What I’ve Learnt Since Going Freelance | New Beginnings

If you’ve been to this blog before, then you may know that I didn’t have a job for a small period of time. I am so happy to report that this is no longer the case!

I’ve managed to get so lucky and land a job that is perfect for me right now. It does mean that this blog may go on the back-burner a little bit, but I’ll do my best.

Anyway, without going into too many details, this job basically gives the same freedoms  I’d imagine anyone else who is in a freelance/self-employed position has. Although I’m having great fun getting back into actual work again (and getting paid again!) I have found myself being faced with a few new challenges.

I’ve only been doing this job for a couple of weeks now but I’ve already learnt some valuable things to know when working for/by yourself:

YOU REALLY SHOULD GET READY

I’ve seen this advice given time and time again, and to be honest I never really gave it much attention. But I have noticed such a difference in my mood and productivity if I actually take some time in the morning to get ready. Even if that simply means brushing my teeth and switching out my pyjamas for tracksuit bottoms!

I don’t really like to waste any time if I have a lot of work to get done, but just taking even ten minutes out of my morning to take care of myself I notice a huge difference. There’s nothing wrong with working in your pyjamas, and sometimes it just has to be done, but when it comes to midday I feel so gross and groggy and that really impacts my ability to stay motivated and get stuff done.

BACKGROUND NOISE IS HELPFUL

This is certainly something that differs from person to person, but I really like having a bit of background noise going on as I work. In most cases I just have the radio on (Absolute Radio is my favourite at the moment!) but over the last week I’ve started listening to podcasts.

Now I love podcasts and I do normally like to give them my full attention. However there is something so soothing and relaxing about other people’s voices, at the right volume of course, that I’ve found myself wanting podcasts on while I work. My absolute favourite one at the moment is My Favourite Murder. I love it so much that I’m repeating episodes as I work, so I don’t get too caught up in the cases!

Finding some kind of material that your familiar with, like podcasts or a particular radio station, can be really comforting and help make your work days a bit more fun.

I’M SUPER SELF-MOTIVATED – THANKFULLY!

In this position, I have to rely on myself so much. Luckily I am really self-motivated and have always got on really well on my own.

I still struggle with procrastination and motivation sometimes (check out my last post about that here) but for the most part I’m pretty good at pushing myself and its so helpful with a job like this!

2018 certainly has been a year of revelations and maturing for me, and it’s great to find out that I still have so much more to learn about myself. Being unemployed taught me a lot and it seems like having a job again is doing just the same. I spend a lot more time by myself now, working from home, and I’m learning more and more about who I am, how I work and who I want to be everyday.

FINDING THE BALANCE IS SO DIFFICULT

I am so grateful to finally have a job that I enjoy and one that gives me the freedom to work how I want. But because I am doing work I like and on my own terms, in my own house most of the time, I’m struggling to find the balance between my work life and the rest of my life.

I know that other people who are either self-employed or are freelance experience this too so if you have any advice I’d really appreciate it! I really need to work on deliberately creating barriers between my time working and my free time; creating a working day routine and a winding down routine to help me determine between the two.

I think this’ll be an ongoing process and one that I’m sure it’ll get easier as time goes on!

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What keeps you motivated?

I’m so happy to finally be writing this post. Life has a funny way of working out and although I’m not sure how long any of it will last, I’m in a much better place now than I was a few months ago.

Good things will come to us all, I just know it! Take care friends.

Speak soon,

Rachael.