You might think that there are no freelancing pitfalls or drawbacks, at first glance. Freelancing, after all, lets you set your own hours, work as much or as little as you want (within reason) and gives you an incredible amount of professional freedom. On the other side of the coin, though, are some potential problems. Fortunately, you can learn to avoid these freelancing pitfalls with a little bit of planning.
Isolation is a freelance pitfall that takes many new freelancers by surprise. Happy to be away from the drudge of the office and working independently, many freelancers find out right away that being alone for most of the day is hard to get used to. Gone are the the co-workers heading out to lunch together, the water-cooler chatter, and all the social aspects of the workplace. Now you have only yourself to talk to all day. To avoid this freelancing loneliness, network with other freelancers online. But don’t limit yourself to Internet relationships. Go out to lunch with friends occasionally and intersperse more social things like returning phone calls or calling a friend between your more concentrated tasks.
Procrastination is another problem that can go hand in hand with newfound freedom. Now that you don’t have to clock in and out but can set your own hours, you might find yourself mulling about the house, doing laundry, going out to shop or eat or even watching those talk shows, because you tell yourself that if you have to stay up a little later at night to work, that’s okay, you have the freedom to do so. While freedom is part of the beauty of freelancing, discipline is one of its necessities. Don’t let yourself slip into the trap of playing during the day and pulling all-nighters to get work in on time.
The worst freelance pitfall is lack of organization. If you ever get up, sit at your desk, think over your list of projects and wonder which you’ll work on first, you’re in grave danger of falling into this particular pit. Take the time to make short-term and long-term goals so that each day, you can look at a list of tasks and know exactly what you’ll be doing from hour to hour. You’ll know whether you can take on a new client or project at a glance, and you’ll get the most from your workday.
