Being your own boss is never easy. It will inevitably take time for you to adjust—some people never do, forcing them to quit from an otherwise promising career. What if I told you that you don’t have to feel like a deer in the headlights in your first few days of working for yourself? Would you do thing differently? Would it affect your success mindset? Freelancing has its ups and downs, and nobody can best prepare you for it, except yourself. Here are some things you ought to know as you navigate the world of freelancing.
1. The temptations are much stronger.
Having a boss in a 9 to 5 job means that you constantly have to ask for approval or to stick to a schedule or to follow the rules. Without all these—and more—that long overdue promotion might never come to pass. Things are quite different when you’re working for yourself; you will be tempted to put off a few things you need to do for the day, without any immediate consequences. What you can do to prevent this from happening is to create a work schedule, and to stick to it no matter what. If you are unable to motivate yourself, getting a personal assistant isn’t such a bad idea, as he will be responsible for keeping you on track.
2. You will wear more hats than one.
Going into business or freelancing, you need to realize that you will wear several hats at once. You are not only the CEO; you are also the marketing executive, the customer support team, the operations head, and practically everything else all rolled into one. It’s a juggling act that sounds close to impossible, and the best way to be efficient is by finding out which roles you do best. Roles that you can do less efficiently can be outsourced to people who are good at them. Focus on your strengths, and build on them.
3. Learn to have fun.
The fun in having your own business or freelancing is that you can watch it grow from day one, and look back at the progress you have made. It can be quite a load to carry, and you will often find yourself stressing over it. You might not even have time for personal fun! When things come to worse, you might have to schedule your entertainment or fun time, and do nothing else but just have fun! Try not to think or worry about work over this period of time.