Life as an Independent Freelancer

While I was in a full time job, the thought of working from home crossed my mind several times. There were a lot of factors that propelled that feeling; erratic working hours fetching the top position here. But it seemed like wishful thinking then owing to the lack of experience, knowledge, resources, and awareness.

Though I never seriously contemplated working from home as an option, I happened to take it up purely due to the circumstances. I was fed up with the weekly routine of pressing that alarm clock at 7am, 6am or even earlier and dragging myself to office, spending 10-12 hours doing nothing creative, coming back home with no energy left to participate in family conversations, chatting or meeting up with friends, and then hibernating on weekends to regain the lost energy.

I kept thinking about it, long and hard, and then one fine day, I decided to take the plunge in form of a break from work. A sense of responsibility to prioritize continual growth and improvement motivated me to take this decision.

Unfortunately or fortunately for me, the job scenario across the globe was not very encouraging at that time. Recession had taken its toll and the companies instead of hiring resources were concentrating on realigning roles and responsibilities to bring down their manpower requirements. That is when I started exploring opportunities in the field of freelancing.

Availability of latest technology gadgets, high speed internet access, knowledge and awareness, globalization, and flexibility in the professional approach of both employers and employees today has significantly changed. All this has given people the opportunity to work from the convenience of their home. Trust, mutual understanding, and socially responsible behavior has made it very simple for people from diverse backgrounds and cultures to work cordially for one other.

Working as an independent freelancer is difficult but at the same time challenging enough to help you grow personally as well as professionally. One needs to be hugely organized. You need to be very clear while prioritizing your time, finances and other physical resources in relation to your work commitments.

One also has to keep in mind the fact that after the work schedule has become flexible and is not restricted to a 9am-5pm setting, family’s expectations change as well. Your family members demand a little more of your time. They expect your participation in events that are pre-planned. Unanticipated episodes require your obvious attention and involvement, so on and so forth.

It is therefore necessary to prepare yourself physically, mentally and emotionally too to deal with situations that you may have never stumbled upon earlier or may have never expected to take place.

Just take one step at a time, follow a structured approach, and let this transition take place in convenient but effective phases from a current state to a desired future state. I am on my way too...see you there!