Let me ask you a question: why are you here? I don’t mean why are here on this earth. I mean, why are you here on this blog, reading these articles?
I’m assuming it’s got something to do with the fact that you’re either curious about becoming a freelancer or solo professional or, you’re curious about how to make improvements in some area of your current business.
But, why, specifically are you interested in that?
Why don’t you just go out and get a job?
I’m serious. For most of us, that is precisely what we have been taught, conditioned and trained to do. That’s why the vast majority of us do just that. (Although… the scales are rapidly tipping as more and more people find themselves exploring the freelance life either by force or by intent.)
But back to you. I want to ask you one more time… WHY are you so diligent, persistent, curious or smitten about the idea of working for yourself?
The reason I keep asking is not because I’m nosy, or because it’s important for me to know. The reason is because it’s important for YOU to know.
So back to the question: Why are you here?
When we visit blogs, buy books, watch instructional videos, listen to podcasts… etc. often it’s because we’re consumed by the pursuit of the HOW of it all. We may have a goal or, at the very least, a curiosity about a new direction for ourselves, and this sparks all kinds of “HOW” type questions, like:
HOW do I start my business?
HOW do I get clients?
HOW do I make more money, balance my life, schedule my time…? etc.
Each HOW question leads us to another, and another, and before we know it, we’ve got a hard drive stuffed full of ebooks, MP3 files and other things that get lost in our eternal quest to learn more about the HOW.
Forget About the How – At Least for Now
I’m suggesting you take a moment, right now, to forget about the HOW. Just forget all about HOW you are going to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself and instead, spend some time asking yourself WHY you want to achieve them.
Try this exercise…
- Ask yourself, WHY do I want to be a… [freelancer / consultant / solopreneur / whatever term you like]? Write your answer down.
- Look at the answer you’ve just written down and ask yourself, WHY is that important to me? Write your answer down.
- Repeat step 2 many times, maybe even 10 or 20 times, or until you feel like you’ve arrived at an answer that feels authentic, positive and powerful – and maybe even a little surprising.
Once you’ve arrived at that authentic answer… put it up in your office or carry it in your wallet, somewhere where you’ll see it every day.
Tomorrow, or maybe even later today, your mind may again become obsessed with finding answers to new versions of the question of “HOW do I…” do this or that. That’s fine. And finding answers to the HOW questions is, of course, very important if you are to achieve your goals.
But I’ve come to believe that the HOW questions are not as important as the WHY questions.
The WHY questions help you drill down to the source of what is really important to you, what really matters, what really motivates you. If you’ve taken the time to get clear on your own WHY questions, I’ll bet you’ll agree… your answers suddenly bring greater clarity, excitement and efficiency to your consumption and execution of the HOW.
If you did the exercise above, your answers may be very personal, so I’m not about to ask you to share them in the comments. (But, if you didn’t actually do the exercise above… permit me to ask… WHY not? 
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Pete Savage is co-author of The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and An Enviable Lifestyle. Now available at bookstores everywhere.
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Good point. Working as a freelancer is as much an emotional journey as it is a technical one, so it’s important to focus on both the Why and the How.
The trap I tend to also get caught up in is not focusing on the What enough, as in, I spend a lot of time researching and learning the How, so What am I doing to actually put it in action. It’s easy to fool yourself into thinking you’re making progress while you’re in the How phase, but at some point you need to implement these lessons.
1. I want to stay at home with my three children, but I need to work to add to our income so I can feed the five of us.
2. It is important to me because I want to homeschool the oldest and be there for all three of them (homeschool the youngest two when the time comes), but I cannot just be mommy. I tried that for six months and my brain turned to mush. I need something that challenges my brain and lets me be myself while still being mommy.
Mark – thanks, yes, you bring up a good point with the other trap of the HOW… the false sense of progress!
Melinda – wow, thanks for sharing your answers. Now THAT is what I call a purposeful “WHY.” I’m sure your WHY provides strong motivation for you.
Excellent thoughts, Pete. Why don’t we get a job? Well, for one reason, the job market for the past 2 years or so, can be summed up in two words – it stinks! Or perhaps being a freelancer is “more secure” than the current job market.
Randy
Wow, I’m definitely guilty of the HOW syndrome. It’s funny how our purpose (aka WHY) gets lost amongst our everyday work and our desire to improve.
Thank you! Writing up those WHYs now.
How specific should the “whys” be? I decided to freelance because I wanted more control over my life, and because I wanted a backup plan in case circumstances changed regarding my then-current employer. I think that’s a major motivator for a lot of freelancers.
Great post, Pete. “Why” does indeed help me drill down. I’m an info-junkie (i.e. “how” person). Among my growing list of “whys” – Influence. As a freelance copywriter and developing info-publisher/marketer I want to…
a) Influence my young adult daughters by transferring my biz-building skills so they always have a means to earn without depending on the job market.
And…
b) Influence others – I’m a teacher at heart.
My “why” is because I want to create a substantial and guaranteed income base that will allow me he privilege of opening a group home for foster kids who are transitioning out of foster care. I want to help them by being a supporter of, example to, and mentor to them while they are coming into their adulthood. A regular JOB won’t allow me that freedom/privilege, because the job will require 40+ hours of my time and my “purpose” would be on the backburner, or worse off the stove completely because of time restraints. I don’t want to give “less than”, but “more than”, to these kids, because they have always been given the leftovers or less than other kids. Being a freelancer with multiple streams of revenue will allow me the honor to help and give back to a group of young people who will grow to become the future leaders of our world. Now, let me get to work on my plan. Thank you for the opportunity to put into the universe my “why”, for so long I have kept it hidden in my heart and never seemed to get the finances to flow properly to get this started. Starting today, it leaves my heart and goes to my pen and paper.
