The Life Of A Free Agent
What Do You Need To Escape Your 9 To 5
I do not have a job. No. his is not going to be a sorrowful newsletter. Quite the opposite. I am well. Very well to be precise. And I do not have a job on purpose. If you have ideas and a burning desire to build and create, a job is a distraction. What do I do? I am a freelancer, a digital nomad, and let’s use a really well-flying term these days - solopreneur. A free agent in this world. When I say this, I get some contrasting reactions. It makes some office people cringe. They think that it is a sad life of an outcast. Others find it deeply inspirational. It is their dream. Though I would not recommend this lifestyle to anyone, this is the most fulfilling one I have ever had. The lessons of it are immense and I am going to share them with you. Do not try this at home. But first…
When you are a free agent, you have time. Which is what your life actually is. Time in this world. For the unmotivated person with no drive, this is a disaster. Most people need systems to hold their shit together. But there are ones who have a creative spark and drive. A job keeps them down. Think of it this way. You have to conform to a lot of stuff when you work in a corporation. Attending boring company parties, sitting in pointless meetings, participating in the office drama. It is like in The Office TV series. A human shit show, that you have to deal with. This stuff takes 80% of your time and attention. The actual work is 20%. Drive, focus and creativity die in these environments. People who follow orders and generate BS thrive.
The next one is freedom. Most people do not care about freedom. They will take security instead at any time of the day. Freedom is a value to declare on the celebration of the Independence Day of your democratic civilized country. Not a household name. But creative ones do. Entrepreneurs do as well. For these people, freedom is like the air. Better no life than the life of a slave, being unable to make decisions for themselves. I am not exaggerating here. A career in a corporation sucks you in with promises of money and prestige, which are nice. But they are worth nothing if you lose your freedom in the process.
Living for the paycheck. Hamster wheel. This is what most people do. They need that salary like air and water or a stable wi-fi connection. It does not even satisfy them when they get it. It is the norm. However, when the transaction is late, it definitely affects their mood. Don’t get me wrong, money is a great thing. It helps you build a life that you want. But they pay money for a lot of things. Including your passion. What do office folks use the money for anyway? Numbing themselves from soul-crushing work or flexing with their newly bought stuff. From regular slaves to well-paid slaves with a status. Inspiring progression?
I know. There are things like integrity, discipline, social life. All can be achieved easily while you work at a job. What about the quality of these? Discipline when you are on 5 coffees a day? Integrity within a sick environment? Social life with people you do not like? For some, there is this feeling that there is a better way. And there is.
You have to love work and productivity when you are a free agent. It is the only way to thrive in this lifestyle. The daily grind should be your symphony. This is for motivated, burning creative people who are able to manage themselves and lead their own path. This is for the ones who can easily make new friends and cultivate relationships. Yes, this is hard. Way easier to indulge yourself in the corporate machine. And it is ok to do. For some. But they do not need to read this.
Income, purpose, discipline, social life, integrity. These are the issues you have to solve if you don’t want to lose yourself in 9 to 5. The life of a free agent is for the people who can build their own systems of meaning, socialising and discipline. Watch YouTube videos of people who have already done it. Get creative. You can find your own ways. Whatever works for you. It is a wild west. A jungle. Be strong and learn to hunt. Be free.
This is so precious. I remember being in my early twenties and slowly getting sucked into the "well-paid slave" category. It happens so subtly that is easy to still think we have a choice. It's easy to think we are creating more freedom for ourselves until we realize it's just a cage like all the others. But I also think we need to use that knowledge to tap in and "save" others. Maybe our experience in that race is what helps them see the benefits of escaping.
Dear Tomas as always I like your approach in tackling a very interesting topic. I have to say it is inspiring! I ve tried my hand at being a free agent, had to go back to full time job but I would love to grow a side business! What I missed in my years of being a free agent is a sounding board group.