5 Things I’ve Learned in 2 Months of Freelancing

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I recently reached 2 months of full-time freelancing, and I can’t believe how fast the time has gone! In some ways, it doesn’t feel like anything has changed, as I was working on my freelance work part-time even while I had a “regular” job.

However, in other ways, it feels completely different to my life before, and there’s certainly been a huge learning curve.

I currently work for various clients, writing for websites and brands, creating social media content and providing VA services for several fantastic blogs.

When I considered quitting my job to become freelance full-time, I definitely would have benefited from reading someone else’s honest experiences.

I want this post to be honest and open about what it’s like to work for yourself, from someone who has just taken the plunge. I’m very much still learning as I go, but it is great to take a bit of time to reflect at this 2-month mark.

I also asked on Twitter if my followers wanted me to discuss anything in this post, so parts of this post have been informed by that. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

In this blog post, I’ve put together 5 things I’ve learned in 2 months of freelancing.

It’s scary

One of the big differences between freelancing as a side hustle and freelancing as a full-time job is the fear factor.

If you work in a “traditional” job, you can be ill, tired, distracted or unproductive and it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. You can make up the work on another day or put in a few extra hours at the weekend- but you always know the paycheck will be steady.

However, when the number of hours of work you do will directly influence how much you’re paid- that can be a bit scary.

My best advice to deal with this would be to put a firm, realistic financial plan in place, which takes anything and everything into consideration. Make sure you have savings to cover the months when you might be making slightly less money and be realistic with yourself about what you can manage.

Always remember that you can get another 9-5 or part-time job if you need it- this doesn’t have to be forever!

Make it work for you

This advice came from my Mum- and it’s something I’ve had to learn after a few experiences of burn-out over the past 2 months!

If you choose the freelance life, it’s because you want to create your own schedule. I thought I had to sit at my desk all day and treat it like a 9-5, but I’ve actually had better results by planning my day around what works for me.

I work better in the mornings, so I try to capitalise on that- and in the afternoon I take longer breaks. This means that when I’m sitting at my desk, I am busy and productive, not just scrolling on my phone.

This also means that I sometimes work outside “normal” working hours, but I’m okay with that. I might take Friday afternoon off, but I’ll work Saturday morning. Or I might go for a swim on Tuesday morning, but I’ll work until 6pm.

As long as I’m enjoying the work, meeting client expectations and getting the results I need- I can structure my day how I see fit. After all, isn’t that the beauty of freelancing?

It is so rewarding

I absolutely love what I do! I get to write every single day for blogs, brands and websites- and I get to do it all from home, planning my own schedule.

Whether you’re providing freelance translation services or creating written content like me- freelancing can help you do what you love every day.

After I graduated into a pandemic and tried applying for lots of jobs in this field, I never thought I’d get the chance to create content for a living. For anyone in a similar position, I would really recommend building up work for yourself– especially if you’re not having any luck finding a job role.

I now do a bit of everything for my clients, and I never would have been able to do that if I’d chosen a specific job when I finished University.

There’s also something so rewarding about making money for yourself, knowing that every single part of the job was controlled by you.

Choose an effective organisational system

On the outside, my organisational system seems a bit crazy. I use a lot of post-it notes, and a mixture of digital and paper notes. Sometimes I use a calendar and sometimes I use a diary.

I don’t set myself a timetable and I do different things on different days, and sometimes I end up doing something completely different to what I planned.

This would panic and stress out someone else, but it works for me!

I like to plan my day around what needs to get done and I never set myself a rigid plan because I know I won’t stick to it. Instead, I set a day-by-day to-do list for myself and I amend it as new jobs come in, or when I feel I need to give a task more time than I originally thought.

For some people, all they need is one diary. For other people, they need multiple ways to keep track of their schedules. In 2 months of freelancing, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what you use to organise your work, as long as you are organised and you’re meeting all your deadlines.

Clients can come from anywhere

I’ve learned that clients can come from anywhere, and they can be anyone!

Social media is an incredible place to meet people, and I would really recommend building your online accounts if you’re a freelancer. This might mean engaging with people in the same field as you, or building up your following so that more people can read your work.

