Getting stuck in the middle-class rut of going to work at a job you hate, feeling overworked and underpaid, is something that grinds away at a person’s soul, reducing the individual to a labour machine. What’s troubling is the amount of people who believe that life is written, set in stone, and there is nothing they can do to improve their situation, short of a career change or “going back to school” (we’ve heard that one before). I can’t stress enough how much that isn’t the case, and we all have the power to not only change, but also manifest our own destiny. It’s not about how smart you are (it helps), but quite simply, how crafty you are, and whether or not you sell yourself short.
One thing I’ll never understand is this idea that our work life is completely separate from our home life. I really envy the folks who believe they can separate the two. If you ask me, this separation stems from the misdirected notion that work is supposed to be unfulfilling, stressful, even depressing. When I hear people tell me that they’re afraid of failure, I have to question their idea of failure. Most people have never hit rock bottom (or what they consider to be rock bottom), so their idea of “failure” is really the idea that material possessions are a measure of worth.
Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees, Neither Does the Spare Time You Need to Enjoy Your Toys
The problem with measuring your value by the material possessions is that these can’t contribute society in any meaningful way. I mean you can donate your record collection, but who is it going to benefit aside from an audiophile that’s been searching high and low for Barry Manilow’s greatest hits? Once you realize that the junk stacking up in your basement, attic, and garage, is just an anchor keeping you from experiencing some of the richest moments life has to offer, you’ll begin to appreciate the things in life that money just can’t buy – like the freedom to do what you love.
Think About Your Dream Job a Moment – Now the Hard Part’s Done
- Take only the work you want to do – Do you wince or smile when assigned additional tasks that cause delays, or a loss of productivity, to your normal workload? Are you silently fuming over this extra burden because you fear for the stability of your job if you refuse to take on additional work? Start calling your own shots! Find work on Elance in the particular niche you find most rewarding. Take on as much, or as little, as your workaholic heart desires.
- Set your own work schedule – Want to have every Tuesday free for your early morning tee-time, followed by a chocolate massage? When negotiating deadlines and milestones through Elance you can enjoy the flexibility you’ve been looking for but could never find elsewhere.
- Work from anywhere in the world – When you’re freelancing, you don’t have to punch-in your time card at the office. The whole world is your office! It’s as easy as writing a few articles between flights, then finding a wi-fi hotspot to upload them.
- Let work find you – Building a profile worthy of admiration is no small task on Elance, but once you have a few good reviews under your belt, the offers start coming to you instead of the other way around. It’s nice knowing that your skills are actually sought after, and not just in a pile of resumes on someone’s desk.
The Only Thing You Have to Lose is Your Dead-End Job
There’s no shortage of reasons why Elance is better than your day job, so take my advice and put yourself out there. You have nothing to lose, other than your dead-end cubicle job, and I’ve been trying to convince you to quit that anyways. When are you going to start taking my advice? Okay, okay, I get it, you don’t feel comfortable applying for work in your desired field until you get a server administrator course under your belt. The good news is studying online is every bit as easy as finding work through Elance, so that’s one less thing to worry about, right?
Freelance writer Rachel Cook is not your typical author, as her schedule is a constant whirlwind of fun activities like salsa dancing, jiu jitsu training and exploring the countryside of Colombia, where she enjoys visiting relatives. She prefers working online because it allows her ample time to pursue her passions while also pouring over the wealth of information available at www.ecourseclassroom.com.