Most people think that freelancers are under too much stress. That a traditional employee’s life is much easier: No responsibilities once you get home, no trying to get new customers, and no worrying about next month. Freelancers work too hard, they say. Well, that depends on what you understand under “too hard,” right?
Freelancers vs. Employees – Or why running your own business makes you happier
- Obligations vs. strategies. There are exceptions, but it’s a huge difference to hear employees talking/complaining about their jobs, and freelancers commenting/praising their business. Why? Because when you’re a freelancer, it’s your business. You don’t work for anyone. You don’t have to perform the tasks you’re told to. You don’t have to get it done out of fear of losing your job. As a freelancer or solopreneur, you work for yourself. You perform the tasks you’ve planned. You get them done out for strategic reasons – those that you designed.
- No more changing careers. It’s your time. Your money. Your business. Your responsibility. Your strategy. And that means that you’re changing careers every minute. Changing hats. One minute you are working on a project for your customer, and the next one, you’re designing a marketing plan, among zillions of different tasks. And the best part? If you’re not good at something, or if you just hate that something, you could hire someone to do it for you. Awesome, right?
- More work = Rewards. While working more hours means more stress and frustration for employees, it doesn’t necessarily involve more money. As a freelancer, on the other hand, more hours usually mean more money. And that just feels rewarding. Gratifying. Fulfilling. Call it what you want. Besides, you can reward yourself afterward with some time off. Maybe just waking up later, or not working at all.
- Time and place flexibility. Have you ever wished you could take longer holidays, but your boss didn’t approve? As a freelancer, you can work A LOT beforehand, and just keep an eye on the business while you get to know new places!
- It’s not work after all! If I considered all hours I’ve spent blogging as work hours… I’d wonder more than twice what I’ve been doing with my life. But I love it! And if you love it, it’s not work. It’s passion!
Some critical voices will tell you that you’ll have sleepless nights. That you won’t be able to disconnect completely. So I guess you should weigh up all pros and cons before taking the leap. But who wants to disconnect from passion anyway?
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