Author: Carmen M. (PenMarketer)
Fears of a Freelancer
The doubts you really think but don’t actually say
Fears of a Freelancer
The doubts you really think but don’t actually say
Another day has come to passing. It's a race against time to get home in a stuffy car barely beating rush hour. With a sigh of relief, you return home and feel the soles of your shoes steadfast in place as you turn the key and let yourself inside.
Now you can unwind. Remove the smile you have worn all day (causing the muscles in your face to ache). You're free, you're bare.
What’s on your mind?
"What if I wasted my money?"
"What if I gave away a good job?"
"What if no one bothers calling?"
"What if I can't pay my bills?"
"What if this isn't what I'm passionate about?"
"What if I can't handle the responsibility?"
"What if I don't have the time?"
"What if I made a mistake?"
"What if everyone was right?"
"What if it ends up being a failing business?"
"What if I gave away a good job?"
"What if no one bothers calling?"
"What if I can't pay my bills?"
"What if this isn't what I'm passionate about?"
"What if I can't handle the responsibility?"
"What if I don't have the time?"
"What if I made a mistake?"
"What if everyone was right?"
"What if it ends up being a failing business?"
All of those fears whisper in your head that you put aside for many reasons. Perhaps you're afraid of disappointing those around you, or worse, disappointing yourself.
You took the risk, the sacrifice of going after your dreams - pursuing a business you have always dreamt of building.
Now it's real.
You either have or are taking the steps to make it more than a possibility, to make it a reality. Doubts and fears make us human because we fear the unknown.
Those thoughts nag and overwhelm us and sometimes keep us from staying in a focused mindset to achieve what our ultimate goals are.
There is no way to be certain of the outcome of a business, but you have to trust and believe that you made the choice and took the risk because somewhere deep down, you know better and you are guiding yourself on the right path.
In this article, we will discard each and every last one of these thoughts until they are replaced with optimism for you, your future, and your business. You’re not alone.
"What if I wasted my money?"
"What if I gave away a good job?"
All we have is today, right now. The time is now.
"What if no one bothers calling?"
Don't settle for failure, don't weigh your mind with worry, and don’t overwhelm yourself.
Keep trying.
"What if I can't pay my bills?"
The difference is: You didn't think of it the same way.
Starting your own business doesn't mean you're at a huge risk of not being able to pay the bills. It's as successful as the effort you put forth and the experiences you go through. You have to get out there and raise the stakes and do what it takes to generate more than enough money to pay your bills.
"What if this isn't what I'm passionate about?"
"What if I can't handle the responsibility?"
www.upwork.com
www.indeed.com
www.craigslist.com
"What if I don't have the time?"
"What if I made a mistake?"
"What if everyone was right?"
"What if it ends up being a failing business?"
It is never a waste of money or time to put an investment in you. At some point or another you made an investment in a car, home, college, all things that you wanted to benefit from. You may have even invested in someone other than yourself.
Think of this business as an investment in yourself. It is after all a dream you are putting a financial installment towards. There is nothing more gratifying than trusting yourself and going forward to take necessary steps to make what you want possible. You will never know until you try.
"What if I gave away a good job?"
A good job is a job you love doing. If you left your previous job to do what you love, then you have a good job. Besides, every circumstance is different for each person. Some have to stay at their current jobs longer than others because they need to build a savings, or perhaps they don't have the right amount of stability to feel comfortable quitting.
No matter what the case is, I can assure you of one thing:
Even when you have enough savings and you're in a stable place, if the real reason you're holding off on resigning from your job is simply because of fear, you will find another reason to stay. You won't take that next giant step. You will avoid quitting your job.
This is understandable; it's that fear of taking an unknown risk and everything becoming disastrous. The truth is that there is never a "perfect" time. Life is unpredictable. Problems show up on our doorstep and deter us from following our dreams.
All we have is today, right now. The time is now.
Take the time to assess the situation and make up your mind. Come to terms with your decisions and make the choice you wholeheartedly believe is right for you.
"What if no one bothers calling?"
So long as you sing like a bird and never stop spreading the word, your voice will be heard. I promise your phone will ring at some point. Trust me. Think about it. You're on the internet right now and there are over 7 billion people on this planet.
