Tag Archives: Self employed tips

The Loneliness of the Self Employed

February 18, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , 33 Comments

I went full-time as a self-employed person about 2 years ago, and I can testify first-hand to how lonely a career it can be. Being a freelancer/self-employed person usually means you work from home alone, and some days can be a lot harder than others, even for the introverts.

 

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I have always been an introvert, I am very comfortable being by myself, and I do enjoy being alone most of the time. But sometimes I miss the chit-chat and the buzz that goes on in a regular workplace; being able to have meetings, bounce off ideas, and just the usual office banter. Just so you know, I was not a fan of any of these things when I had my normal job, but I guess sometimes we humans miss things we don’t have, even if we don’t really like it. Why we do, I don’t know, we just do.

The loneliness of being a freelancer is real, so I won’t advise anyone who enjoys being in the company of others to go self-employed, except you have a form of working arrangement that involves working or meeting regularly with other self-employed people in your niche.

There are ways to deal with the loneliness and frustrations of the self-employed world, here is how I deal with them –

 

Have a sounding board

Having a sounding board is very important when you are self-employed. A sounding board is someone you trust who would listen to your achievements, frustrations, and just someone you can have a chat with about your work, and who can offer you good advice as well. The more sounding boards you have, the better. I have one main sounding board, and a few others. They all help keep me sane. Whenever I feel like having a rant, I know I can trust them to listen. It also feels great to share milestones and achievements with them.

 

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Take regular breaks

Regular breaks are very important when you work alone from home, because you can easily find yourself working continuously on your coach, without taking a break for hours. Taking breaks means you get to do other things which is great for your mental health and fitness life. Taking regular breaks also means you can leave the house for a walk, which is great because you get to interact with others while you are at it.

I try to go for long walks everyday, and I love how fit I am. My Fitbit stats speak for itself.

 

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Working in coffee shops

Working in coffee shops also help combat the loneliness and isolation. I personally find working in coffee shops very distracting, so I tend not to do this, but I know many who do and enjoy it.

 

Joining Facebook groups and Twitter chats

I have joined a couple of Facebook blogging and freelance groups, and I also try to take part in as many Twitter chats as I can. These groups and chats help combat the isolation.

 

Overall, working from home works well for me. I won’t change my flexible working conditions for anything, but some days I need to have my Spotify playlists on repeat to get rid of the silence.

 

Do you work from home? How do you deal with the loneliness?

 

 

 

 

How to Switch Off Work as a Freelancer

November 25, 2016 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , 54 Comments

We all hear a lot of great things about being a freelancer: ability to travel and work anywhere in the world, more time to spend with your family and friends, and even better pay. But although all these are true, there is another side to the freelance lifestyle that very few people talk about.

 

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Freelancers can get caught up in loads of work and even though we are in control of our time and work conditions, most times we find ourselves spending almost 12 hours a day working!

Working long hours to get your freelance projects done may get you a lot of clients and more projects, but in the end you won’t have time to do the things you enjoy doing.

Here are 5 ways you can switch off work as a freelancer.

 

  1. Take the weekends off

Now this is so hard. I can’t remember the last time I took a full weekend off. I usually try to catch up on more work over the weekends when it is quiet but I know I should try to switch off work more often. So going forward, I will be dedicating an entire day in the week (most likely a weekend) where I won’t do any work. Everything that needs doing would be automated, and everything else like emails and the works would have to wait.

Taking time off keeps you refreshed and relaxed. And you can use that time to do things that you love.

 

  1. Have a schedule and stick to it

The fact that you work at home (or anywhere you want to work) doesn’t mean that you can’t give yourself office hours. As a freelancer, you’re also a business owner.

Create a schedule and stick to it. Make sure you include the time you start work and the time you close from work. When you plan your time this way, you’ll always have time to dedicate to other activities that are important to you too. Getting your head buried in work will only make you feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Trust me, I had to learn this the hard way.

