Life as a freelancer

By Tom Browne

Work, work, work. It’s a pain in the neck, isn’t it? Ask the average person what they’d do if they won the lottery and the first answer you get is, ‘I’d give up work in a heart beat.’ (I’ve even had this from people with really interesting careers).

Some people pursue freelancing because other options have been closed off, but many others do so because they want a release from the 9–5 grind. Freelancing, they imagine, is a form of escape, a way of living your life on your own terms.

This isn’t necessarily wrong, of course. But as someone who’s worked as a freelancer and as a full-time employee, take it from me: the grass isn’t always greener. If you’re going to strike out on your own (and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t), be sure to do it with your eyes open.

Here are five things to bear in mind.

You’re in charge (of everything)

Sounds great, doesn’t it? No petty micromanager telling you what to do, no one cracking the whip. You’re the lord of all you survey, and no one can tell you otherwise.

But remember: you’re in charge of everything. That means your finances, your insurance, your tax arrangements and your pension. There’s no HR department to take care of things, or to hold your hand. And there’s no holiday allowance or sick pay—if you need a break or fall ill, you have to bear the financial burden yourself.

Some people find this prospect liberating, while others find it intimidating. But either way, you need to make allowances for it. In a normal job, you’re given a set of tasks/responsibilities and a salary at the end of each month. As a freelancer, you need to deal with all the invisible tasks that would normally fall on your employer.

Think you can handle it? Then set aside enough time and get up to speed on everything. Can’t be arsed with all that nonsense? Then freelancing isn’t for you.

You need a routine

Monday to Friday, I get up at 7am. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I go for a 5k run, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays I do some core exercises. I then have a shower, get dressed and have breakfast. I’ll do some life admin tasks or casual reading over breakfast, but I’m always at my desk at 9am, ready to start work.

I know what you’re saying: why bother? If you don’t have hours set by an employee, why not get up a bit later, or at different times each morning (depending on what happened the night before)? Freelancing is meant to liberate you from this kind of tyranny, isn’t it?

Well, everyone is different. And maybe some people work better with no set routine. But not me. If I don’t start the day as I mean to go on, I’ll simply waste it. So I spend some time each Friday timetabling up the next week, allotting hours for work and leisure tasks, while keeping a running to-do list for both.

Generally, I’ll work from 9am–1pm, then again from 2pm–5pm (with short breaks for coffee at 11am and tea at 4pm). This gives me clear compartmentalised working hours, with no distractions. As long as I do that every week, I can stay on top of my tasks and allow enough time for relaxation.

Procrastination is a beast you need to tame 

OK, I’ll come clean. Even though the timetable outlined above is my ideal working pattern, I don’t achieve it every day. 

Often, I’ll have a really good Monday and Tuesday, then an attack of lazyitis will hit me mid-week. I’ll surf the web, go on a YouTube deep dive, message friends, read my book and do pointless household tasks (suddenly, it feels like the right time to do three loads of laundry).

In my experience, there are two reasons for this: 1) the perils of working from home, and 2) the problems of staying focused.

On the first point, working from home can be deceptively difficult. Home is where you relax, sleep, eat, watch TV and generally unwind—it’s tricky to view it as a work environment at the same time. The line between work and leisure can therefore become blurred, to the detriment of both.

The second point follows on from the first. If you’re in an office surrounded by working people, it’s much easier to stay focused on your work. If you’re in your home, with no one watching you and the TV remote within easy reach… well, you get my drift.

The conclusion is obvious—you need to change your environment. This could mean a section of your home devoted to work, like a study. But if you don’t have space for that, then get out of the house. Does your local library have a quiet area? Are there shared work spaces in your neighbourhood? If so, decamp there with your laptop.

The point is compartmentalisation: finding an environment that you associate with work and nothing else. You’ll be amazed at how much this increases your productivity.

A random pic of the Irish countryside – just one of many possible work locations

Take weekends off

Theoretically, you can work whatever hours or days suit you. When I first started freelancing about 20 years ago, for example, I frequently wrote late into the night and then got up late in the morning. But I soon realised that I was out of synch with other people, which had bad effects in the long term.

Weekends are an example of this. Of course, you could take Thursday and Friday off and work all day Saturday and Sunday. But if your friends have conventional full-time jobs, that means being free when they’re busy and being busy when they’re free. Not ideal for your social life.

So, as much as possible, I try to mirror the working patterns of my nearest and dearest. It’s a routine that comes more naturally anyway, and you won’t feel so socially isolated. This is always a danger for freelancers, who lack those office connections. You don’t have to do this all the time, of course, but I’ve found that it’s a good general rule.

By the same token, look for local freelancers in the same industry as you and connect with them—you might even end up working together or sharing tasks.

Be kind to yourself

Generally, if you’re new to freelancing, it’s good to entrench work habits similar to the ones I’ve described. But if you’re anything like me, even the best-laid plans go arwy.

It’s important not to fall into what I call ‘the diet trap’.

Often, someone will start a diet with clear instructions on what to eat and what not to eat. So vegetables and soups are in, while chips and pizza are banned. Then, at the end of a good first week, there’s a boozy night out and a kebab on the way home.

The reaction is one of guilt and resignation: “Well, that’s screwed up my diet, so I may as well not bother. Back to my old habits.”

Instead, the reaction should be: “I’ve fallen off the wagon once, but I’ve made a good start this week. Lapses will happen, but I’ll do my best to carry on with my new diet.”

In other words, something is better than nothing. As long as the general trend is in the right direction (and you’re always looking to improve), there’s no need for despair.

Even if I have a lazy day, I’ll always try to do something, even if it’s not what I planned. And rather than beat myself up excessively, I’ll pledge to come back stronger the next day. Remember, it’s more meaningful to measure your progress over weeks and months, rather than obsessing over the failures of a single day.

So, in short, freelancing is about embracing the positives and looking for ways to combat the negatives. Much like life in general, then.