Billions of people are surfing the internet at this very moment looking for information to help them. That's all people really want. An efficient and effective way to achieve something they desire.
If you can provide that service and put it some place where they can find it, you are already proceeding in favor of results. The key is to continue to research marketing and try every avenue you're comfortable with.
If you can provide that service and put it some place where they can find it, you are already proceeding in favor of results. The key is to continue to research marketing and try every avenue you're comfortable with.
Don't settle for failure, don't weigh your mind with worry, and don’t overwhelm yourself.
Keep trying.
"What if I can't pay my bills?"
This was always a possibility even at the job you previously worked for or resigned from to pursue the path of an entrepreneur.
The difference is: You didn't think of it the same way.
With a set salary and a regular check, it probably seldom crossed your mind that the company you work for could go out of business at any point. Then how will the bills get paid?
What I am saying to you is that the security was never 100% there. Sure, there is comfort in knowing you have a salary that will arrive at the same time and will be able to balance out your lifestyle, the bills. However, what if you are demoted, laid off? Anything can happen.
What I am saying to you is that the security was never 100% there. Sure, there is comfort in knowing you have a salary that will arrive at the same time and will be able to balance out your lifestyle, the bills. However, what if you are demoted, laid off? Anything can happen.
Starting your own business doesn't mean you're at a huge risk of not being able to pay the bills. It's as successful as the effort you put forth and the experiences you go through. You have to get out there and raise the stakes and do what it takes to generate more than enough money to pay your bills.
You can also set a comfortable salary for yourself by calculating the current cost of your lifestyle and balancing that figure out by setting a fee for your services and with all of your clients paying this amount you will have more than enough to surely meet your bills.
"What if this isn't what I'm passionate about?"
Most people don't know what they want out of life and that's really okay.
Why do you think so many college graduates end up pursuing a field that they never went to school for? It happens. Before going all the way with your business, you might consider thinking it over and deciding if this is really what you're passionate about.
One thing I can tell you is that you may not find the answer in doing that alone.
A lot of the time, people learn something is not for them through experience.
It's a drastic difference being in the thick of the work than thinking about it. Once you have had the opportunity to get involved and you find your interest dwindling away, it's time to go back to the drawing board.
That also doesn't mean you haven't found your passion, it could also mean you're just not going about it the way that is most ideal for you. Like I mentioned above, the only way you'll really know is to try.
"What if I can't handle the responsibility?"
You're more than capable of running a business. It's mind over matter. You have to mentally get yourself in the right place to do it. Sometimes, it also helps to liven up your environment. As long as it doesn't distract you, try listening to positive mentors, informative podcasts, or play soothing music.
You can even attend events that are designed to help entrepreneurs overcome their struggles to work towards the success of their business. Keep in mind that this fear you may have isn't something that comes down to whether or not you are built to run a business.
It's not a problem in your character. It's a trait, a thought even - self-doubt. Don't let it consume you. Take action and alleviate your concern with the responsibilities.
It's not a problem in your character. It's a trait, a thought even - self-doubt. Don't let it consume you. Take action and alleviate your concern with the responsibilities.
If ever you feel it is just all too much no matter what you do, you can always bring people onboard with your business by hiring a team. By finding the right people to help you to expand your brand by delegating the work, you may find it's not so overwhelming. You can place an ad on websites such as:
www.indeed.com
www.craigslist.com
Begin interviewing candidates to join your team, or through networking you may know someone at the moment and you can propose working as a team.
There's always time. Want to know how that's possible? It’s possible because you will find the time. If you want something bad enough, it doesn't matter what obligations you have or what's taking place in your life, there is always a space of time to go about doing it - even if it's marginal.
If it helps, use a tool such as Google Calendar or a personal planner to create a schedule and list all of the things you're currently involved in and the time slots they take up. Then see what times on this schedule are left to dedicate to working on your business, or perhaps if there isn't much time then free up time by getting rid of something not very important.
For instance, if you spend an hour each day drinking coffee at Starbucks you can consider removing this if it isn't necessary. This time can be dedicated to research and working on your business. OR, make a compromise. Decide to bring your laptop, tablet, something that allows you to multitask and work on your business while still doing your everyday duties.