 

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  1. Make breaks non-negotiable

No matter how much work you have, you need to give yourself a break. If your freelance work is such that you can’t take the day off, you need to at least give yourself some time off.

For every hour you work give yourself a 20-30 minute break. Use that time to take a walk, grab a drink at your favourite coffee shop or simply take a power nap. Whatever you do during that time should be something that will give you the opportunity to take a breather.

 

  1. Set clear cut boundaries

The main reason why you spend hours working is because you have so many clients to attend to. You can’t take up every job offered to you. You need to learn how to say “no” when you have more work than you can handle.

It’s so much better to cut down on the workload than to take on more clients and struggle to fulfill their orders.

 

  1. Give yourself some personal time

As a freelancer you may have the tendency to forgo the time you would have spent for some personal time. Don’t let your work rob you off the time to enjoy your own company. Setting aside time to for yourself, will give you the chance to switch off work.

Take time meditate, pamper yourself or simply devote to developing your mind. Just a few minutes spent doing something that will make you happy and fulfilled will make all the difference in the world.

 

How do you switch off work?

 

How to be a Girl Boss

November 16, 2016 By in Blogging Tips, Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 50 Comments

The term “girl boss” was created by Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal an online retail store specializing in fashion clothing for young women, which is currently being filed for bankruptcy. But let us forget that is happening for now, and just focus on how to be a Girl Boss.

Sophia Amoruso also wrote a book with the same name #GIRLBOSS, which became a best seller. I had the privilege of finally reading the book some months ago, and I was blown away by Sophia Amoruso’s hustle. She is the real Girl Boss.

 

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Her fascinating success story is one of selling used clothes on eBay in 2006 to owning a $100 million retail business in 2014. Sophia is indeed a hustle and I admire her hustle regardless of whatever is going on with her business currently.

Here are some things you can learn from her and get your business going.

  1. Do what you love

If you want to be a girl boss, your focus has to be on what gives you the most joy and satisfaction. You’re more likely to succeed in doing something that you love than doing something just for the pay check. Love is a powerful motivator. If you do something you love, you’re sure to hang on until the end.

  1. Wake up early everyday

The way you start your day will affect the rest of your day. Girl bosses know that starting the day early will increase productivity as the most important tasks are done before noon. And from getting most of your work done early, you’ll also have enough time to enjoy the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Late risers usually skip breakfast as they have to quickly rush through the day to get work done. Early risers are girl bosses. I was once a dedicated early riser. I need to go back to being that.

  1. Efficiently manage your time

As a girl boss you’re aware that every second counts and that time wasted can never be gotten back. You need to learn how to organize your day and stick to a daily schedule. I know this can be hard on some days because I sometimes struggle to keep to my schedule but a schedule help keep the focus on what needs to be done. Knowing what to do and when to do it will help you work smart and efficiently.

 

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  1. Take control of your finances

How will you be a successful girl boss if you take control of your finances? Track your income and your expenses. Identify where all your money is going to and how you’re spending your money. Are you spending your money on important things? Is what you’re spending money on going to help you grow your business? The answer to those questions will help you know if you’re putting your money to good use. Never be afraid to explore opportunities that will help you increase your level of income. The idea is to make more money than you spend.

  1. Put in hard work and dedication

Nothing good comes easy. If you want the best out of your life and business then you need to be ready to work hard for it. Put in your best in whatever task that comes before you.

There’s one thing girl bosses do that makes them stand out. Unlike others who would “slave” through their work, girl bosses actually love working hard. To them hard work is not something you tick off your to-do list. It’s a process. If you want to succeed you should not only work hard but love working hard.

  1. Believe in the power of positive thinking

You have the power to create your own reality but it all starts with intently focusing on the positive. If you want good things to happen to you then you need to first believe it will happen and gravitate your thoughts towards it actually happening. The law of attraction is powerful and girl bosses know how to make good use of it.

 

Have you read Girl Boss? What are your thoughts?

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