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General Talk: Motivation

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      CommentAuthorarwen54
    • CommentTimeJan 8th 2007
     
    Being self-employed can be scary sometimes. After all, you don't get a regular pay and you have to rely on yourself to keep motivated. It takes an enormous amount of self-discipline to make it on your own and there are times when you just want to give up because it's can be difficult.

    Been there, done that.

    Lately I've been visiting some self-help websites to keep me "up". Here are my favorites:



    I visit those sites every day - once in the morning and once at night before turning off my computer - and let me tell you, it's made a huge difference in my life. I find it easier to remain positive and because of my frame of mind, I have been able to attract a lot of good stuff : more money, clients, etc.

    I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this subject and if you're self-employed, what do you do to keep yourself motivated and positive.

    thought for today: If you believe in yourself, others will believe in you.
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      CommentAuthorjanpd24
    • CommentTimeJan 8th 2007
     
    What keeps me going? A morbid fear that I'll run out of money and my bills will go unpaid!

    No, but seriously, I made a decision early on in my career that I'd be freelance because I found the whole office and office politics scenario a bit much to handle. (No, I don't do well in social situations!!) Now after about a decade, I find that I'm happy working for myself, even though I don't earn much.

    I make my own schedule, I have time for myself, and I seem to get more work done than my counterparts in fulltime jobs! Moreover, I have the time to do all different sorts of things. If I'd been working in an office, for instance, I'd never have got into web design. Nor would have written books.

    Sometimes - especially lately, as I'm living alone now - I get scared, and wonder if the security and benefits of what my mother calls a "proper job" wouldn't be a better idea. But even though I'd earn more, I'm sure I'd be miserable not to be able to, say, take a break when I want, refuse a job I'm not comfortable with, give myself a day off, or wreck my Sims' lives... bigsmile
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      CommentAuthorsnop
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    Posted By: janpd24or wreck my Sims' lives...
    They have it coming - my wife has been addicted to that game since the first release and I always hear her cursing them out.

    Proper jobs aren't all they're cracked up to be. Security is nice, but you are usually pretty limited in what you get to work on. For instance, this morning I'm making sure one of our apps displays correctly in IE 5.5, because as everyone knows, IE 5.5 is the current browser of choice in today's modern Internet...
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      CommentAuthorbcwood
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    Posted By: snopProper jobs aren't all they're cracked up to be.


    I couldn't agree more. My job is about as secure as they come (I work for the government), but it can be as boring as all get out sometimes. When I first entered the working world, all I wanted was a nice secure job that I could work at for 30 years and then retire with a nice pension. Nice idea, but after only a few years, I don't think I could make it that long without going crazy.

    Lately, I've been thinking more and more about going the freelance route, but have yet to make the jump.
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      CommentAuthorjanpd24
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    For instance, this morning I'm making sure one of our apps displays correctly in IE 5.5, because as everyone knows, IE 5.5 is the current browser of choice in today's modern Internet...


    bcwood, if that doesn't make you take the jump, what will???! fierce
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      CommentAuthorbcwood
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    That's a great point janpd - now I just have to convince my wife I won't run us into the poor house!
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      CommentAuthorLobsterMan
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    The good thing is you can slowly build up a freelance business while hanging on to a regular job. It gets tiring after a while, but once you feel secure enough you can make the jump.
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      CommentAuthorDENiAL
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    I'm just about to open my own office, got a hell of a deal, for doing it, and get free office space. I was just thinking that might help me, Actually work 9-5 everyday, to make sure everything gets done. Of course, if I don't want to go in, or whatever, that is my progitive.. I just think It may.. help get more local jobs, if the client can come someplace physical to meet me, rather then over the internet.
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      CommentAuthorsnop
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    Posted By: DENiALI just think It may.. help get more local jobs, if the client can come someplace physical to meet me, rather then over the internet.
    Not sure if it'll get you more jobs, but I bet it will let you charge more for the jobs you do get.
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      CommentAuthorarwen54
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2007
     
    @Payal...yes, not having that regular paycheck sucks sometimes...but I think freedom is more important than money...I always find that everything always works out and that everything I need, I get eventually. Summers are the hardest...traditionally that's the worst time for me...I don't seem to get as much work and so I always have to plan ahead for the lean months between mid-June and the end of August.

    @DENiAL...sweet deal getting free office space...I wish you the best of luck!
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      CommentAuthorsnop
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2007
     
    Here's another reason to work for yourself. It's so you don't have to spend time screwing with a terrible corporate look and feel to get something that looks half-way decent:


    And then be told that no, it must also match a departmental look and feel:



    Freakin' dinosaurs...god forbid anything changes for the better. Although, it does explain why COBOL still exists here...
    • CommentAuthoraanimo
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2007
     
    Steve Pavlina's site is indeed amazing :)
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      CommentAuthorbcwood
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2007
     
    snop, you have my sympathies... it sounds like you are dealing with many of the same things I am.

    And funny you should mention COBOL, because we have TONS of it. In fact, about 2 years ago, we spent $2 million for a new system written in COBOL - what year is this again?
    • CommentAuthoraanimo
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2007
     
    Occasionally I've had the opportunity to work on programs being written in FORTRAN. . .77.

    Yikes.
    • CommentAuthorkoloa
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2007
     
    what keeps me motivated?

    my wife and my parents on both sides. i realize i had it very easy growing up as a child and i want to do all i can to provide for my wife, 'future children(God willing)', and our aging parents. i seriously feel like a soldier, or its the feeling of 'growing' up.

    have a nice day.
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      CommentAuthorgnome
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2007
     
    Snop: my mom writes cobol for the MOH of Ontario. Some of the code is written in the 60's. At Least our government has all this stuff on the web.
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      CommentAuthorsnop
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2007
     
    They tried to teach me COBOL. It didn't go...smoothly. Something about having my mind already made up about its usefulness.
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      CommentAuthorarwen54
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2007
     
    snop...ah the Government of Canada...you have my sincere sympathy!

    I worked for the Immigration & Refugee Board in Toronto from 1990-1996...I left in '96 and have been freelance since then...the IRB is tied in with Canada Immigration...and I need not tell you how messed up that department is!
    my son's father still works for the IRB (yes we had an office romance but that's another story!)he's in IT there and what did they use...umm I seem to recall Banyan????

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