Exactly two months ago today was the last time that I spent my day inside a cubicle. A lot has changed since then. I write a lot more of my code barefoot. I’ve been spending a lot less money on lunch. Beyond these and other trivial (but awesome!) differences, I’ve observed a few things related to being a freelancer that surprised me.

I don’t have as much self-discipline as I thought.

I never liked being a wage slave. It was common for me to go through a full workday and come home and put in 2-3 hours working on my freelancing business. Between my two “jobs” I could easily put in a 10-hour day, and I would regularly do that several times a week. I’m not even counting the extra hours put in on the weekend.

Keeping that kind of schedule, I’ve always felt quite comfortable describing myself as self-motivated. Now that I’m working from home, though, I don’t put in any 10-hour days. I don’t even put in any 8-hour days. While self-motivation played a role, I no longer think it was the primary driving force in starting this business. The stick is what motivated me. The punishment of reporting to work each day was pushing me to find a way to earn an income that didn’t require a dress code, office politics, or restrictions on how I solved my customers’ problems.

I’m here now, though. So I guess I better figure out what my carrot is going to be.

I like having a to-do list.

I get asked, “So what are you working on right now?” a lot. I suppose even if other people weren’t doing it, I’d be asking myself on a daily basis. I don’t want the answer to be nothing. I don’t want the answer to be an evasion that draws attention to all the promising leads that might turn into sales any minute. Just talking about the possibility is a little disturbing.

So when I start to reach the end of the work on my plate, I slow down. Now I don’t push things to where I miss a hard deadline, but it’s a little bit like eating the last cookie. I chew slower. I take more time between each bite. When I had my paycheck to depend on, I liked getting through my freelance work as quickly as possible because those hours came out of my recreation time.

Obviously I would be better served if I still completed by design and programming work as efficiently as possible and spent “free” time on marketing. It’s definitely a process, though.

Strategic planning is actually difficult.

There are things in this world that are surprisingly tough to do, given how straightforward the instructions are. Solving a Rubik’s Cube, admitting you’re wrong, and writing business plans all fall under this category. Determining the direction of any organization is a daunting task, and that’s just a small part of strategic planning. Marketing is so complex and important it requires a separate document all to itself.

There are people who make these decisions for large corporations that impact thousands of individuals (or more), entire communities, and in some cases aspects of our culture. If they can do it well, they probably do deserve all the millions they rake in.

filed under: Running a Business