I use social media to push myself and put myself out there, and if someone mentions that they often take on freelancers, I message them about my freelance services.

I also found a few of my clients via Upwork. I like the fact that you can apply for job postings that sound interesting or suit your skills, and it gives a freelancer the chance to reach out to clients, rather than the other way around.

If you’re a freelancer, what are some key lessons you’ve learned during your time? Do you agree with my points about freelancing after 2 months? Do you think this post is helpful if you want to take the plunge?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

Author: Not-So-Modern-Girl

I’m Eleanor, welcome to my little corner of the internet! I’m a freelance content writer and book lover from Yorkshire. On my blog, I write about life as a 20-something, including posts about freelance life, blogging, book reviews and more. I also write resources for bloggers and writers on my Gumroad account. Check out my links below or connect with me on social media!

41 thoughts

  2. Thank you so much for sharing my post! I too am a big fan of post-it notes, and although I often set a schedule, I hardly ever stick to it! The best organisational tool for me (apart from post-its) has been to use a to-do app on my phone, which reminds me of the things I planned to get done that day – I get a nerdy buzz from ticking the items off once completed : )

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  4. I’m glad you mentioned having multiple ways of keeping up with your work. I’ve got a notebook, reminders on my phone, and often block my calendar too.

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  5. It was so interesting to learn about your experience these past two months Eleanor! I am glad you find your steps and make it work for you. I am still in the process of trying to grow my blog and my social media accounts. Always great to learn from the experience of others 🙂

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  9. This was a very insightful and informative post. I blog part time as a hobby and I work full time in my 9-5, however for me I don’t have any want to give up my full time job at this current moment in time. I like what I do and how I am growing my career in that aspect. But it does take a huge toll on my time for my blog which I also love doing. For me it is just about finding that balance and being able to do both together. But I love that you dived straight into freelancing and have shared this experience 🙂 x

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    1. Thank you for sharing your experiences Gemma. I think everyone should do the right thing for you- and if you’re enjoying your job (and career) why should you give it up 🙂 that’s so true, balance is necessary to manage any side hustle or passion. Thanks for sharing x

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  10. So true! Freelance job is scary but yet exciting. It also helps you to improve your passion and pursue your dreams. Plus, you learn more with freelance work more than regular job. Especially on management and leadership. That’s what I experienced.

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  11. Great Post Eleanor! Always interesting to learn what goes on behind the scenes of freelancer life! 😁
    You do fab work for me and I’m so pleased I hired you because honestly, my blog would be a lot emptier and very lonely if I didn’t have you to add new content to it! 💛🤗
    I’d definitely recommend to anyone hiring a VA if you’re struggling to create content, post on social media, do blog-admin, have a presence on social media in top of living life, working socialising, exercising and generally existing! 😂 Xo

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    1. Thank you so much Sarah! Aw that’s so lovely to hear, I’m so glad that it’s helped your blog and I love creating content for you 🙂 Haha blogging can be so exhausting so it definitely helps to have another pair of hands to help out, for sure! Thank you so much for your kind words xx

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  13. Very insightful and congrats on 2 full months of freelancing – you’re doing brilliantly and I’m sure you’ll only go up from here! Organization systems that work for you – in any self employed creative field – is SO important!

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  15. It’s really lovely to see how well things have been going for you lovely! I’ve never thought of free-lancing before as it’s always scared me but it sounds like hard but very rewarding work. Your bossin it! Congratulations on two months Xo

    Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

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  16. Love this, thanks for sharing. Freelancing sounds like such a scary thing to do but it’s something I would love to try. I would love to work by myself at home and that’s a future goal. It’s nice to get some honest insight from someone living the experience.

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  19. As you said, you have to be careful with your money because there’s no regular paycheck guaranteed, but there’s also the problem of having no sick pay, no maternity or paternity leave, and no holiday pay. Are you even able to have a work place pension as a freelancer?

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  20. Oh yeah. Clients really can come from anywhere, which is why it’s important for us to keep on keeping on, even though we may not feel like updating our blogs or even keeping the domain up. Lovely post. Thanks for sharing!

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  22. Pingback: 6 Things I Love About Being a Freelancer – Not-So-Modern Girl

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