Freelancing with Reckless Serenity
Years ago, I was reading a book by Carl Hiaasen (I think it was Carl Hiaasen) in which a character made an impulsive decision with, to quote, “reckless serenity.”
And I just stopped in that moment and reveled in that glorious phrase. The best things I’ve ever done in my life have all been achieved in a state of reckless serenity – not carefully planned out to the last detail, but with the confidence that I’d be able to figure it out.
When I quit my job and went freelance, I didn’t have six months of savings in my bank account. When I moved to LA, I didn’t know a single soul in the city. When I walked into the Tae Kwon Do school to sign up, I didn’t even know what Tae Kwon Do was.
Every single one of these decisions was absolutely the right thing for me to do at the time, and I’m glad that I didn’t wait around to do them. I never would have.
Have Confidence in Yourself
I’m not saying, “Leap and the net will appear!” because that’s a great way to break a leg. I am saying, “You’re an intelligent adult who knows how to figure things out. Be a little more fearless and the world opens up for you.”
You don’t build fearlessness by making sure every single thing that could possibly go wrong is insured against. You build it by taking action instead of overthinking things.
Your website will never be perfect, so launch it anyway. You’ll never know if editing is the right career choice for you until you edit something, so edit something. If you’re not sure freelancing is the right solution for you, land a client and find out.
You’ll learn something from the act, even if it doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to. (Ask me about that time I became a literary agent.)
