We’ve all dreamt of being our own boss, calling the shots and following our own path, but for the few of us that live that reality, it couldn’t be more different than we expected. Here are ten things only freelancers truly get.
No.1 The Expectation vs Reality
Remember when being a freelancer conjured glamorous images of Carrie Bradshaw gleefully typing away about her oh so exciting life? Yeah, that’s not the reality at all. In the real world, you’ve been wearing the same sweatpants for three days and the only human interaction you’ve had in a week is with the Deliveroo driver. Carrie Bradshaw, you most certainly are not!
No.2 You Develop The Patience of a Saint
From waiting for a response from a potential client to endlessly chasing an overdue payment, your noble attempt to stay professional and polite in the face of constant setbacks is frankly saintly. As much as you’d love to explain how constant late payments are affecting your ability to live, you don’t as you live in constant fear of burning professional bridges.
No.3 Weekends Don’t Exist Anymore
A weekend, what is a weekend? Days lose all meaning when you’re a freelancer. Work comes when it comes and you have to be ready.
No.4 Bailing On Social Occasions
Your bestie has a big birthday bash planned in three months? Well, you better click maybe on that Facebook event invitation, because no social gathering is guaranteed anymore.
No.5 Constantly Legitimising Your Work
It’s been years and your family still don’t know what you do for a living. What’s worse is your partner doesn’t seem to understand that working from home doesn’t mean you can put several rounds of washing on. Your remote base work is exactly that, work. You find yourself defending your time management skills to prove the point that you aren’t the lazy slob everyone likes to paint you as.
No.6 You’re The Boss
Who’s the boss? Yeah, that’s right, you’re the boss and you love it! Let’s face it, once you’ve been the organ grinder it’s hard to go back to being the monkey!
No.7 You Can Travel Anywhere
The benefit of working remotely is anywhere can be your office, the world is quite literally your oyster. All you need is your laptop, passport and sunglasses, bliss!
No.8 Tax Deductions
Don’t get me wrong, doing your own tax returns sucks, but you can at least console yourself with the fact you wrote your Macbook off as a business purchase.
No.9 Take The Day Off
Accumulated leave is a thing of the past, now you can take a day off whenever you like. However, you rarely take advantage of this.
No.10 Social Anxiety Is Diminished
Hate dealing with office politics? Well, that’s a thing of the past! No longer will you feel social pressure to attend that Christmas party, now you see people on your terms.
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