What I’m Grateful in Year One as a Freelancer
I really had no idea if I would make it as a freelancer. There was a (big-ish) part of me that thought I’d have a job by now.
Until this point, I’ve bought into the idea that I had to be 100% focused on building a career. That, I kind of believed, was how I earned my stay here on this blue orb. But I also knew that if I was really intentional and made good use of my time, I could work less and make more.
When I got laid off this year, I got the push I needed to try.
I decided to try a new way of thinking about work: That the only real criteria for my activities was that they needed to produce some sort of livable income.
Besides that, I could basically do whatever I wanted.
So I started filling my time with everything I’d always wanted to do during the day: Buying gluten-free muffins fresh from a gluten-free bakery, going to the gym when there was no one else there, bringing a journal to the pho place and just doodling and eating noodles, going to the nursery in the middle of the day to look at (read as: buy several) plants. You know — just introvert things.
When I did the math, I figured out I’d need to put in about 4 hours of focused, quality work time every week day to make more than I made at my job. So every day, I scheduled time for those 4 or so hours, and then I filled the rest of my time with value-adding activities.
Like making sure every corner of our apartment has a plant in it.
Or, more realistically: Cooking healthy meals, exercising our handsome and crazy athletic German Shorthaired Pointer Wrigley (pictured below for your pleasure), taking care of errands, actively creating a fun life, and taking care of myself.
I’m having a good time, not that there aren’t drawbacks (there are several, as I’ll explain) — but generally, I feel happier and more in control than I ever have. I feel aligned with where I’m going and where I am and where I want to be.
Financially, I’m taking care of myself. I’m being more responsible with my money and respecting it more, so I’m actually saving more than I was before.
I’m also really enjoying the work that I’m doing. If you told me in college that, for a career, I would be writing content about how Lean is affecting the automotive industry, or why Thrive Market’s Thanksgiving email cadence is ultra user-centric, I would’ve told you that I don’t know what any of those words mean.
And yet, here we are.
So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, and to celebrate almost half a year of freelancing, here are the things I’m grateful for in my life as a freelancer.
Familiar Faces
When you go from working on a tight-knit team to flying solo, it’s easy to lose any sense of community. If you’re an extrovert, this alone might be enough to spook you out of freelancing. For more introverted introverts, this initial dropoff can be a dangerous moment — a breaking point where you can totally lose touch with reality.
I am one such introvert.
When I first started freelancing, I retreated into anonymity. I did my own thing, got lost in my inner world, and started to really lose touch with my sense of being connected to anything. I hadn’t landed a consistent client yet, and I felt really out of alignment because I had no one during the day to encourage a positive feedback loop. If my thoughts were negative — they stayed negative.
Luckily, I realized that I was slipping — enough to start making small changes to connect with people more.
People I Always Say Hi To and Why I Love Them
We live in an apartment building that has a front desk staff, and I’m so grateful for them. Every day, as I give Wrigley a bone after our walk, I chat with my friends at the front desk. They ask about my life and I ask about theirs. It gives me a sense of community at home that I otherwise wouldn’t feel.
We have a community/lounge area in our building and there are several other freelancers/remote workers who work in that lounge on most days, just like I do. Fist bump to you guys, and also, thanks for doing your thing.
For the baristas at the Starbucks a block away, who give me my ice water in the trenta cup (instead of the smaller cup they’re supposed to give me); I’m grateful for my trenta cup and the friendship it represents.
For my fellow freelancing females, who I meet with a few times a month to check in and check up and drink kombucha:
I love you people. You give me strength.
Freelancing means being free — freedom to crawl into a hole, or freedom to connect meaningfully with the people around you. I choose the latter.
Therapy
Another familiar face is my therapist, Chris, who I’ve been seeing for over a year. When I started freelancing, I decided to start going to Chris once a week — as a way to stay accountable during a transitional time, and make sure that I was making decisions that aligned with my goals.
Therapy can be challenging — focusing on your struggles makes you vulnerable.
But for me, especially since I’m working as a one-woman operation, I enjoy taking the time to check in, explore ideas, and get opinions from an unbiased third party.
