How many of you have faced a questioning look from friends and relatives when you tell them that you are a work-from-home-freelancer?
While some of them may think of you as a “consultant”, an “IT and social media guru” or even a “creative artist”, most of us hear more often than not the dreadful question: “when are you getting a REAL job?”
First of all, I need to be honest and on a full-disclosure manner admit that I am a “recovering workaholic”. I used to lead small and medium size organizations and companies, worked 60 hours a week, not including a daily two hour commute, plenty of local and international travel, and an attractive salary and benefit package. But I also had a nice collection of work related illnesses, all associated with stress and excessive workload. It was so bad, that my work-life balance got to a point where I barely had time for family, friends or myself. Family suffered, health suffered, and I suffered. All in exchange of big money that was mostly spent on doctors.
So one day, I had an epiphany. It was either continuing on this “safe” path or risk everything and try something completely new. Do I miss all the nice perks from the past? Not really. No more fancy car but no more endless hours wasted commuting every day either. The nice ties, shirts and suits are now only for formal parties. The business class flights and 5 star hotels alone are now changed with tourist travel and budget accommodation with the family. Being called a “manager”? No, I don’t miss it.
How many of our friends and relatives are stuck in a normal job that they hate? They all look over the shoulder when I tell them what I do -but deep inside I know many of them envy me-. My working uniform is now my favorite torn jeans, comfortable snickers and my collection of superhero t-shirts. I like making my own gourmet blend coffee and enjoy it in the mornings while having a decent home-made breakfast. Hey, I even have time to learn and improve my cooking.
In this job I can pet my cat while working and be available when my kids need me, even if it’s just for a question or to tell me what they have just done. I can work with my favorite metal tunes blasting on the speakers. I don’t go to a fancy gym, but take nice walks around my neighborhood. For the first time, I enjoy my garden and can really experience the beauty of where I live
If you happen to find a good company to provide your services (be aware, plenty of scams out there!), thanks to modern technology and connectivity, you can “move with your job anywhere in the world”. Virtual friends around a chat room or through video conferencing and instant messages is almost like the water cooler meetings from the past.
I organize my schedule the best I can and I know that it is flexible enough so now I rarely miss a school-play, a doctor appointment or a social gathering. If I need to make changes, there are always plenty of othet freelancers eager to help me. And if I give them a hand, we all do it guilty-free as we know we will be compensated for the time worked.
For my kids (and their friends), I am the best dad ever. I am always there, taking them to and from school, at sport events, and at their music presentations. I have plenty of breaks when we play soccer, basketball or go for a short bike ride. I am the “expert” in videogames and I know who the most famous youtuber is. I know about Minecraft, Zelda, Mario, and the latest movies, Facebook memes and twitter trends. Oh boy, how much they brag about it! I am also sure my wife is happier to see me happy!
Yes, sometimes money is tight as income is not regular. There are no paid vacations or social benefits. I have to invest in my own office space, Internet, software and hardware. Is just like a different kind of entrepreneurship. And yes, I still have to pay taxes. But after so many years of being in the corporate treadmill this surely feels like a breath of fresh air.