Happy Birthday Self Employment

So I have been contract labor for about a year now.

The Good...

I am making a good living. Not great yet but good. Better than any other period of my life. Even with money taken out for taxes I am still doing better. Also getting up when I want, no commute to speak of, freedom to do the job however I see fit, provided I get it done, more respect for my abilities than ever before, laid back clients, dress how I want, smell bad if I choose etc. My work week is less than 40 hours. Id say more like 25-30. Finally no limits to my income. If I want to bust ass to find new clients I can do that. Most of my clients are thrilled to have me. No BS interview was necessary. I have never even met my biggest client. I quickly become an integral part of their business with immediate and measurable value, not some replaceable office drone.

Sounds great right??????

The Bad - Motivation, Isolation and taxes.

Staying on task is hard when no one is breathing down your neck. I am still making my clients big money but it could always be better, more efficient and organized. And with no one there to really see your system for getting things done then you can easily slip into slacker mode. New products teaching me new ideas, paid for by the company, has helped inspire me to always be exploring new ways to do things but it takes constant learning to break out of complacency.

And oh the isolation!

Sometimes the isolation really gets to me. I start to think bad things and feel bad about stupid things I probably would have never concerned myself with. Loneliness, stir-craziness, its all there at times and it does a number on my mental health if I don't watch it closely. Its probably the biggest issue of them all. I start to feel like I'm the only human alive except people I chat with on Skype or email. Ok Computer comes to mind. Combine it with Monday's post and I feel overwhelmed with isolation lately.

The tax aspect really sucks. I have to keep track of everything and do my best to find stuff to write off. I have yet to prepare my taxes for last year so Ill be posting about the unpleasantness soon. But this is a simple fix with a little organization.

No insurance or benefits also sucks. But I am quickly seeing how relying on anyone but yourself for your future or well being is a mistake. Yes I'm talking about the the stock market, social security, 401ks, the medical community, the value of the dollar... you name it. Nothing is truly safe or in your best interest so this is a minor concern for me as far as my career is concerned. Now as an American citizen... that's for another post.

Honestly I would rather take what I have to deal with now than what i have dealt with in the past. I literally hated my life at times due to my job. Not anymore. I am fully in charge of my financial destiny and seeing it finally pay off for me. I am late to this game but I'm in it.