I found out this morning (via a board I read via Twitter) that my colo is down. Luckily for me, my sysadmin was already aware of it, so any customer complaints I might get will be handled effectively. But of course, since the servers are down, I can't get my email or work on the sites, or even fully finish some articles for this site. So what did I do? I started browsing the Web, of course. :-) And the first thing I came upon was Why Freelancing is Awesome (Via Freelance Folder.) And I have to say I completely agree. Freelancing is awesome. Yes, there are some great facts about freelancing.
I think one of the things I like best about freelancing is that I can set my own hours. Yes, chances are you have today off, and here I am working. But chances are also good that when you go into your job, you work for 8-10 hours. A long day for me is around 5 hours. Plus, if I want to work at 11pm today and then 6am tomorrow, I can. (Trust me, you probably won't see me online at either of those times...) What do You Like Best About Freelancing?
The only problem with freelancing is separating business from pleasure. Once you get out of the 9-5 daily routine, it becomes a job to stay focused. It is also difficult when a client calls and you are on the golf course!
For me a problem, sometimes, is actually getting myself to stop. (The “No, I’ll finish it today!” state of mind. )
The good thing is that it gets the job done faster (on the short term), but I have to remember not to miss out other daily tasks, and occasionally pause the cycle, if not something else – to avoid any potential burnout.
But, I also have a choice – if I’m fed up with one activity I switch to the other possibilities. (For example – the last few fays I was up to my neck in PHP, and now I toggle between C++ and designing. Maybe tomorrow I’ll do those JavaScripts I need, revalidate some pages and maybe some SEO too. )