I vividly remember that moment. I was deeply engrossed in something I wasn’t convinced of its value or even its importance, but I was doing it because that person standing outside asked me to. So, I decided to take a break and step out of my space to indulge in the hobby of breathing. Fortunately, it’s a hobby that’s easy to practice outside the dark confines of the office. At that time, I didn’t even know what time it was or what the weather was like outside, so it wasn’t just a passing hobby; it was an adventure too.
Turning to my right, where that person was standing, talking to a client or a friend, I stared at his face and thought aloud, telling myself a phrase that would later become one of my most repeated lines whenever I got tired of something…
How long!!
At that time, that phrase was my way out of working in boring companies and moving towards freelancing, but it also became a bad habit that accompanied many other things. I don’t even know where to use it precisely… I might say it in moments of despair and boredom, in a dull conversation, in work I was forced to do, or even in a failed lecture.
And I believe the reason behind this phrase lies in freelancing itself.
It carries a strange curse that makes you quickly get bored of anything you do or that surrounds you. It makes you hate the daily routine, and fear it as you fear slow internet. You get bored of your workspace, your clients, your erratic lifestyle, the people around you, and even the type of work or specialization you’re in.
As for the causes of boredom
I tried to think, and I concluded that the main reason is absolute freedom, first and foremost.
The idea of freelancing is based on the ability to work at any time, in any place, in any way, and under any circumstances, sometimes even while you’re asleep. This way of working is, in itself, somewhat routine and boring. It’s a never-ending cycle that starts with responding to your morning emails and ends with calming yourself down in the evening due to the accumulation of tasks and their intertwining.
As for the solutions
I haven’t found a real solution that convinces me personally, so I can’t present it to you.
But I thought about trying to work within those gloomy companies or government institutions, committing to a long-term contract, say 5 years.
But I found myself quickly coming back to my senses, my “freelancer” mind returning, and I remembered the wonderful blessing I live in. Then I started humming and repeating my famous line in a low, confident voice:
“I’d rather live burned by the flames of freelancing’s negatives… than spend a single day without it.”
