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A new report from the Harvard Business School captures the essence of freelancing: free from the constraints of a manager, you take charge of your career and projects.
Freed from the limits of traditional workplaces, freelancers are able to select projects that align with their skills and passions. They have a sense of ownership over their work and their careers... However, this autonomy comes with the challenge of instability that persists over time.
According to the study, approximately 150 million individuals in North America and Western Europe are part of the gig economy. While many have joined platforms like Uber, the largest and fastest-growing sectors of the freelance economy are knowledge-based industries and creative roles.
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While the flexibility of freelancing is an advantage, it comes with the challenge of unpredictable schedules and financial instability—you become your own creative/business/HR department. You’re always chasing the next opportunity, juggling your budget and client relations, and occasionally remembering to put on pants.
This is a way of working that many of us are not trained to excel in. So, what does it take to succeed?
The report, which analyzed the habits of 65 gig economy workers, reveals that despite the appeal of flexibility that drove many away from full-time employment, achieving productivity and efficiency as a gig worker requires structure and the development of habits. The study emphasizes four key connections workers must foster to thrive: connections to places, routines, purpose, and people.
These connections “help them endure the emotional ups and downs of their work and gain energy and inspiration from their freedom.” And they’re not just valuable for freelancers—even traditional employees could benefit from nurturing these four elements in their work lives.
Place
Even though they work outside a traditional office, successful freelancers create personalized workspaces that help them maintain focus and stay grounded.
“People fail because they don’t carve out a space and time to focus on what they need to do,” a writer shared with HBR.
HBR identified several common features among the spaces they studied: They are compact, consistently used for significant tasks, equipped with the worker’s necessary tools and little else, and are exclusively dedicated to work.
Routine
Freelancers establish routines to stay focused and efficient, while also promoting a sense of control over their work.
Certain routines can enhance productivity: maintaining a schedule, sticking to a to-do list, tackling the toughest tasks first or jumping into a client call, leaving a sentence unfinished in a manuscript to make it easier to start the next day, or sweeping the studio floor while contemplating a new creation. Other routines, often related to sleep, meditation, nutrition, or exercise, blend personal well-being into the workday.
This might seem contrary to the reason many people choose freelancing—to escape the monotony of office life—but establishing a routine is actually effective when done on one’s own terms.
Purpose
Freelancers surveyed felt the need to engage in work that aligns with a higher purpose or passion—while their work serves to pay the bills, it’s also “more than just a way to earn a living.”
Having a sense of purpose gives freelancers the confidence to reject jobs that drain their energy or contradict their values. This is what differentiates the highly successful from the less so.
“A major difference between successful freelancers and those who struggle or return to corporate jobs is discovering what they’re truly meant to do,” an executive coach shared with HBR. “That gives me the resilience to ride the highs and lows. It also gives me the strength to turn down work that doesn’t align with my goals.”
Ultimately, having a clear purpose enhances the quality of their work.
People
Successful freelancers recognize the risks of social isolation—they build networks of friends, family, or colleagues in similar fields who offer support during tough times and encourage them to take the risks their work demands.
“Although many are indifferent to formal peer groups, which they often view as poor substitutes for true collegiality, all reported having trusted individuals they can turn to for reassurance and support,” the report adds.
While they may not have a steady group of coworkers, successful freelancers consistently surround themselves with quality individuals who offer guidance or serve as sounding boards.
Establishing these four key connections enables freelancers to thrive in ways they might not in a traditional office. “People in the gig economy must...[find] a balance between predictability and possibility, between viability (the assurance of ongoing work) and vitality (feeling present, authentic, and engaged in one’s work),” the report states.
If you’re venturing into independent work or have been feeling less than successful in your freelance career, this is an important lesson to internalize.
