What all Aspiring Freelancers and Online Entrepreneurs must learn

Have you ever dreamt of being able to work at your own convenience? Not having to go to the office and follow the whims of an unreasonable boss every single day?

If you have a normal, everyday desk job, such a thought would be straight-up impossible to attain. But, fortunately for all stressed office workers everywhere, the current day and age we’re all in now have provided us an occupation that will do just that.

Today, thanks to the advancements of technological breakthroughs and much more accessible Internet connections, just about anyone can offer their services online to someone else across the world. The popularity of freelancing has been growing rapidly ever since the COVID-19 outbreak and the thought of remote employment has inspired many people to start considering these opportunities. To finally be free from their offices and to start making money through virtual means.

Is becoming a freelancer all worth the effort? What must you learn to help you adjust to this new career? And, most importantly, how can you succeed with minimal risk of failure?

In this article, we’re all going to take look at how an experienced freelancer works and receive some great advice on how to be successful in this field.

Benefits of a Freelancer

Becoming a freelancer comes with a lot of benefits that you can never get from a normal desk job. Some of the key perks of working online are:

a.) Workload

– In an office, you are expected to accomplish certain tasks in a specific and instructed manner. On the other hand, being a freelancer gives you the freedom to work at your own pace and decide for yourself how much work you will do for a certain period of time. As you can already expect, people who from home are less likely to get sick or experience too much stress.

b.) Schedule

– If you had enough with the fixed hours of office work, switching to freelancing might just be the change of pace you desperately need. Allowing you to establish and manage your time the way you see fit.

c.) Free time

– If a regular office worker spends around 8 hours a day in the office, a few additional hours are usually spent in the transportation between home and work. But when you’re working from home, you are already saving lots of time that can be devoted to doing something that you enjoy.

d.) No boss

– Probably one of the most enticing parts of being a freelancer is the fact that you are your own master. No boss to go around and making decisions for you.

All these perks may sound tempting, but it’s best that you don’t rush headlong into freelancing. Not until you learn about the significant downsides of working online.

What are the cons

First and foremost, converting your work ethic into a remote type of job is never easy. It takes time for a person to adjust to the change of work environment and figure out how things work, how to get your first order, how to build a firm reputation, and how to raise your customer base. It normally takes several months for a rookie to take all of these steps.

It’s also important to be aware that freelance jobs are normally less stable when compared to desk one. So unless you already have an established circle of loyal customers and long-term projects, it can be quite difficult to estimate how much revenue you can get.

More often than not, if you have a regular desk job, you probably have a fixed salary. Letting you have an accurate estimate on exactly when and how much you will be paid.

You may stumble upon these and some other issues as you go along, but most of them will take a backseat once you run into the biggest challenge – organizing your own schedule.

Although it may seem easy at first glance, creating a responsible and balanced schedule might be a challenge. Especially when there is no boss or superior around who would pressure you to follow their orders.

Self-discipline, wise time management, good motivation, and consistency are vital skills for every freelancer. Lacking any of these traits would lead to poor performance and even failure.

Switching to the freelance business comes with many risks and pitfalls, but with some careful planning and consistent etiquette, it’s possible to overcome these challenges and succeed!

A Guide for Freelancers Self-Discipline

Among the mentioned skills that a freelancer needs, self-discipline and organization play the biggest role in his or her success.

One of the biggest challenges though is the need for an organized workflow of their own. If you decide to start working online, you will undoubtedly encounter this very same issue. Fortunately, this guide has been made to help you handle it in the best way possible.

Create a Firm Schedule

So you finally did it, you’re finally free from your dreaded regular job and are now planning to become a freelancer. You have long since been fed up with constantly waking up early and following the same old fixed schedule for every minute of every single day, but you’re finally liberated.

When first starting out, it may appear that timing and schedule are now a thing of the past and no longer matters. It can be tempting to finally sleep in until noon and no longer bother with stupid office rules. After all, you’re no longer shackled by your former fixed schedule. You can now start working at any time of day that you want instead of an assigned time given to you by a superior, right?!

Think again! While it’s true that freelancing gives a great deal of freedom, it doesn’t mean that you can throw all manner of timing and schedule out of the window.

On the contrary, creating a new and improved schedule for your new profession is a must. If you set a new schedule for your workflow ahead of time, you will get used to the new pattern much sooner and, thus, will become more productive.

What kind of working hours will you abide by? Well, it is mostly up to you. But always remember to keep your clients in mind when you’re searching for the perfect timing. Being available when your customers need you is a must if you want to earn more.

