One of my favorite things as a freelancer is that I can try whatever I want to try, learn whatever I want to learn, and this can become a new activity, a new part of my business. Endless possibilities, and for a multipotentialite like me, it means a lot.
As I was lost into an internal brainstorming about what I could do to develop my business, I realized that my brain was going down a dangerous thread of thoughts : every single thing I liked, I was thinking about how to make it profitable. Love this Korean band ? Well maybe I can create goodies and sell them on Etsy ? Love writing ? Well maybe I should take a copywriting class ? Love bullet journals ? What if I try to find a few business ideas linked to that ? I read a lot of books these days… should I create a dedicated account on Instagram and offer reviews ?
And yes people, this is not healthy. At all.
Of course, having business ideas and be willing to try out your ideas is great. But be careful, not everything you love needs to become something you can sell. Hobbies are here to help you unwind, enjoy life, and just take it easy. I mean, you can give your all for a passion/hobby of course, but it has to be for yourself, your own joy and fullfillment, not money. Doing what you love without any business-related pressure is so SO important.
Also, having a million different activities as a freelancer is not a sustainable strategy.
I know I will never be a ‘specialist’, something with a specific field of expertise. I will always have more than one activity, and that’s why being a freelancer is so great to me. But I also know I have to put boundaries in my business, or I am only going to harm myself by launching too many activities without being able to handle all of them alone.
I think I’ve already said that in another post, but I’d recommend to have a maximum of three activities. At the moment I’m a translator, author and career coach / life coach in training. Translation is my main activity and source of revenue, writing books is as vital as breathing to me, it’s my creative activity, and my coaching practice is where I’m still learning, it’s still in its early stages.
Finding the right balance between what you enjoy doing, what you do well, and being in a field where you’ll be able to actually find work/missions/clients is key when you’re choosing your activites as a freelancer. Following a passion is not enough, but being only rational won’t make you happy either. Find the right balance between what your heart says and what your brain says.
Actually, aside from my business, I do lots of other things (my bullet journal, this blog, another blog, a youtube channel… reading, singing, photography…) but I’m not making money out of it. These other ‘activities’ are part of my world and some contribute indirectly to my business, but they don’t have to make profits. I do them, because I enjoy doing them, that’s all. It makes me happy and help me improve as a human being, without any pressure.
Being entrepreneurial is fantastic, but don’t be blinded by work, alright ? You also need time to just relax and have fun !
I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and see you next week !
Marie.
Marie K. Ricci - Author | Translator 