Loneliness is one of the excuses most people use for not starting an online business. And although it might seem kind of boring – just sitting on your own with the only company of your PC -, in my opinion, it’s just a matter of mindset. With a little bit of motivation and love for your business, it shouldn’t be very difficult to forget about loneliness when freelancing. You shouldn’t even get to think about it 😉
How can you enjoy your online business and forget about loneliness when freelancing?
1. Change your mindset
♥ Productivity – You’re going to be 100% more productive working at home than at the office. Think about it: By eliminating the commuting time, all those coffee chats and meetings at the office, your productivity is more than likely to increase. Now, if you take advantage of that newly-gained productivity, you’ll automatically have more time to spare with the people you want to spend time with, right? Do you really want to be surrounded by no-matter-which people? Even your boss and colleagues at a meeting? Or do you want to spend some quality time with YOUR people?
Keep in mind that you’re probably not going to be working on your own forever. Once your business grows, you’re going to need some help. And believe me, you’re gonna miss those lonely productive times 😉
2. Online Teamwork
♥ Online communities – Think about Facebook groups for professionals – There’s always someone who needs help and who can help you out when you have a question. Or Slack teams – Haven’t you joined Slack yet? It’s one of the most productive ways that I know to communicate online – even better than Facebook ’cause you don’t have all those private distractions (aka funny pics from your cousin) tempting you to stop working.
A positive side-effect from online communities is that they are a source of motivation and ideas: Does any question/problem come up regularly and you have the answer? Well, then maybe you could create the solution in the form of a blog post, a physical product or an online course, right?
♥ Create an online team – Who says that you can’t work in a team from home? Use the online communities we were talking about to look for accountability partners:
♥ You can team up with other freelancers who have a similar specialty to yours, and start a weekly mastermind call, for instance. You can handle anything you want: From struggles with timelines to strategic ideas and feedback. You write the rules 😉
♥ Or, an even better option: Try and create a group of freelancers with different specialties – Think about a group of virtual assistants, web designers, graphic designers, content creators, online marketers. Doesn’t it sound like a killer team?? And who knows? You may end up collaborating together!
3. Go out and meet real people!
But if you really need to take your eyes off the PC screen and see real people, I get it 🙂 “Working from home” doesn’t really need to mean literally “from home.” In fact, that’s what freelancing is for, right? To enjoy some nice time and location freedom! So, before you start going crazy, here are some options for you:
♥ Coworking – Nobody stops you from hitting a coworking space. Just in case you’re thinking that you left your office work to go and visit another office, a coworking space has a totally different vibe – You’re your own boss, there are no colleagues expecting something from you, disappointed at you or letting you do their work. Nope. This is the place where people WANT to be doing what they WANT to do. Capisci?
♥ Coffee-shop – If the coworking option doesn’t match your budget, nobody stops you from going to your favorite coffee shop, ordering a nice latte and making yourself comfortable while smelling that delicious coffee aroma – Guess what I’m drinking right now? 😀 – Just look for one with free WiFi!
♥ Meetups – Search for professional meet-ups around you and choose the one which better suits you. If you don’t think you can profit from any of the existing meetups, go and create a “physical” mastermind group. People you can meet on a weekly or monthly basis to talk about your projects and goals. Meet the right people, and your motivation will go to the next level!
Bonus: Take a break and do some sport
As easy as that!! Just take a break, go for a walk – or even better – do some sport. Your adrenaline and fitness level are going to be great companions for your online business, so don’t forget to take care of your health and take some time to train or at least walk and tank some energy. Your body – and mind – will be forever thankful, and you’ll forget about loneliness 🙂
xoxo,
Alicia
Are you born to freelance?
PS. What’s your trick to handle those lonely hours working on your project?
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This was a great post Alicia, thanks. You are right about the sports part. I usually go for a run in the morning and that is enough to keep me going the whole day. Though if morning doesn’t work for people, they can go anytime and it would serve as a healthy routine plus a rejuvenating break. Love the article. thanks.
Thanks for your comment, Priyanka!