Putting The Free Into Freelance

One of the things I like best about freelancing is the ability to arrange my life to suit myself. When I first started freelancing, being a freelance writer simply meant doing additional work for someone who was not my regular employer. It wasn’t particularly liberating, but it did bring in some much needed extra cash.

However, as I made the transition to full time freelancing, I discovered that there were untold benefits to the lifestyle. Although I still have deadlines and commitments to clients, I work for myself and in theory I am able to set my own hours. I can also work from anywhere in the world as long as I have a laptop and a decent internet connection.

I think many freelancers value that freedom, though what it looks like differs for different people. For me, freedom is about:

• having the ability to say yes to a last minute trip because I know it won’t affect my work

• being able to spend time with my family, especially my young daughter

• deciding how much I need to earn in a given week or month and tailoring my working hours to suit

• taking time off to have lunch on the beach, go to the gym or have coffee with friends.

For me, these things put the free into freelancing. What puts the free into freelancing for you?

This post originally appeared in Writing Lab News.