Why I decided to start a freelancing career
People who know me think that I have both 'beauty and brains'. They think that my path towards success would be smooth sailing, and that nothing would deviate me from reaching my goals. They believe that by the time I reached the age 25, I would be successful and such. Now at 25, little did they know that I am struggling in life, and the societal pressures that I willingly BUT innocently accepted since the day I received gold medals on my school stage took a toll on my mental and emotional health.
That was the time I decided that something must be changed -- that a new journey awaits me.
Scared and Undecided
Seeing one of my friends succeed as a freelancer made me so happy. I knew she was struggling too before, but not until she changed her career path. I often asked about her experiences in freelancing and I am amazed on all her stories! I thought 'what if I tried it too?', but my mind was still clouded with doubts and fears. My thoughts were nagging on me, as if they were saying that I was not good enough to be a freelancer, and that there were lots of people who can offer better skills than I do. These thoughts haunted me almost everyday.
The Life-changing Decision
December came. While I was browsing on my Facebook newsfeed, I saw an advertisement from the FVA Business Consultancy. I asked my friend about this site and she gave positive reviews about their offers. I still had my doubts in enrolling since I still have my day job which requires a lot of attention from me, but hearing such positive comments from my friend and seeing that they were on Christmas sale, I gladly enrolled in one course -- the Freelancing Course.
Enrolling in the Freelancing Course was the best decision I have ever made. My coach, Coach Julmar Grace Locsin is very approachable and she answers questions, if not right away, on the same day. She is also very encouraging and her tips for the newbies are really relevant to the field. The coaching sessions are also very informative and are easy to follow. As of writing, I am still on Week 3 sessions but I feel that I have gained a lot of learning and skills, and I am confident that by the end of the sessions, I will be equipped enough to sail on my new journey -- my journey in the freelancing world as a virtual assistant.
I know my new life path would not always be smooth sailing, but if I were to look back in times of breakdowns, here are the things that I would tell myself (this could be applicable to you too):
1. Social Pressures exist because you let them rule your life.
We cannot stop other people from giving pressures to our lives. What we can do is to never let these pressures affect our judgement, our mental health, and how we would want to run our lives.
2. Free yourself from things that do not bring peace of mind.
It may be your current work or some people in your life. Always ask yourself what Marie Kondo always asks, "does this spark joy?".
3. Amplify your previous skills (or hobbies) and learn new ones at the same time.
It is good for people to have skills or hobbies that they can do during the past time, but isn't it great if these skills are put to use? With this, search for videos, or articles that will teach you on how to make a living using these skills or hobbies. You may also opt to enroll in online courses that will teach you new skills that are equally important in the freelancing world.
4. Never be afraid to set sail on your new journey.
It is normal to be afraid. We are humans, after all. But always remember that if we just remain in our comfort zones and not conquer our fears, what good will it do? None. After all, if we just offer everything to the Lord, then He will surely make our new journey more pleasant.
Setting Sail
I know that I am still quite far in reaching my goal. I know that there are still hardships that I will go through along the way. I know that I still have lots of skills to unlock in the future, but know this... I am ready to set sail!