STARTING YOUR FREELANCE CAREER
THE HAPPINESS FACTOR

If you can discover what work you want to do, what makes you happy, you can "have it all." Why not approach your job with the idea that as long as you have to work you may as well do something you enjoy?

Someone very close to me has struggled for years trying to reconcile her creative side with her deep need to do something to make a difference in this world. Last week she discovered work that will allow her to give full reign to her creativity while contributing her skills to support several non-profit organizations. She finally found a terrific solution to a problem that has troubled her for over 15 years. Why did it take so long? Perhaps because she was never taught that you can find a job that is tailor-made for you, outside preconceived notions of a proper career.

If you already know exactly what you want to do, then go for it. Don't let anything stop you. If you have a general idea of what you want to do, but haven't settled on the exact focus, then put all your energy into discovering what is interesting and exciting to you. If you want to be a writer, then do the kind of writing that will make each new day an adventure not drudgery. You can apply this principle to any career that you are pursuing.

Guess what? It may take only a slight change in focus to turn a good freelance career into a fantastic, fulfilling life. Take a little time and think about what you really want to do. Then find a way to do it. Be sure to keep in mind that on the way to your ultimate goals, you may need to spend some time doing less than ideal, temporary jobs to take you to the next level.

One of the best kept secrets in today's job market is that you can't expect to start out on the ground floor in a business, work your way up and eventually retire from the same company. Unlike your parents, you can expect to have many jobs during the course of your career. Surprise! Not a negative! This new fact of your work life means you get to re-create yourself. If you possess a multitude of interests and are have had a hard time deciding on one career, then you are living in an ideal job world. You can have more than one career without guilt. In fact, if you learn and prepare yourself you'll be ready for that next "life" when it presents itself.

So, as you start your freelance career, consider doing what you love. It may not be as difficult as you think. Remember when you do what makes you happy it's easy to do it well. Here's to your new career and your happiness!

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Marilyn Crain is a freelance writer with an extensive background in human resources, information systems and performance improvement. Most of her writing has been in these business fields, but she is now expanding her horizons into other areas.

She has had a lifelong love of reading and writing. Among her many passions is sharing history with children through her developing series of children's historical fiction soon to be out on www.ezetta.com.

She is a partner in the e-newsletter/e-marketing site http://www.evoicenewsletters.com/, as well as, the soon to be launched eZetta.com, author's site devoted to e-book publishing and decodiva.com, a site filled with beautiful living resources. She is co-publisher of two newsletters, The eVoice and The Freelance Life. You may contact her: marilyn@smartwriters.com.