Freelancing to Freedom

I love my work. I’m not here to brag though. Freelancing has been one of the best things that ever happened to me, but I have a confession to make. Can you keep a secret? Sometimes, I wonder if I made the right decision. To put it more bluntly, sometimes I ask myself, What the *$#@! are you doing? Are you crazy??

Regardless of how confident you may be in yourself and your work, I’m willing to bet that evil little seed of doubt plants itself in your mind every once in a while. Last year, my business coach advised me to write a list of reasons why I freelance and then told me to read it when I started doubting and needed a boost.

This week, I decided to take it one step further and write a list of sacrifices versus gains. I sat down at my favourite coffee shop in Mission and started listing everything I’d sacrificed to become a freelancer. Then I read it a few times. After the third time, I thought, Is this really worth complaining about?

And then came the gains: freedom over my time and lifestyle, the chance to be my own boss, the potential for even greater income and job security in the months and years to come, the chance to build my own dream . . . and the list goes on.

I’m all for living in the moment. Yoga has been my greatest teacher in this regard. Living in the moment, I’m happier, more focused, and more relaxed. That being said, it’s important to lay a foundation for your future, and sometimes that includes sacrificing certain luxuries in the now. I’ll tell you right now, I don’t have a new car or wear designer clothes. Hey, we all need to work towards something.

And that’s OK. Whatever your profession or dilemma, compare what you’re giving up to what you will get back. And then give yourself kudos for all your hard work.

This week’s goal: Be mindful of what the old, wise version of yourself might say.

Song of the week: “People Are Strange”  – The Doors (Ok, so not a hot new find, but I’m reading Jim Morrison’s biography right now and am on an oldies kick. Man, to be a part of the music scene in the sixties and seventies. I think I was born in the wrong decade!)

Namaste 

Rachel

Freelancing gain. I needed a work break back in October and went for a walk with my camera. Calgary is so beautiful in the fall.