Yes, freelance and remote work are on the rise. They make more and more people believe that office life is a thing of the past and the dream life - having money and not having to leave your house to get it - is within their grasp.
But as with anything that seems too good to be true, there are downsides to this work arrangement that people don't often talk about. In the interest of full disclosure, this article discusses some freelance and remote work challenges.
Hi! It's Emily - a non-remote worker in the Armenia-based SEO agency, a remote worker for the US-based link-building agency, a freelance content writer at Collab Fabrik and a lecturer of offline lessons at a local marketing school.
Jumping from one type of work to another for over three years, I've had my fair share of experience with remote and freelance employment challenges.
And the best takeaway is that most of these internal challenges have more to do with ourselves than with the work set-up itself.
Before I open my heart to you, let's quickly define the two main types of work I'm going to talk about so that we're on the same page.
A freelancer is an individual who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long-term. They often work project to project basis and have multiple clients at any given time.
A remote worker is employed by one company. However, remote workers do not have to be physically present in the office to do their job.
We often use these terms interchangeably. Meanwhile, there is a big distinction between the two. One of the crucial differences is that remote workers have the discipline and schedule of their employer company. In contrast, freelancers have more freedom regarding working hours and their processes.
Now, as things are clear, let's move to the main challenges you will likely meet when working remotely.
Why do so many companies invest big sums of money into renting or building office space for their employees?
The answer is – to get everyone to do the job within the set time frame. In other words, to ensure team members commit to the company’s common goal with their full potential.
The office atmosphere, with its necessary infrastructure of work, constant interaction with the team and a sense of common goal, helps individuals to focus on work and avoid distractions.
On the contrary, remote and freelance employees are more prone to procrastination and lack of motivation. Anything happening in their living space can distract them easily.
(Agree, it's harder to concentrate on work when your bed is right next to you and there is a never-ending stream of social media notifications coming through.)
And here’s when the importance of self-discipline and strict planning comes into play. If you want to be a successful remote or freelance worker, you MUST become your own manager. You should set up working hours, deadlines, and goals and stick to them.
As a remote worker, set a clear routine for your working day and stick to it as much as possible. Get up at the same time every day, have breakfast, work for set hours, take a lunch break, and so on.
For freelancers who don’t have a classical working day, I recommend setting a goal for the number of hours they want to work every day and allocating time slots to different tasks. This way, you will not lose the sense of time and avoid working around the clock. Additionally, you will not take on more work than you can handle, a common mistake among freelancers.
In other words, both as a remote and freelance worker, your goal is not to let your body and mind get used to the idea that there is no work-life boundary and you can do whatever you want whenever you feel like it.
At first, you will like the freedom this lifestyle brings (younger me will prove this). However, constantly mixing work and personal life can eventually lead to anxiety, stress, and a decrease in productivity.
