The Freelance Chronicles #1

The concept of leaving stable employment with a regular income for the world of the unknown is terrifying, but one month in and I would recommend that anyone thinking of adopting a freelance lifestyle actually follow through and do it.

Three years ago I left my job to start freelancing, however, the first contract I picked up went from a three-month gig to two years of work. Although I enjoyed nearly every second of it, I was pretty gutted that I’d let my dream of freelancing die so quickly. I practically rinsed and repeated the cycle. I went back into the magazine publishing world, but eight months in, the freelance life called me again. And this time I stuck to my guns. I cancelled one interview and even turned down a full-time role to jump boots and all into curating a lifestyle that worked for me.

The first week or so was quite scary, and I often said to anyone who would listen, “I think I’ll just go and get a job.” I felt like I needed to be working 10-hour days just to prove I was working. I wouldn’t leave my desk, I wouldn’t stop for lunch. I just kept plodding aimlessly around cyberspace, hoping something would fall in my lap.

And then a few things landed and I started to calm down. Knowing that I would be able to pay rent for the next few months was the deciding factor for me that things were going to be fine. I settled into a routine where I’d wake up, have a coffee, and ease into my day, and now, as I enter month two, things are going incredibly well.