Excellent post, Pete, and a reminder that we may have all the technical and business skills in the world – but if we, of all people, are not passionate and enthusiastic in our daily work, none of it will matter.
Your article didn’t touch on this point – but another excellent reason to engage in the WHY process is motivation. When the rationale for my choices is front and centre in my life, I’m reminded on a daily/hourly basis of the underlying rationale for choosing it in the first place. It helps guide future initiatives, and acts as a gentle (or not so gentle) poke in the ribs when I get complacent. And it brightens those gloomy, client-free hours when anxiety can creep in, and thoughts like « why don’t I just go get a REAL job? » haunt me.
Thanks for the reminder.
Boy this hit home with me Pete. Thanks for making us think. Guilty as charged of the info junkie syndrome! Stepping back I remembered the most important things: I need to be home with my family, raising my kids, and by freelancing I can free up my family to move back overseas. I believe you can do all these things as a freelance copywriter… but not with a regular j-o-b. It’s just such a mental switch when you’ve ONLY been working for someone else your whole life.
Here’s a fun little bit… it’s someone’s profile text on Twitter (@psjoneswrites): “There are about 25 million Americans who develop grotesque facial ticks when they hear the words ‘9 to 5.’ . . . We call them freelancers.”
I’m looking forward to having that little tick.
When I boil it down and answer myself honestly, my goals aren’t quite so noble as everyone else… you have some very admirable readers.
These are my reasons: I have a serious problem with authority. I don’t like bosses. I don’t like schedules. And my biggest fear is that I’ll be seen as ordinary… which in my head translates to boring. As I got further into it and struggled in the first year, my motivation was, “I’ll be embarrassed if I quit now.”
Excellent! I really needed to read this – it’s been a week of struggles for me.
I had one of those “A-hahhhh!” moments when I stopped to do your exercise this morning. I actually wrote down a few answers but the ONE answer that jumped off the page was: I want to be a freelance copywriter because I can FINALLY write and finally can be creative – creativity equals FREEDOM.
As I thought about it, I realize that I also want the freedom to be able to BUILD my own business – it’s not JUST about the copywriting or consulting (which I love) BUT it’s about making a name for myself as a female business owner/solo-preneur.
Thanks Pete! Wonderful advice – as always!
PS – Mike, I LOVE that funny quote. I’m going to send that to my freelancer friends – that made my weekend!
@Randy, I absolutely agree. I think being a freelancer is far more stable than trying to find a “J-O-B” out there in this crazy market. It’s interesting to think that I saw the writing on the wall when I left the non-profit sector three years ago. I knew things would come a-tumbling down (which they did and I wouldn’t even have a job if I stayed with that particular non-profit since they closed their doors).
While working in the job world, I grew tired of the office politics. I figured that, in addition to not having bosses and coworkers looking over my shoulder, I could do better work as a freelancer. That has indeed proven to be the case.
Thanks to everyone who is commenting here and going through the process of answering those WHY questions. Sometimes it’s surprising what you reveal about your own WHYs just by going through this simple exercise. Other times, as Josie above puts it, just the act of physically committing to paper what you already know in your heart can be very freeing… an easy, but significant step toward creating new results in your life and your business.
Mady – you’re right, getting clear on the WHY is all about motivation – that is the real, lasting gift you come away with after doing the WHY exercise. Tanks for highlighting that central benefit for all of us.
Ha, ha, my mother just asked me that last week “why don’t you just get a job?” and when I answered that I really DON’T WANT a job – she was genuinely surprised. But for me, working for myself was always a dream – although for a long time I did not know how to make it happen (and I thing I did not believe in myself enough to think I could make it work). Then a few years ago I finally figured out what I would really like to do, and I – thanks to the Internet – I’m beginning to live my dream.
I work from home and set my own schedule – so I can take care of my son, but I also want to travel around the world with my family for extended periods of time – while still being able to earn a living wherever I go.
Why do I do what I do? Because I couldn’t stand being in the corporate box. I hated being told how to dress, how to write, how to think.
When I go visit clients and see the offices and cubes, I rush back to my own office — thankful that I have it and the freedom to be me.
That’s *why* I do what I do.
As a working mom I feel guilty working and leaving my kids in childcare but then if I stay home then I feel guilty for not contributing to my family’s finances….where’s the balance? So with that being said this is my “why”:
Freelancing = Freedom! The freedom from guilt and worry and freedom to live life how I want to live it and to give to my husband and my children what I want to give them – emotionally and monetarily.
I’s so tried of the guilt and freelancing will allow me to make the amount the money that I want to and spend more time with my family…the lifestyle it can provide is a huge motivating factor me.
@Jennifer Stringer – YES! And it seems no matter if you work or you stay home with the kids and be mommy there is always someone out there to put even more guilt on you. I have yet to find someone, though, who can find fault in my staying at home AND working lol (But I’m sure someone will find me now lol)
My “why” is the same as those women who’ve already responded to this question. I want to stay at home with my two boys and make enough money to support us all. The irony is that when I was working out of the house, I still struggled to make ends meet (daycare costs are a killer) so I decided to create a better way. I’m also a self-professed “overachiever”. Working for one organization just isn’t going to cut it :=)
Now I just need to focus on hushing that voice in my head that tells me I don’t deserve to live this way. I do and I believe my children will be better because of it…