100 days as a Freelancer - reflections

It was in the first hours of the new year when I decided to step into a new game - something I have thought about over the years, but never had the guts to actually do it.

I became a freelancer.

It would be a lie if I don't admit that a few years back, still at the beginning of my career in HR, I was part of the crowd that didn't have a good view of freelancers - we were taught to look for the best of the best (top educational institutions, renowned companies, evident progression by the book). Everything else was labeled as "not good enough" or "too aloof" to guarantee a "strong candidate" for a role. As technologies were quickly disrupting each aspect of the business world, we started seeing a change of perception.

Some blamed the Millennials, others the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in any case, we all see a shift towards a flexible work environment (aka work from home or "wfh" which is one of the popular acronyms in the corp world nowadays), freelancing and remote options. It could be simply explained with the gig economywhich facilitates multiple short or mid-term assignments that allow you to be engaged with more than one employer.

As everything in life, there are always pros and cons, supporters and detractors, no one is truly right and everyone has a valid point. But why is this all important? Maybe because we want more understanding and a level of awareness that doesn't put you automatically in the "good" or "bad" pile.

Today we celebrated the Global Work From Home Day and I see no better time than now to share my reflections on the first 100 days of my new career as a Freelancer. I have TIME for these 5 (and to be frank many more) important things:

Volunteering - some tech companies have volunteering hours and matching contributions which is a great social perk, however what often happens is that you rarely find time to dedicate a whole day to an NGO or to support a conference you are interested in. I had the unique chance to get involved in not 1 but 2 already!

It has always been a dream of mine to collaborate with talented aspiring professionals in a startup setup, who are still crafting their skills, behaviors and know-how!

Met amazing people, got sucked into various ideas, tested my own knowledge and got inspiration for the next 6 months (special thanks to a lovely lady that has been my go-to and top connector!).

2. Attending events, webinars and meetups - I notice the faces of all individuals joining these activities after work - tired, puffy red eyes from the x amount of hours in front of the laptop, happily jumping on the pizza and beers that are usually served, somehow still keen on a bit of social interaction on a Tuesday evening.

For me, that is a time to cherish the speakers, the topic, the time and effort to put a FREE event together, host it, look after a bunch of hungry and thirsty people... How often do we really consider everything in the background? And do we truly listen and participate actively or our mind is distracted from the daily noise.

3. Reminding myself of where it all began (and your family) - as one of the hundreds of thousands of expats in Ireland, I didn't get the chance to spend time with my folks whenever I wanted. I was privileged to be in organisations that supported wfh, nevertheless the 3 weeks I dedicated to my family in Bulgaria was beyond enriching!

It was productive, pleasant, rewarding, encouraging and educational. You forget the pulse of your own country when you live abroad - you hear about trends, the weather, problems and complaints, but you don't get to immerse yourself in the reality. What I used to like - walks in nature, an outdoor lunch, wandering in the city at night time. Treat your mom/dad/family or friend with a nice dinner, show them a bit of gratitude (cliche you will say). I am not even going to start telling you about the joy from waking up in the morning as the aroma from your grandma's French toasts is filling the room...

Remember your roots and what brought you where you are now.

4. Finally complete this course on Design thinking, read the 3 books you have on page 104, DO MORE! Reality is harsh, I do have the tendency to start many things at the same time (and I am not alone in this counter-productive approach) and occasionally I either procrastinate or remove them from the "to-do" list, as they have been deprioritized in my head. Even if it sounds exciting, now I exert much bigger control on ensuring I put my heart and soul and I see the impact in the end. For one basic reason - I do it for myself and there is No one else to do it for me. And that is scary. You cannot hide, you cannot delegate, you can't rely on someone else more knowledgeable or competent. A big shock for us - the privileged kids of the tech giants that give you free food, monthly massages, cool swag, and make you feel ultra special.

Once you are out of the comfort zone, not having a manual of what and how to do, the only option is to give it a go - the timeless concept of trial and error. Somehow the creativity juice starts flowing and you end up on the other side of the rabbit hole. Whether it is building a company brand, organizing your first speaker event, recording video tutorials, becoming an online lecturer or starting a podcast ... magic does happen, others see it, you see it and you start learning again. One of the hidden pitfalls of being in the tech bubble is a commonly known but rarely admitted fact - you do stop learning and you do lose your creativity at some stage along the way (I am sure some readers won't agree with me and would fearlessly defend the opposite).

5. Embrace boredom - sounds weird, doesn't it? It never occurred to me that this is helpful or even achievable. It felt odd as we have so many distractors in order to avoid boredom. This article by Colin Robertson resonated with me quite a lot (not only because the guy was studying psychology like me) - maybe you will find some relevance and practicability in this concept too.

Did I mention I choose when, how and where to work?

Thank you for reading this blog post & feel free to share it!

P.S. A rule of engagement on a platform like LinkedIn is making a judgment call of whether it is a good idea to send a complete stranger the template "Congrats on your new job" every single time they get a new gig. My view on this is that it does not add value to anyone unless you have an established relationship or you personalise the message - otherwise, it is pure spam. Don't abuse the system.