LinguaClue is 4 years old today! It has certainly been an adventure. I definitely didn’t think this was the way the world would take me at the end of my first year of university.
LinguaClue was born purely by chance – a fantastic opportunity came my way, and I couldn’t resist. I was new to the idea of freelancing, and it has taken me a while to get the hang of it. Here are 4 things I have learned along the way.
1. Walk your own path
There are established well-worn routes into many things in life. If you want to be a doctor, you go to medical school. If you want to be a lawyer, you go to law school… you get my drift. But becoming a freelancer is one of those occupations that is more fluid. It can be hard to work out the “best” way to do things, which frankly is one of the reasons why it is so much fun and so scary at the same time.
There is no “right” method – you make it your own. Everyone does things a little differently. And this isn’t something to worry about. So a key thing I have learned is that it is okay to walk your own path – no-one can tell you whether you are right or wrong because it is your own journey to take.
2. Flexibility
Being able to switch tactics quickly, and managing many sub-tasks was daunting at first. Coming fresh out of my first year of university, with the odd part-time job at the weekends, it was a shock to suddenly be thrust at the forefront of something that would be my sole responsibility. At first, I found it really difficult to understand all that was required of becoming a freelancer, but I quickly learnt that being able to stay mentally flexible was vital to my own personal growth.
3. Self-care is key
Freelancing is not a 9-5 job. I’ve received assignments through at ungodly hours in the morning, and also emergency jobs with a 24-hour turn-around. It can be gruelling. You have to set your own boundaries. Carving out time away from the computer, and from being switched on 24/7 is incredibly important for your own self-care. I’m no use to anyone when scoffing down a muffin in lieu of lunch and mindlessly working right through. Taking some “me” time is now a crucial part of how I manage LinguaClue.
4. Let it go
I think this one is also a point that can be extended to life in general. When something suckish happens, I have to just let it go. I once received a very strange email basically saying “there’s too many of us, so you have to leave”. I remember reading it over and feeling very belittled. I had no idea who this person was, but apparently I was stepping on their territory. After a cup of tea (because it naturally fixes everything), I felt a lot calmer and was able to just put it down to good old-fashioned people-shit. Once I had that realisation, the whole thing seemed rather laughable.
It’s been a good 4 years, and I hope the next 4 will be even better!
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