Create your Ideal Working Environment

Spending the day in your bed while wearing nothing but pajamas and making money at the same time may sound perfect. However, doing so in such a manner may jeopardize your career in the long run. So it would probably be best for you to designate a specific working space for yourself where you wouldn’t be disturbed by outside interferences.

When creating your perfect working environment, it’s important to consider every little detail before making a definite decision. Make sure that the chosen room has plenty of daylight and good ventilation where fresh air could freely flow inside.

It’s also important that your workspace is comfortable enough so you can work on your projects for longer periods of time without being fatigued by your position. The chair that you sit on would be one of the most important since you will be spending plenty of time just sitting in front of your computer. Make sure you feel and don’t have too much load on your back.

Supply the room with all the things that you might need to reduce unexpected disturbances when in the middle of a project. Things such as a computer, speakers, headphones, writing materials, a water bottle, or maybe even a coffee machine.

Finally, don’t forget to create the right atmosphere in your space. Some pictures and color themes can help you feel more relaxed while a few wall posters can have motivational phrases to encourage you to keep moving forward. Create your workspace that must be personalized in a way that would make you feel natural, stress-free, and inspiring.

Assign Periods of Rest

Giving yourself an hour to eat and rest from work is a must. Taking a few short breaks throughout the day while working isn’t a bad idea as this will allow your mind to relax and make you more productive as a result. Just make sure you don’t overdo it and overextend your resting periods.

If you take a break every time you merely feel like it, it might result in negatively influencing your productivity. However, if you stick to the schedule and refrain from abusing your rest periods, you will be motivated even more to get your tasks done by that time.

Limit Your Multitasking

Some people find it relaxing to complete their tasks while half-listening to music or half-watching TV. However, no matter how harmless it may seem, the practice has been proven to be a deadly enemy for the productivity and quality of your work.

Past studies have already shown that the human mind performs much better when they limit all distractions.

The better you perform your duties, the more rewards you can earn from the results. So whenever you think about turning on a TV while working on a project, take a deep breath to remind yourselves about the dangers of doing so, and focus more on getting the job done without any distractions.

Switching Between Works

If you have more than one project in the works, it’s best to dedicate specific times of the day so you may have a bit of time for each of them.

More often than not, doing the same thing over and over can be very tedious to the mind and leaves you mentally exhausted far sooner than what you’re truly capable of. However, if you designate different times of the day for a different task, you will be less prone to mental fatigue. Causing you to become more productive and find your individual assignments to be much easier to handle.

Unfortunately, dedicating different times of the day to different projects to work is not always possible. Sometimes, you will have to focus on one specific task before going for the next task. However, when in position, don’t neglect this tip!

Don’t Overextend Yourself

While procrastination is one of the biggest enemies of discipline and productivity, it doesn’t mean that you have to overdo it!

Self-discipline isn’t always about pushing yourself to complete a certain task. While it’s admirable to strive and avoid delays and complete all your tasks as soon as you are able, it’s also important to know when is the right time to stop. Working overtime, staying up late, and trying to cover multiple tasks in one day, is ultimately detrimental and won’t do anyone any good.

Such an unhealthy approach will inevitably result in rapid burnout, unnecessary stress, and plenty of emotional issues. Working at your own pace and keeping the right balance between work and rest makes your projects feel more natural while also preventing you from experiencing burnout.

Setting and Keeping your Goals in Mind

Finally, the ultimate self-discipline requires having objectives. Our desires and goals are what motivates us to keep going.

If you don’t have a clear motivation and drive in reaching your goals, no matter how hard you try to manage time wisely, plan, avoid procrastination, and so on, you won’t reach real results. Therefore, don’t forget to set the right goals for yourselves and keep them in mind to stay motivated!

Conclusion: Become Your Own Master

Unfortunately, there’s no sure-fire way, pattern, or tip that would help you develop those vital self-discipline skills and succeed as a freelancer.

The only secret is to become your own Master! To reach the peak of your productivity, grow professionally, and make good money freelancing, you have to act like a pro. While this would mean you have to be a little rough and strict on yourself at certain times, it still entails you to reward yourself from time to time for a good day’s work.

As soon as you step up the virtual plate and become a freelancer, you will undoubtedly notice how your revenues are affected by your productivity and discipline at the workplace along with that! Stick to your goals and maintain a healthy work ethic and you will certainly succeed.

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