To the uninitiated, these kinds of posts will feel like dirty lumps of coal in their stockings. “What? No fizz? No bubble gum bulls!@#. No hype. No sizzle. Nothing to get me wet in the shorts! How DARE he!”
But, to the savvy…
They recognize the truth in them.
Take this from Jerome:
Very few people/”masters” are good at explaining the why.
In my opinion it’s because either they have a high IQ but never figured out the why for themselves(laziness?) or it’s because their IQ is too low to actually get to that level of understanding.
You have mastered the why with php etc, and few people accomplish that feat with anything. Loads of WHAT masters out there. Too few WHY masters.
I have veered off the coding path and onto other things(still online stuff), but your emails etc remain useful and interesting to me.
So there’s that too.
Universal truth about the slow/patient approach, persistence etc. Took me just under 5 yrs to get to where I’m now, which is right around the corner of a comfortable regular income and longterm financial security.
Have indirectly had dozens of online “mentors” over the years, including you. It’s a process that everyone HAS to go through. Quicker for some, slower for others.
“Universal truths”.
That’s the inescapable reality of all this. Some people seem to think they can compartmentalize their success. Be a great developer, but a sh!@#y human being. Be a successful freelancer with a terrible work ethic. Etc..
Life doesn’t work that way.
Maybe for a time.
But, it’s always fleeting.
And, of course, that’s the “dirty little secret” of these little messages I send you everyday. Sure, they’re about coding or freelancing, business, etc. But, there’s a deeper purpose. It’s about who you are as a person.
Success tends to follow those with work ethic and passion.
Those with persistence and ingenuity.
In any case, take from that what you will. For the uninitiated, another lump of coal for you to toss aside. For the savvy, another universal truth to keep you on your path to success.
Another, more controversial point…
All of this is also the big reason why I freelance.
Many moons ago I recognized the mistake in spending my life and my talents working to make someone else’s dreams come true. In spending all that time and effort on something I couldn’t pass down to my kids.
Such a waste.
These last 2 months, as my youngest daughter was born, it became even more clear to me. If I worked a regular job, I couldn’t have spent the last 6 weeks at home with my wife and my daughter.
I wouldn’t be here now watching her sleep as I type this.
I couldn’t homeschool my kids.
My kids would essentially be raised by other people.
Ha! No way. I’ve MET other people. I’m good.
So, take this as yet another lump of coal… whatever you do now… find a way to a make it your own. To stop building someone else’s business, making their dreams come true and start building your own.
Something your kids… and their kids… can benefit from.
And, of course, freelancing is one of the simplest ways to make that transition. You can take whatever you do now for work and almost certainly find a way to do it freelance. Building your OWN business.
Not only will you make more, on average.
But, it will be YOURS.
No boss to blather on about “synergy” and “thinking outside the box”. No co-workers to drone on endlessly about how their weekend went…. “I don’t care, Karen. Can you shut up so I can get some work done!”
Just you, your mind and what you can build.
Scary for some.
Liberating for others.
In any case, once you’re ready to get started, take a look at my Beginner’s Guide to Freelance course because it’s going to show you all the things you need to do to get your freelance business up and running.
You can grab a copy over on Udemy here: https://johnmorrisonline.com/freelanceonudemy
Later,
John
P.S. If you prefer Skillshare, you can learn how to get ALL my courses for free there by going to this page: https://johnmorrisonline.com/skillshare
