It is official - Freelancing has arrived !

One of most talked about in management chatter is ‘self-management’. As an area of work and deep study , there is increasingly a lot of seminal thought and work in this subject. This is also quite different from the ‘self-improvement’ books of the yore which was essentially snake oil selling as hot cakes. The employee of today needs to see purpose and a ‘larger task’ at the workplace. Besides the work she does , there is also a constant quest to look at the holistic picture beyond ones’s cubicle. Add to all this , there is increasingly the need for work-life balance and most professionals want a balanced lifestyle which is not prisoner to the office routines but has ample recesses for family and personal time. The need for breaks is negotiated in employment contracts and company model policies to take this into heed. Along with all these changes, the biggest change to be witnessed in the future is – freelancing ! Yes, freelancing has arrived and it is official now !

For a young economy like India , ‘young’ due to the decreasing age of the population and the fast evolving digitally savvy mindset, we have a popultion who want to do a lot more than confining themselves to a workplace. Being control of own time is one of the notions most of them have and this is different from the earlier generations who were addicted to the timelines and punctualities dictated by supervisors at work. But discipline was often a structure which was created by these work environments.  Our schooling systems has created structures of timetables and at some level we need those to guide our own principles of time management. So , the transition to a freelance mindset is not easy. The ‘ World without bosses’ is a romantic concept and one has to be cautious to get the basic thought processes in place.

Before embarking onto the quest , there are a few questions you need to answer individually.

What is the purpose ?        

Is the purpose is the need for personal time and to work at own terms and conditions , think again . Much like entrepreneurship , freelancing is not for everyone. At times we need the sttuctures of a workplace to direct our efficiencies and thoughts. We also need the learning environment that a work place provides and the security of co-workers. Loyalty to an organisation becomes a requirement and it additionally brings a sense of belonging which is not easily given up. Buut if you have the drive to learn and initiative to embark on tasks on your own and have a keen focus on your learning and development , freelancing is for you. Much like consultants , you can accelerate your learning trajectory through interactions across organisations and the challenges that the various situations provide. You also need to be driven by actively engaging in work and have to develop the ability to certify the completion of your work.

Where do you work from ?

A lot of professionals need the cubicle / cabin structure to enhance their productivity. While most surveys on workplaces say that ‘working from home’ is the most comfortable. But this is easier thought than done. A slew of corporate lawyers once avered than it is difficult to work undless they are in a suits with a speckles shirts and ties cinched to their necks. Even when sone of them embarked in the journey of freelancing , they continued wearing their suits even when operating out of their basements, garages or co-working spaces. The increasing spurt of the coworking spaces also serves the same purpose of building a workplace to your comfort and specification and has the right blend of casualness and formality. You need to find a place where you are at your productive best – whether it is your house or even your bed !

Where do you find the conversations and interactions?

A lot of our development professionally happens with the multifarious interactions we have at the workplace. This is not just through the valuable confines of work but also comes from the what cooler discussions and the pebbles of organisational culture you unconsciously pick up in your time with organisations. While culture itself is like the vitals of an organisation, professionals gain a lot from it and embrace maturity through it. You will need to foster avenues of these cioversationbs abd fellow experts. This can happen through industry or sector networking forums like TiE, CII , FICCI etc.

Where do you find the routine?

Workplace discipline like punching or clocking time or the biometric sensors which unobstrucsively take timings and instil discipline are all directive mechanisms. But they have their benefits when it comes to time management and the ability to budget and allocate time to various priorities at work and in the personal domain. Regular routines are also catalysts to efficiency and productivity. It also calls for tremendous drive and motivation to make it work. Lot of structures and support functions are always taken for granted. So when you become your own boss , there is also the need to make sure that you are a great ‘employee’ to yourself too.

The freedom of freelancing also comes with tremendous difficulties of coordinating work. Little supports which enhances your productive time are mostly absent when you are freelancing. Then there is a mountain of little issues which were solved in a jiffy with a team but seems unsurmountable when you tackle it alone. The sense of power you derive in organisations is also positional and this will disappear in a freelancing. But if you can straddle this obstacles , you are in for a very interesting time. You can ‘jobcraft’ your tasks at your own interests and priorities. You may find a lot of meaning in your work , ability to choose what you want to do and also aggrandize the sort of experiences you need in your repertoire ! Most importantly if you are a vision what you work life should be , here is a opportunity to create it !