"What if I made a mistake?"
People treat entrepreneurs almost identically to high school dropouts. You hear what a mistake you're making and how this will lead you nowhere in life. If you haven't had to go through this kind of dialogue, you are one of the fortunate ones.
Know this: Your business is not a mistake. Think of it as a learning curve. Your wants and goals are always expanding, evolving. What you want now can be drastically different next year. While there is no absolute guarantee that you will still be interested in your business concept years from now, it is never a mistake.
It should be a peace of mind that you went ahead and did something you wanted to do. Even if you end up building another business or working in corporate, at least you have new experiences and valuable life lessons to take with you as you move ahead.
And what if they're neither right nor wrong? There is no one-way to living. No one can tell you how to live your life. It would be wrong, if anything, to live your life for others and look back several years from now regretting that you never took a chance.
Don't let other people cloud your judgment. It's okay to consider the advice of others but it's important for you to hold the cards at the end of the day and to make up your own mind.
"What if it ends up being a failing business?"
A business only fails when you decide to give up. Remember, it’s a creation of yours and so the creator determines when the creation ceases to exist. Nothing can fail unless you stop trying. You hold the keys to the future of your business.
Until you say “It’s over, it’s done.” And you throw in the towel, there is always a possibility that things can change, that the situation can turn around for the better.
It should all make sense in your mind now.
Don't worry.
Don't worry.
• Working from the comfort of your home in loungewear.
• Not having a cap on the amount of income you make.
• No stressful mornings hauling out of bed and racing to work.
• Around the clock meals instead of waiting for lunch break.
• No boss standing over your shoulder and giving you orders.
• No frustrating coworkers hounding you while on the job.
• A worry-free environment without the pressures of work performance.
• You can set your own hours and days of the week for your schedule.
• You can pick and choose the clients you want to work with.
• You can work remotely anywhere in the world which enables traveling.
Sounds great, huh? But no one will tell you the flipside full of fears and pressures that feel foreign. This is something you are left to experience on your own.
Suddenly, you are left with the responsibility of everything and nothing happens unless you take the initiative to get things going. If you decide to do nothing then no one will know your business exists.
It can feel quiet, even lonely when the phone isn't ringing and you're left waiting and wondering if all of the efforts you have made are going anywhere.
Often times, your days are spent behind a computer screen in whatever setting you choose to spend it, mostly at home or some place quiet and secluded to concentrate.
Without in-person networking or a handful of contacts to get you started, the most communication you will make is online, limiting personal connection.
No face to see, body language to observe, a voice to hear, all things that tell you whether a person is interested in your business or not. All things that are essential as well for the healthiness of your business.
Exposure, not just on a marketing level is mandatory. Direct contact makes startup business owners not feel so left out. Perhaps so many fears creep into the minds of freelancers in part because of idle time when they first start out. When it's too quiet and there's nothing going on but waiting, you cannot help but to start to become in tune with your thoughts on a deeper level.
In addition to the fact that if you're someone who has so little support then that certainly doesn’t help. Just know that people often are against what they don’t understand because people are use to following traditions and they might even have bias ideals of how to go about things.
Exposure, not just on a marketing level is mandatory. Direct contact makes startup business owners not feel so left out. Perhaps so many fears creep into the minds of freelancers in part because of idle time when they first start out. When it's too quiet and there's nothing going on but waiting, you cannot help but to start to become in tune with your thoughts on a deeper level.
In addition to the fact that if you're someone who has so little support then that certainly doesn’t help. Just know that people often are against what they don’t understand because people are use to following traditions and they might even have bias ideals of how to go about things.
No matter what…NEVER have regrets.
Everything you go through moves you forward in the process of growing as a person and growing your business. Without learning these lessons and having bad experiences, you will never have anything to compare to.
You grow wiser and can progress that much closer to the good things that come from being a business owner.
I'm asking you, what do you fear?
Write it down and using what you know or any advice you have been given or can give yourself, try to dispel those fears and overcome them.
“Follow the light of your intuition, and keep away from the
darkness of convention.” ― Michael Bassey JohnsonGo tap into your potential!
Worry not!
The end of the pen.
Till next time,
Carmen
Till next time,
Carmen
