10 Freelance Lessons I Learned from Surfing
10 Freelance Lessons I Learned from Surfing
How’s it going? It’s been a minute since I’ve written a post but I’m pretty sure you already know why. When everything happened I was convinced I’d be learning some new things, focusing on my business and trying to do the most in my day to day. The initial excitement of all the new things I could be doing was working for a while, but as we slip further and further down the pandemic black hole of all the emotions, one thing (outside of friends, family, fiance & fur babies) has helped me get through it all: surfing. I want to share with you some revelations about freelancing that I’ve gained along the waves.
It demands your full attention
And I mean your full attention. When I’m out there I don’t think about anything else other than the waves in front of me and how the ocean is behaving that particular day. Much like freelancing or entrepreneurship it demands your full attention because you’re wearing lots of hats all at once.It takes time to learn the basics
Especially if you’re going into freelancing from a completely different industry. And even if you’re not there will still be a learning curve. Allow yourself the time to really get the basics down because they become the building blocks of everything else. Make sure the foundation is sound.But once you know the basics, you can get even more creative
Nobody knows how to duck dive in their first few sessions. In the beginning you might just stay on your board or hop off when you see a big wave approaching. But after knowing the basics you can incorporate different styles. In this instance it’s getting past the waves to get to the lineup. In terms of business, develop systems and processes early on then consistently improve over time.The approach is not always head on
After putting in my hours in the water one I crucial thing I learned is that approaching every wave head on is exhausting. You need to distribute your energy accordingly. Sometimes you duck dive, sometimes you turn turtle, sometimes you paddle through the smallest part, and other times you let go of your board completely and pray you come out the other end. Like working for yourself, it’s the never the same each day and it will always keep you on your toes.Bigger waves mean longer rides and equally bigger wipeouts
Once you’ve gone several times you quickly realize that if you want to ride waves for longer you have to paddle out a lot farther. And in new territory comes different skills and different approaches. After enough wipeouts, you start to develop those new skills that you need for that next level up.But wipeouts can be fun too
As scary as it is to fail and wipe out, it can also be really fun! I’ve learned to embrace the wipeout and takeaway from it a renewed sense of humility. Your perception of your circumstances play a role in determining what success looks like.You don’t have to try and catch every wave that comes by
Listen, paddling out is hard. And you’ll get to a point where you need to be picky about the waves you catch. Some seem big but die down fast, and some might be a lot bigger than what you expected. Either way every wave you decide to catch means you’ll have to paddle back out again to catch your next one. Not all waves (and clients) are created equal. Both require effort regardless so say “yes” wisely.Sometimes you just know when you’re ready
One day you get to a point where you know you’re ready to get off the white wash and start dropping in on better quality waves. You just know when you’re up to the task. Similar to freelancing, you’ll get a sense for when you’ve graduated from a certain level. You’re more discerning and mindful about how you carry on with your business. You know what you like and don’t like and you can use that as a compass.The ocean behaves different each day
Some days you catch zero waves and some days you catch them all without even trying. This might be the most important thing I learned. Much like business, not everyday is going to look the same. Some days feel easier while other days it feels like all you’re doing is trying so hard not to get swept up by the current. At some point, you need to figure out when to keep paddling against the current and when to let go and let the course take you for a ride.
The board you bring matters
There’s a reason why pro surfers keep a quiver. A quiver is one’s lineup of different surf boards. Specific board shapes perform better on some waves. A foamy is the best board to learn on because it’s buoyant and keeps you afloat with little effort. A longboard is great if you want to cruise and a fish is great for carving or shredding. Just like in business, bring the right tool for the job and you’ll have a better time.
I’m coming up on my second year of ft freelancing and I’ve gotta say, first year me and this year me are two completely different people. A lot has changed in a year but much like surfing whatever you do consistently with joy is the area you’ll grow in. And over time with little wins, like catching small waves, you build the confidence and skill to go after the big ones.