Harsh Realities of the Freelancing World

This letter is for that game changer still stuck in his mind… speculating on fantasies and not realizing that the reality of the digital world is something else. For that one who finally took a dare to break forth but withdrew the instant he realized this was a different game.

Do you remember how excited you were about working for yourself and being your boss?

You had a vision in mind of what it would be like: You'd wake up every morning knowing that you made the right decision, and then you'd stay in bed and do whatever it was you wanted.

You could be creative and have an impact on the world in ways that you never thought possible. 

Maybe you've heard success stories before starting your online journey. Perhaps you've heard about how easy it is to make money online, how anyone can do it, or how it's an easy way to make money while you sleep.

Well... I hate to break it to you, but this digital world isn't as rosy as you heard about.

I know this because I've been there myself.

When I started my journey, I was excited about all the possibilities I had heard about —and I had high hopes for what this would mean for me financially. But after a few months of trying different things and failing miserably, I began to feel discouraged and hopeless.

I thought maybe my idea wasn't good enough after all (it was), or maybe there was something wrong with me (nope).

It felt like everyone else had a secret club they were not letting me into.

And I was legit drained.

And that was when it dawned on me...

The digital world has a fate different from what we signed up for.

Expectations are "Premeditated" Resentments

One of the hardest things about the digital world is that it's easy to get caught up in the hype. It's so easy to think that it's going to be a land of promise and opportunity… and it kind of is—but there are some things you need to know before you dive headfirst into this new world.

I was told it was a dream come true. You could work from anywhere, anytime, and make money. And it's true: The digital world has given us the freedom to work outside of traditional office settings and create entire careers around our passions.

But while the digital world is a place where we can do incredible things, there is a bunch of stuff we didn't see coming.

The reality is that this is a different world than you've ever known before—it's fast-paced, constantly changing, and full of people who are just as bewildered as you are.

The other reality is that there will be times when things don't go according to plan. You'll have setbacks, disappointments, and moments where you feel like giving up—and that's okay. It happens all the time.

Appearance Versus Reality

I learned about this concept in the "Modern Philosophy" class. About how things are not the way they appear. I remember my lecturer using "mirage" as an example of this fact.

You'll see a bend that looks like a pool of water when you're driving, coming from afar. Then you get close and realize that it is dry land.

That's what the digital world looks like. From afar, it's all glitz and glamour. People are hitting it big. Even the guy in your neighborhood doesn't come out to the sun anymore and is in control of his time.

It’s beautiful. Alluring. And mesmerizing.

You probably heard about the tales from a friend. 

It sounded like moonlight tales. You didn’t believe it at first, but then he proved it by showing you receipts.

But then you come closer and see that this is what you ordered versus what you got.

And then reality hit. You realized that the reality was that things aren't always as easy as they seem. Sometimes things don't work out exactly how you want them to.

Sometimes it's hard work, sometimes it looks like chaos instead of order, sometimes people don't appreciate what you do…and sometimes it's hard just to get through the day without giving up altogether.

Here are some of the biggest misconceptions about freelancing and what they mean for your career:

1. You will make tons of money doing what you love.

It’s true that if you can find a way to combine your passions with your skills, there may be no limit on how much money you could make—but it won’t happen overnight. You need to put in the hard work before anyone notices your offer. If this sounds discouraging, remember that every person who has made it big started small (and broke).

2. You don’t to answer anyone.

Well, you just don’t have a physical boss to answer to. But you have obligations to your clients. You will have to deal with clients who are impossible to please because they expect everything from you and nothing from themselves. This can lead you into a vicious cycle where you constantly feel like something is missing from your life because all of your time goes into working with these types of people instead of building relationships with clients that care about you (which is where most freelancers find their true happiness).

3. Freelancing is easy.

Hmmm. My dear, Freelancing is hard work, especially when you’re just starting. There's no doubt about that—but it's also rewarding, which is why many people choose it over traditional jobs.

The key to success isn't necessarily being smart or talented; it's about understanding how to market yourself effectively and efficiently and improving your skills to remain relevant to your target audience.

4. There's Work Everywhere for You

Well…One of the biggest things you should know is that you will have to be prepared to deal with a lot of rejection. No matter how good you think your work is, there will always be people who don’t like it. Learning how to handle this rejection and use it as motivation for future success is essential as a freelancer. Turn the rejections into stepping stones.

5. It's fun

Reality: If you work from home, it can be easy to get lost in your head and forget about the outside world. 

You're going to make mistakes. You'll get clients who don't pay and have impossible deadlines to meet. You'll have days where nothing seems to go right and weeks that seem like they'll never end. Oh, you’ll also realize that some are out to scam you.

But guess what? That's okay.

Everyone goes through these things, even the most successful freelancers out there. It's part of being a freelancer—but here's the thing: if you want to be successful at freelancing, you don't let the bad days get you down. Instead, learn from them and move on with your head held high!

You'll probably find some bumps along the way as you figure out how things work in this new world—and that's perfectly normal. After all, no one can predict precisely how their freelance career will go down before they try it out. The important thing is not to give up when things don't work out exactly as they did in your head (or on social media). Instead, keep learning from those experiences and using them as fuel for the next phase.

This is The Game-Changing Concepts Newsletter — a newsletter for those who love to dare and are super ready to step into their digital destiny. For freelancers, digital career hustlers, and entrepreneurs.

For you.