Today marks the first day that I am back to being a full time freelancer. I’ve left my post at Lifehack and am forging ahead on my own path, taking on assignments (albeit on a limited basis) and building up my own projects as I go.
So…what did I do on my first day of freelancing freedom?
Well, I started off this morning by getting my latest attempt at NaNoWriMo underway. I wrote a couple of blog posts. I enjoyed coffee with a friend. I took down Halloween decorations. Essentially, I got to make some real choices for the first time in a while. Choices on things that ultimately mattered most — or would allow me to get closer to what ultimately mattered most in my day, my week, and my life.
And it felt great.
When you are able to remove a big project or assignment from your docket, it is a huge deal. Being able to remove contexts and ship projects in progress off to somewhere (or someone) else isn’t just liberating today – it frees you up to be liberated going forward. I no longer have a scroll bar when I’m looking at my task and project list. I have one less email account to check. I have far less people to concern myself with.
As of today, I have more “non-friction” in my life than friction.
And it feels great.
That’s the “free” aspect of freelancing that I love. It doesn’t mean that you’re free to do whatever you want.1 It means you’re free to have the ability to make better choices. It means you have more freedom to move and breathe (if you decide to manage time – and, more importantly, tasks – more efficiently and effectively). You are free to make better decisions because they are based on your ideals, your ethics, and your boundaries.
Make no mistake, I’m still learning how to do this – although I am getting better at it. I’ve been out of this game for a bit, but I know I’ve got both the tools and the skills to get even better at it this time around. But I’m not the “go-to” person when it comes to frictionless freelancing.
However, my friend Aaron Mahnke is.
Today he released his first book under the Frictionless Books banner, Frictionless Freelancing. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to embark on a freelancing career…or enhance it if they are already on that path. In Frictionless Freelancing, Aaron presents how to remove friction from freelancing in a way that is informative and – best of all – doable. By taking examples from his own freelancing history and laying them out there for the reader, he shows that through his struggles with friction he is able to deal with it better – and pretty much eliminate it. And anyone who reads this book and puts into practice what he suggests within the pages will be able to do the same.
So join me in the world of “non-friction” and pick up Aaron’s book today. You’ll be glad you did.
1 And it certainly doesn’t mean “free” as in “free of charge”.
