8 COMMON HABITS TO BREAK FOR A HAPPIER SELF-EMPLOYED LIFE

Fourteen years ago this month, I jumped the safe, steady employment ship to enter the choppy waters of being self employed. I went to go and work for myself. Most of the time, I love being self employed. Other times, not so much! When work is challenging or there's not enough of it, I often consider going back into employment and find myself daydreaming about having security again. Of sick pay and paid holiday days. A regular monthly income and colleagues to chat ideas with. But I soon wake up and realise how lucky I am. Self employment isn't for the faint hearted but for me and my life, it works. There's a lot to be said for working for yourself - the freedom, opportunities and reliance on your own talents, determination, courage and grit. It's quite something. Fourteen years in, I now have a really good idea of what works for me, and what doesn't. So if you're new to the self employment world, let me share some advice. Here are 8 common habits you need to break for a happier, self-employed life.

1) STOP worrying (or at least try to limit it!)

If I had a pound for every minute I have spent worrying about work and clients over the past decade or so, I’d be a very wealthy woman. You know how it goes... ‘What if I never find work? What if I never get paid?  How will I sort out my accounts? What if I make a mess of the client’s work? How am I going to fit it all in? ’etc

Worrying is only natural when you're wondering where your next payment or client will come from, but what I've learned is that it gets you absolutely nowhere. Worry doesn't create momentum. It hinders it. Stopping you from moving forward, thinking positively or making plans. Left to spiral, it will rob you of your happiness, prevent you from sleeping and have you searching for dull employment vacancies, before you know it. My advice? When the worry comes, acknowledge it, accept it's part of the course and say on repeat 'everything will all work out' because it will. Keep going.

2) STOP comparing yourself  to others

A teeny amount of comparison is healthy when you’re self employed because it's critical that you have a good idea of who your competition is, what they offer and how much they charge. But that's when it should stop. Keep comparing yourself to others in your field and you will lose your confidence, ideas, creativity and the essence of what makes you, you. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that everyone else is doing much better. Much of what you see online is often only smokescreens and mirrors anyway. Focus on yourself. Focus on what you offer. Then let everyone else get on with the doing the same. You'll be a lot happier I promise.

3) STOP putting things off

We all have them. Those boring, irritating jobs that need doing that we just keep putting off. Admin jobs are my personal idea of hell but I've learned over the years to tackle them straight away. To 'eat the frog' first. After numerous mistakes (or should that be lessons?!) I know that if I don't sort out the little jobs, they soon evolve into a monstrous ball of stress that ruins my work mojo. Being self-employed means you have to wear many different hats in order for your business to succeed, so if you want to feel less stressed and more productive, dig deep, and get the jobs you hate, out of the way, as soon as you can bear. Your sanity will thank you!

4) STOP working with nightmare clients

This is one of the biggest lessons I have learned as a self employed person and I learnt it fast, back in my early days as a freelancer. After a small number of challenging experiences I realised that nightmare clients are really just not worth the hassle, regardless of how much money they may bring in or how low my bank account is looking. From experience, they usally take up too much time, expect far too much, will contact you whenever they see fit, pay late or need numerous reminders (again, which takes up more time) and generally make work life stressful and unpleasant. So avoid them, at all costs.

Admittedly, it’s tricky to spot them at first but here are a few warning signs that should trigger your suspicions: they don't behave in a professional manner, they're frequently late, they don't respect your skills or experience (or anyone elses!) and finally, they're just not nice people to be around.

Always choose self-respect over the pound and work with clients whom are a pleasure to deal with, and know.

5) STOP wasting time

We’ve all done it. You think to yourself, I’ll just have ten minutes scrolling on social media and before you know it, you've lost a few hours of precious work time and are left stressing over the million things you’ve still got to do. Working for yourself, especially if you work from home, means that you constantly face being lured by time-wasting temptations so you have to be tough and disciplined. If you want time off, take it. Not in the mood to work? Then sure, give yourself a break. Having the freedom to choose what you do and when, is one of the main perks of working for yourself afterall. But don't let time slip through your fingers, unconsciously. If you want to earn a decent living plus actually have spare time to enjoy as you please, then you need to be strict with your time. Don't waste it.

6) STOP working for free (unless you really want to!)

Oh my. The number of times I've been asked - or worse, expected - to work for free is insane. It happens frequently. Whether it's businesses wanting my services for free or people I know expecting a freebie, it really does appear that as soon as people know you work for yourself, many will expect you to work for nothing, purely out of the goodness of your own heart. In the past I've been badly burned by sharing my time, skills and experience with too many individuals and businesses who haven't even thanked me for my help. So today, I am much more careful. Working for free doesn't pay the bills. Working for free, more often than not, isn't even appreciated! So try not to do it, unless, you really, really want to.

Occasionally you may want to help out. For a charity perhaps or a loved one. It's a beautiful thing to want to help others, but please don't forget your worth. Be kind yes, but be choosy. Don't let people abuse your good nature or take you for a fool.

7) STOP overthinking

I've had so many ideas over the years, but many of them never got off the ground. Why? Because I did too much thinking and not enough doing. Overthinking causes paralysis when it comes to business plans. So if your gut says yes and you have the time, energy and resources to do something, then do it! There's never a perfect time or a perfect plan. If there's something you want to do, go for it! Give it a go. The worst thing than can happen is that it fails and you learn a valuable lesson in the process, which will help you next time.

 8) STOP forgetting how brilliant self employment is If you are someone who earns a living, working for yourself and doing something you love, then you are blessed. Truly. I know it doesn't always feel like this and I know it's incredibly difficult at times, but don't take that freedom and joy for granted. On a Monday morning, when I drop my kids off at their schools, I often hear groans from people who are back at work and dreading the week ahead. I'm sure you're the same.

So when things are tough - and they will be from time to time - hold onto that. To love what you you do and to be able to choose how you spend your time and who you work with, is a privilege that is denied to many. I never dread my work or Monday mornings. Isn't that amazing? How many people can say this and truly mean it? We're lucky I tell you, lucky indeed.

What self employed habit would you give up to be happier? Pop it in the comments below and let's help each other.