Freelancing to Freedom

It seems to me that people spend a lot of time reflecting on their lives at the end of them. It’s so easy to get caught up in daily life and not enjoy or take time to appreciate what you’re doing in the moment. I’m very guilty of this. I’ll be in the middle of something I’ve been looking forward to for months and be thinking about what I can look forward to next. Before you know it, you’re on your deathbed and wishing you had done everything differently.

As I talked about in a previous post, “Get It On . . . Paper,” making it a point to consistently evaluate where you’re at professionally will make a huge difference in the direction your career will go. Write down what you want for your business and read it often. And then stop thinking about it and take the necessary steps, however small, to achieve your goals. And I can’t say it enough – find work that challenges and fulfills you but that doesn’t take over your life. Spending too much time on work that drains you and neglecting personal relationships is one of the biggest regrets you can have.

Along those lines, I was listening to a song by Michael Franti the other day and was struck by a particular line: “So if you love somebody better tell them so/ Cause you never ever, ever know when they gonna go/ If they love you back, just give thanks/ Can’t keep love like money in the bank.” Never regret not telling someone how you really feel about them. Even the most successful workaholics have to quit sometime, and without love and support from family or friends to fall back on, life will get pretty lonely pretty quickly.

And spend your money. Yes, I realize the importance of saving money and being debt-free, especially as a freelancer (not always knowing when your next paycheque is coming in means saving, saving, saving!). It’s important to be prudent with your money and make sure you have enough for a rainy day, but it’s also important to treat yourself and enjoy luxuries from time to time. You work hard for your money, so reward yourself in concrete ways throughout your career. Why wait until retirement to start enjoying your life?

Your life is now – feel the joy, feel the sadness, and don’t regret the past. Do what you can at this moment to make your life the one you always wanted.

Namaste 🙂