Freelancing isn’t for everyone.
While I love the thrill of constantly being pushed to my creative edge and having control over how much money I can earn, I get that not everyone sees it that way. Hence, one of the questions I get asked the most is when someone should probably quit freelancing.
There really isn’t a right answer to this, so I all I can do is give you my opinion on when someone should quit freelancing based on my own experience of being in the game for a few years. Taking that into account, here are 4 signs you should probably quit freelancing.
You hate not getting a steady paycheck every two weeks.
I have friends who are amazing creatives and very well could freelance full-time, they just prefer not to because the mere idea of not getting a paycheck every two weeks makes them queasy.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, and if you’re realizing you may be one of these people, you should probably quit freelancing.
You don’t want to face the numbers.
Freelancers are notorious for being bad with money. While I’m pretty sure my finance nerd friends and I don’t fit this stereotype (most of us freelance), that doesn’t mean I don’t hear it all the time when I go to local events with different kinds of creatives.
There is a reality to freelancing full-time in so far as money management is a part of the deal. If anything, freelancing will force you to face every money fear you’ve ever had. There’s no way to avoid it. If you’re not willing to go there, quit freelancing.
You aren’t willing to make some sacrifices for what you want.
My successful freelancer friends and I all have one thing in common: We’ve made some sacrifices to get to where we are.
Actually, a more accurate depiction would be that we’ve made some uncomfortable choices a lot of people wouldn’t have made. This looks like lowering expenses, getting rid of stuff, giving up some of our free time, and living in what many would perceive to be in uncomfortable situations to get what we wanted.
Granted, this was all temporary and we knew it, but if you aren’t willing to do the same, you’re going to have a hard time getting where you want to go.
Resiliency isn’t your middle name.
I’ve come to learn that being a successful freelancer (or successful at anything for that matter) isn’t about how quickly you succeed, it’s about how long you’re able to keep going.
It’s about how many times you can get back up after being knocked around a few times. Ultimately, it’s about how resilient you are.
Despite how many online gurus tell you how easy it is to start a business, and despite how many freelancers make it look easy, the reality is we’ve been through a lot and starting a business is anything but easy.
With that being said, if you’re willing to keep getting back up, face your fears in the face, and grow as a person as your business grows, then you should be fine. Otherwise, it may be time to quit freelancing.
