port:eightyeight

I have been working as a freelancer for a few months now and I have to say it is wonderful. It is great being able to work where, when and (to some extent) on what I want. When I first went freelance it was more the ‘when’ and ‘on what’ aspects that I found appealing and I wasn’t overly worried about the ‘where’. After all, I (and I suspect many other web freelancers) found their interest in the web by tinkering away in their room until some ungodly hour of the night.

The problem is that you are now a self employed freelancer, which means that rather than going out to work, university, college or school during the day you are probably working from home. So, you wake up in the morning, potter to the kitchen, have some breakfast, think about your next project or blog post, then go and sit at your computer and get started. Your day then finishes and you head back to the kitchen for dinner, watch some TV and then back to bed. Rinse and repeat.

I soon realised that if I did this routine for five days a week I would soon go crazy and turn into Howard Hughes (but not as rich!) So here is what you have been waiting for, the how-can-I-stay-sane list:

• If you don’t have one already then I would highly recommend you go and buy a laptop. I was very attached to my desktop PC (in its noisy, multi-monitored glory) but there are only so many hours a day I can bear to spend in one place. Besides, I became a freelancer so I didn’t have to work at a desk. So go get a laptop, the smaller the better (I love my Dell D430)!
• Find some nice coffee shops in your local area. If you cannot think of any then take some time out from the monitor and go and stretch your legs. If they have Wi-Fi then that is great, but I would recommend getting a 3G modem for your laptop anyway (or the equivalent in your country).
• Sling your shiny new laptop over your shoulder and head out into the big wide world. Go to one of those coffee shops, order some caffeine laden beverage and get to work. If you have been encountering that cabin fever feeling then you should start to feel the difference pretty soon. You may be a bit less productive, but will also start to feel happier (if only because you can appreciate not being stuck in an office).
• If you know you have a long project coming up then you could always go and book yourself a nice holiday house for a week – somewhere relaxed where you can work without too many distractions. This can work especially well if the project involves a group of developers as it can give you a chance to work in the same building, which doesn’t often happen as a freelancer. Plus you can make the cost into a business expense (or even bill it to the client)!
• On a less work related note, I have long been a proponent of the just say yes strategy in life. By this I mean that if an opportunity comes along to do something (be it work related, going out with friends, walking the Himalayas etc.) then just do it. This was especially useful to me as I moved to London without knowing anyone there beforehand, and this technique helped me get out and about quickly.

Anyway, I hope this has given you some ideas. My thinking is that I became a freelancer because it would make me happier, not because I wanted to end up wearing tissue boxes on my feet. So get out!