I have been freelancing for one full year. When I made that decision, I needed a long break from working a full-time job. I wanted a new challenge where I could prove to myself that I was able to accomplish something meaningful on my own. Of course, it wasn't so easy. I didn't have the network or community I have now, and the learning curve has been massive, sometimes even feeling insurmountable. I can name hundreds of moments I was close to throwing in the towel and getting a full-time job, but in the end, I kept pushing forward on my own. People will tell you that freelancing isn't for everyone, but what they really mean is that freelancing isn't for people who aren't willing to be persistent. Persistence has been the single biggest challenge thus far, but it's also responsible for my success. But I don't think that people who leave freelancing for a 9-5 are weak-willed or give up easily—there are pros and cons to every way of working, and it's fine to change your mind or take an opportunity. Usually these decisions aren't made lightly. I miss health benefits all the time (seriously, what do other freelancers do here—independent benefits?), but I don't miss much about working for someone else. While this process has been full of discomfort, I know that I would be sitting with a lot of regret if I hadn't tried this, or if I had given up early on in the process. So let this be a reminder to keep charging forward even if it sucks right now. Has this been true for you? Let me know below.
I promise you, everybody can hack freelancing. They just don't know it yet. So they create a whole belief system to support their "can't", instead of focusing on one that creates the "can".
Exactly, freelancing is all about pushing through tough times & discovering yourself along the way it's the journey that makes it worthwhile 🤍 Loved your story ❤️ More power to you Ines Andersen 🔥
🌀 Life Design & Career Clarity Strategist | Queen of LinkedIn Personal Branding | LinkedIn Top Voice | Google Women Techmakers Ambassador
5moI've seen people talking about SafetyWing for health insurance coverage. I haven't looked into it much tho.