Freelancing to Freedom

Ah, December. When I was growing up, it felt like an excruciatingly long month. My sister and I would count down the days until Christmas with chocolate Advent calendars and sit in front of the tree for hours, hardly able to contain our excitement as we wished time away.

Now as an adult and a business owner, December still feels like a month of waiting. Several editors I’ve spoken with recently have noted that their inboxes are unusually silent in December. Most people want to wrap up any final projects for the year and are hesitant to start anything new until January.

I am guilty of this as well. I want to review my year, evaluate my goals, and outline personal and business goals for the new year. Now is the perfect time, but I keep thinking, “Just leave it until the last week of December. It will feel more symbolic to wrap everything up just before the new year.”

While I’m all for making a fresh start in the new year, there’s something to be said for jumping into a project when the muse inspires you. A friend and I were talking about goal setting a few months ago, and she mentioned how she often finds it easier to stick to a goal when she sets it on a random Tuesday instead of a Sunday night or a Monday. Rather than building it up in her mind and placing a ton of ritual around it, she makes the decision and implements it immediately. This has proven to be effective for her, and she has inspired me to want to do the same.

It’s also far too easy to get stuck in a routine in December (and winter in general). The days have been cold and short, so I’ve opted to work in my pink slippers and comfy sweatshirt most days instead of venturing out to coffee shops. This week, I am going to make an active effort to get out of my comfort zone, meet some new people, and start implementing goals for the new year – no more waiting around.

Embrace life for exactly what it is in the moment – it’s all you have! (A little nugget of wisdom from my yoga classes.) Of course, I still revert back to my childhood state when I think about flying home for Christmas next week – impatiently waiting and excited for cookies and carols with friends and family.

Happy freelancing!