afraid to fully commit to it.
One of the most important things is to specialize. Of course, a best B2B marketing company may look for freelancers when they receive a huge short-term project, but even then they look for people who have experience doing this type of work. As a specialist, you reduce the number of tasks you can get but you increase your rates and make yourself more marketable. Most would agree that this is a fair compromise.
Talk to your friends, roommates and family
Being a freelancer is sometimes quite difficult to explain. Just think about the idea of telling someone that the busiest, hardest-working person you know is someone who almost never leaves their room. Just a few years ago this would have seemed like an oxymoron, but it may be true. Not only that, but it probably is.
Yet for people who don’t work this way, it’s quite difficult to understand some of these things.
First, you need to talk to your roommates and family members (who you live with). Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you’re free or available. There are many ways to communicate this, and you need to be a little more tactful to avoid being seen as combative or condescending.
Additionally, because you work long or irregular hours, it is likely that you will have to work even when other residents are off work. The fact is that while it’s okay to ask them to keep quiet, you can’t keep them hostage in their own home. It’s not their fault that you work all day instead of working hours like them.
So noise-canceling headphones and aligning your work hours with theirs might still be a good thing.
For older family members, the concept of full-time, remote self-employment can be a little more difficult to explain. Not the concept, mind you, but the fact that it’s something you view as a permanent solution. Still, don’t underestimate people’s ability to understand, especially those who care about you.
Enjoy some of the benefits
The idea that you simply don’t have to leave your home is compelling, but it shouldn’t be the only reason you choose a life as a freelancer and remote worker. Namely, the whole point of working in this field is the level of freedom you get, but what good is freedom if you don’t use it?
First of all, you can design your home the way you want. We have already talked about it, but in addition to this obligatory equipment, you can choose the decoration, the layout and even the general atmosphere of the place. Nothing stops you.
Second, you can choose your own working hours. We’ve talked before about living with other people and how difficult it is to work from home in these situations. Well, some people live alone, have roommates who are never home, or have a completely isolated home office. This means no one bothers them and they don’t bother anyone even if they work at 3am.
Of course, there are some remote jobs where you have set working hours. This is usually the case in jobs that include customer support and the like. Sometimes, however, you just need to clock in a set number of hours in employee monitoring software. In other cases, you have deadlines to meet and no one to check if you’ve clocked in. In these scenarios, you have the freedom to do whatever you want.
Finally, you have all the freedom to lead a digital nomad life. Travel the world and work from a different location every month. It’s a dynamic, intensive and expensive lifestyle, but with the right attitude, management and motivation, you can achieve it. Remember, you still need to bring in money.
Conclude
Ultimately, this is a great opportunity and a chance for you to define the terms of your work. You can choose where you work, when you work and how much you work. At the same time, there is virtually no cap on the amount of profit you could make. With experience, your rates will only increase. In other words, you have all the necessary conditions to carry out this work. Seize this incredible opportunity!
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