Freelance 101
Intro
Sabrina here.
It's been a year since my launch date and I'm incredibly proud of this milestone. Launching your own business is not really the hard part; keeping it going is. Did I think I'd still be in the game at this point? In all honesty, not at all. Yet, here I am, still pressing through. It literally still baffles me. When I consider all the work (nothing but 5 years of preparation) it makes sense, but when you're on a journey to really find your lane in the marketplace, it can be intimidating and super scary. And on a much more personal level, I wrestled a lot to believe in myself and the idea that I could be successful in it. I'm so glad that I've been pressing through. ☺️
The Curve
There is a lot about the build-up that I could share, but I'm driven to write this first article about the current learning curves I have been faced with.
Last year I had some serious reflections and they were pretty convicting. Often times we want something so bad, but we never really dig too deep about the "why" we want it. Some common responses to the "why" are "I want to travel, build for my family, financial freedom, etc". These are absolutely valid and great reasons. But I had a really challenging moment when I realized that I wanted to do it because I wanted to run away from poverty, period! I wanted to stop feeling so low in life, and as we know it, society has a great way of making you feel less than if you don't have A, B, and C. I promise I'm getting somewhere. As I started to reflect on these issues in my heart, I realized that being in that mental state could hinder my journey as a Freelancer. I'll explain. When dealing with a poverty mentality, we run the risk of living on survival. We don't realize how often our decisions are based on the lack thereof. Hasty decisions are made that have no benefit to our future. That hurts.😣 We also run the risk of making decisions out of fear and desperation. That's a big no no. Making decisions in that state of mind can cause us to be deceived, or cheated, and it's just not so wise because sometimes the outcome can be detrimental and can even hinder the people around us.
Why am I even talking about this? Well, I had to go through two processes before things really started moving in my business. One, I had to humble myself and realize that it isn't about money. While it is super important, the money is not why I want to do this. My original heart's desire was to bring solutions to others and help while doing what I love. But, I got caught up in my heart about what I know I can make and achieve that the money idea derailed me from the greater blessing: Helping others. Two, I had to lay down the fears and this poverty mentality that was taking lead in my decision-making. Here's where I get to my point.
Can you imagine saying yes to a client just because of a need that you then miss all the red flags that are waving at you trying to warn you not to take it? Can you imagine one week into the job, your client becomes controlling, entitled, demeaning, and all the things? How about they start telling you how to do your job or comparing you to others, crossing all the professional boundaries? And there you are, pressing through trying to get to the end, and by the time you reach the end, you're exhausted. Yea. I know that was crucial and I lived it. Your peace and joy is important on this freelance journey. You already put so much work into running it, you don't need a client who will make it harder for you. Don't get me wrong, challenges will come, but the heart of this article is really that you would save yourself from the harder lesson and not let desperation, ambition, or fear lead you into situations that would make you want to run away from the very thing that was intended to bring you joy and fulfillment on different levels.
Conclusion
As you continue on in your Freelance journey, take time to figure out what is leading you. Decide what you will accept and will not accept. Taking time to place boundaries, even within self is a great way to start. And most importantly, don't give up. Do not let hard experiences change your mind about Freelancing. 😬