Therapy is not just about talking about feelings — it’s about creating a truly great life. I think it’s silly that we see therapy as something for broken people — I see it as something valuable for anyone wanting to reach their full potential. I’m so grateful for Chris and the positive influence regular therapy has had on my life and my business.
Bullet Journaling
I started bullet journaling again and deleted the Instagram app from my phone on the same day. So far it’s been about two weeks, and I feel so much more on top of things in life than I did before.
Perhaps it’s because my brain is no longer constantly distracted by push notifications.
But I also think it’s because I’m taking time to slowly, intentionally write, analyze, and implement my ideas. I’m crossing items off lists as fast as I’m writing them. I’m holding myself accountable to nightly oil pulling and meditation, while thinking big-picture about my business, while staying in shape all because of my bullet journal.
I’ll need to do several posts about how I use my BuJo! Stay tuned.
Really Great Apps
Each of these has made my life significantly easier or more productive and I’m really grateful for all of them:
Freshbooks
Freshbooks is how I run the business side of my business. It’s an accounting software that also has time tracking, client management, invoice creation and management, and more. Using Freshbooks helps me understand how much I’m making and how much I’m working. It helps me feel on top of things.
Squarespace
Because Squarespace is so easy to use, I’ve been able to build websites for my own business, as well as for several of my clients. I’m super grateful for Squarespace’s beautiful templates and easy-to-use page editor for helping me offer this value to my clients.
Aaptiv
Aaptiv is the home workout app of your dreams. It has zillions of workouts, from strength training to elliptical to cycling workouts to yoga, with awesome playlists and actual trainers giving cues. It’s $9.99 a month and so totally worth it. Aaptiv has helped both boo and me get back into working out consistently.
Canva
Canva is an online design tool that helps me create really pretty, professional ads and social media graphics without the #struggle that is Photoshop. For my purposes, Canva for Business is the perfect solution for cranking out quick, professional-looking designs.
Simple Habit
I’ve been recommended other meditation apps before, but I’ve never been able to stick to a consistent meditation practice until I started using Simple Habit. Simple Habit has hundreds of guided meditations on all sorts of targeted, specific topics — everything from flight anxiety to creating joy to dealing with testy relatives over the holidays.
Simple Bank
Since I switched to Simple Bank, I have tripled the amount of money I have in savings. True story.
Simple allows you to create financial goals, and then helps you meet them by pulling money from your Safe-to-Spend account into those goals.
I have goals for everything, from my upcoming rotator cuff surgery to Christmas and Hanukkah presents to a fancy new laptop. Because of this app, I finally feel in control of my money.
Yay financial responsibility!
Freedom
Not going to lie to you — this is the best part of freelancing.
Waking up whenever.
Taking long walks every day instead of sitting in a car.
Working in coffee shops (especially the ones that give free refills — my faves are Dose and Pinewood Social).
Discovering fun opportunities and having the freedom to jump on them.
Having more quality time with my little family.
Being able to take care of things for us so that our time together can be spent doing fun things.
Having more quality time for myself.
Drinking wine on school nights.
Having the mental space and clarity to think big and work intentionally.
Taking a day to pay my respects when Tom Petty dies.
Going to the gym when there’s no one there.
Similarly, going to Trader Joe’s where there are fewer people there.
Generally, being on a different schedule than most people.
All of these freedoms are some of the things I’m most grateful for. I chose this path because I wanted to feel free. And I definitely do.
So, as Borat would say —
My People
I started my graduation announcement from college with this sentence:
It takes a village.
And it’s as true today as it was then.
I have a partner who challenges and supports and loves and respects me the mostest.
I have a family who doesn’t pester me about following a more beaten path because they know I’ll do my own thing anyway — and they think it’s kind of badass.
I have a sweet, energetic, demanding puppy who keeps me company and helps me get outside and smell the roses.
I have friends who text me the most thoughtful and compassionate things throughout the day, who support my unconventional journey. They bring color and wisdom and community to a sometimes lonely and solitary existence.
I have clients who give me the opportunity to do good work and live this life.
It’s really awesome. For all these things and more, I am so immensely grateful this year.
