{"id":11397,"date":"2015-02-23T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-23T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.wework.com\/?p=11397"},"modified":"2020-04-03T18:00:51","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T22:00:51","slug":"taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath","title":{"rendered":"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but Career Contessa<\/a> shares how one freelancer survived the dark days.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Last Friday was a tough day.<\/p>\n

I was in the kind of mood that\u2019s hard to snap out of. I found myself falling victim to the stress and anxieties that anyone freelancing or\u00a0\u201cin-between\u201d jobs<\/a>\u00a0can relate to. In order to remain being honest about every element of my current situation, I think it\u2019s important to talk about the dark days that come as a result of switching jobs or taking a leap of faith. If you are unhappy in your job and thinking of making a change\u2014stay with me\u2014don\u2019t doubt your decision! Your happinessrequires<\/em>\u00a0taking risks and it will pay off if you plan for it. The point is that you are bound to have rough days during a transition (this also is true for anyone with a full-time job), and your success lies in how you handle them.<\/p>\n

My latest mood swing came as a result of another potential job opportunity falling through the cracks, coupled with the reality that I may have to take on some odd jobs to get through this period of time. Although I\u2019ve had some great freelance gigs recently (including working at NIKE Training Club in Austin, Texas), they seem to pass in a flash. Freelance means part-time, which means temporary, which means\u00a0HUSTLIN\u2019 for work<\/a>\u00a0more than I\u2019ve ever had to in the past. I guess I\u2019ve been living in a bit of a dream world in which when one job ends, another will come, and my connections will always be able to bring me new opportunities.<\/p>\n

When I write it out, it sounds totally ridiculous! I quit my job before I had anything lined up. What did I expect!? If I\u2019m going to be really picky about my next move, it\u2019s going to take time to find something I love. Life is rife with sacrifice and there\u2019s always a trade off. I know all of this\u2014yet still I fell into a funk.<\/p>\n

I actually believe that it\u2019s important to allow yourself to be sad once in a while. Allow yourself to feel the emotion\u2014<\/em>but just for a day. After that, you\u2019ve got to change the channel. In the past (like when I moved to L.A. with no job) I\u2019d feel sorry for myself for days at a time. I\u2019ve learned that this behavior is detrimental. One day feeling stressed out, sad and anxious turns into another day wasted.<\/p>\n

The best way to climb out of a hole? Identify your emotional triggers. Figure out the root of your stressors and pain. Why are you feeling like this and how will you solve the problem?<\/p>\n

Are you down on yourself because you\u2019ve applied for a million jobs and have only gotten rejections? You are not the problem and you are not alone. It\u2019s harshly competitive out there, so you have to find a way to stand out or get \u201cin\u201d with recruiters. Have you been reaching out to people with jobs you admire? Have you made time for the hobbies you love or tried something new? You never know when you might meet someone that could turn things around for you! I believe that face-to-face interaction is the best way to make an impression and get a referral.<\/p>\n

In my case, I freaked out when I realized that I didn\u2019t have many jobs or interviews lined up for November. It hit me that this was the \u201cslow season\u201d for most of my clients and I wouldn\u2019t be able to count on much of the previous work I\u2019d been getting. But why had I\u00a0suddenly\u00a0<\/em>realized how light my workload had become\u2026? I was focusing only on the work in front of me in the short-term, and not planning for the future or continuing to network. I had stopped scheduling informational interviews, I hadn\u2019t followed up with my mentors, I didn\u2019t complete my writing portfolio and I wasn\u2019t keeping my friends updated. I also was holing myself away in my apartment, working in my PJs and being a total sloth! (Obviously a recipe for disaster).<\/p>\n

After recognizing my shortcomings, I began chipping away at my \u201cto-dos.\u201d By recommitting to a routine and following\u00a0the career tips that have worked so well for me in the past<\/a>,\u00a0I\u2019ve already secured one new job and have two new prospects on the table!<\/p>\n

I also made time for fun over the weekend\u2014making sure to dance and be creative\u2014without focusing on my stressors. I know it\u2019s clich\u00e9, but laughter is truly the best medicine! If you\u2019re feeling sad or depressed, figure out what makes you laugh and hold onto it. Put your phone down and focus on surrounding yourself with supportive people and creating memorable experiences.<\/p>\n

To summarize (and wrap this up), I\u2019ve realized that\u2026<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I feel my best self when I\u2019m busy and productive.<\/li>\n
  2. I\u2019m happiest when surrounded by people I admire and make me laugh.<\/li>\n
  3. Negative thoughts = wasted time \/\/ Optimism = productivity and opportunity!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You can get rid of a bad attitude by analyzing your behavior and making an effort to make change and be better. Replace the word \u201cdream\u201d with the word \u201cgoal.\u201d Take advantage of the benefits of a career transition (having a flexible schedule and working from home) and realize that with unpredictability comes\u00a0excitement<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    We all get a chance to mold our own path in this crazy game of life\u2014what mood will you choose? What moves will you make?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but Career Contessa shares how one freelancer survived the dark days.\u00a0 Last Friday was a tough day. I was in the kind of mood that\u2019s hard to snap out of. I found myself falling victim to the stress and anxieties that anyone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1433,"featured_media":11400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTaking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ideas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-02-23T17:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-04-03T22:00:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-23T17:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-04-03T22:00:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath\"},\"wordCount\":963,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853\",\"articleSection\":[\"Professional Development\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath\",\"name\":\"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-23T17:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-04-03T22:00:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":853,\"caption\":\"Taking The Freelance Leap And Surviving The Aftermath\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"\/ideas\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Professional Development\",\"item\":\"\/ideas\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/\",\"name\":\"Ideas\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#organization\",\"name\":\"WeWork\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/welogo_black_55x55.jpg?fit=55%2C55\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/welogo_black_55x55.jpg?fit=55%2C55\",\"width\":55,\"height\":55,\"caption\":\"WeWork\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/author\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath","description":"Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath","og_description":"Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but","og_url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath","og_site_name":"Ideas","article_published_time":"2015-02-23T17:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-04-03T22:00:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath","datePublished":"2015-02-23T17:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2020-04-03T22:00:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath"},"wordCount":963,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853","articleSection":["Professional Development"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath","url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath","name":"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853","datePublished":"2015-02-23T17:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2020-04-03T22:00:51+00:00","description":"Taking a leap of faith to start a career in freelancing is daunting, but","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853","width":1280,"height":853,"caption":"Taking The Freelance Leap And Surviving The Aftermath"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/taking-freelance-leap-surviving-aftermath#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"\/ideas"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Professional Development","item":"\/ideas"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Taking the freelance leap and surviving the aftermath"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/","name":"Ideas","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#organization","name":"WeWork","url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/welogo_black_55x55.jpg?fit=55%2C55","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/welogo_black_55x55.jpg?fit=55%2C55","width":55,"height":55,"caption":"WeWork"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/author"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/DeathtoStock10-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C853","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1433"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11397"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48702,"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11397\/revisions\/48702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}