There are so many damn excuses out there. There are so many more reasons why you shouldn’t do something than there are for why you should do something.
- I have no time.
- I don’t have any ideas.
- I’m tired after work.
- I’m not that greedy.
- Money isn’t everything.
- Life is short- YOLO baby!
- …And the list goes on!!!
Are you not sick of making excuses? The video below crushes the top three excuses that are holding you back from freelancing. Then the rest of the article goes into greater detail.
I wanted to start off with a quick story.
I was at a birthday party the other night. It was for one of my oldest friends. We all met up at a karaoke bar and the shots started flowing! As the night progressed, the night turned into a bit of a reunion because I was running into friends that I hadn’t seen since high school for almost 7 years ago.
One of my friends was doing really. He has a job that pays well, graduated from school debt-free, and was ready for the next step. His only concern was that he didn’t like his job. He hated the work, but loved the money. He really wanted to start his own business and be his own boss.
The only thing holding him back from freelancing or starting a business is that he feel he doesn’t have the best idea. While, I usually don’t engage in arguments, after a few drinks I couldn’t help but get into a debate. This guy used every excuse in the book and I shared my responses.
This is how you blast through every conceivable excuse in the universe to start freelancing…
“I don’t know where to start.”
As corny as it sounds, every journey begins with the first step. What should your first step be? I suggest that you start doing the work. Then you can worry about everything else later.
As soon as you start doing the work, your goal should be to find a few paying clients. You need someone to pay you for your services so that you know you’re on to something legit and not just the next get rich quick fad of the month. Screw that! You have a hobby, not a business, until you have money coming in. Free is not a business model.
Oh and please, do NOT start with the business cards first. This is what every poser does. They get excited about being the “BOSS” that all they can think about is telling people (hot chicks) that they’re the CEO of Lame Company X. Then they spend hundreds of dollars on business cards. Then they hand out these stupid business cards to anyone that will listen for one second. I’ve seen many friends do this. It’s lame. I don’t need your business card, I know who you are.
Let’s take a step back…
How do you start doing the work? Just do it. If you want to be a writer, start writing. If you want to be a personal trainer, start training your friends for free. You want to teach guitar lessons? Put an ad up on Kijiji and see if anyone bites. Once you start doing the work, you can tweak the process as you go. The hardest part is getting into the grove of doing the work. Once you start, nothing can stop you.
“I don’t have a good idea.”
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just need to keep the wheel spinning. Every good idea has been used already. I hate to burst your bubble, but you’re not going to create the next Facebook. Sorry.
What idea should you use? Go with what you know. Ask yourself the following questions.
- What are my hobbies?
- What are my fears?
- What can I do better than everyone else?
- What would I do for free?
- What do my friends always ask me about?
In all of these questions there will come many answers. One of these answers will send you in the right direction. Don’t fight it.
“I don’t have any time.”
This is my favorite excuse. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. There’s no such thing as a time famine. There’s plenty of time going around for all of us.
Here are a few hacks to help you find more time:
- Wake up a bit earlier or go to sleep a bit later.
- Outsource a mundane activity.
- Schedule a few hour block on the weekends.
- Set a 20-minute time to do work at random times throughout your day.
- Use your smart phone to make life easier, not just to creep girls on Facebook.
- Work with the natural rhythm of your body. Don’t fight it.
There are many other ways that you can sneak out a few minutes in your day to get some freelancing done. I would love to hear more from you guys.
“I’m always tired.”
What the hell do you plan on doing when you have a family and kids and real responsibilities? What about when you have to take care of your sick parents?
Do you expect me to feel sorry for anyone in their 20s that claims to be tired? Wait, hold on, NOPE. Sorry can’t feel sorry for you.
If you’re concerned about always being tired, the first thing you need to do is to stop chugging 4 energy drinks a day and 10 cups of coffee. While I love my coffee, the more is not the merrier. The next step is you need to stop eating pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The reason that you have no energy is likely because you eat crap and hence you feel like crap. The final step is to start working out so that you feel damn amazing about yourself.
Don’t worry I’ll get into further detail on this topic in the near future.
That’s how you can throw your excuses out and finally get some work done.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I was just thinking about excuses today. Every time I seem to have a conversation with someone I don’t know very well, it seems to work out the same way. They wish they had more money, I suggest ways they can do it and even tell them to think about things they enjoy and point out ways they can make money from them, and they have a buttload of excuses on why it wouldn’t work. I then move on before slapping them upside the head…
Martin – You CRUSHED that video. Nice one! Solid content. Black and white because you felt like it…..Sure. The whole video I was wondering if you even knew it was black and white until after you posted it. Then found it funny that you mentioned it at the end.
The light in your bedroom was in the shot a few times. I found it distracting.
Other than that, Your rocking out these videos.
Thanks for the feedback Derek. The black and white has been dropped for now