This Is the Single Best Thing About Being a Successful Freelancer

Will your freelancing career allow you to enjoy this major benefit?

For more than 10 years, I've made my living as a freelance writer running my own small business. There are a lot of things I really like about my job, including the fact that I can set my own hours, work around my kids' schedules, and work from home.

But, of all the benefits, there's one I especially appreciate. And it may be my favorite advantage of freelancing -- especially since it's not something that would likely be possible if I had an employer (unlike working from home or flexible hours, which some companies offer to standard workers). 

This freelancer benefit is amazing 

For me, my absolute favorite thing about freelancing successfully -- which is something that usually would not be possible with a regular job -- is that I simply do not have to do any work that I don't want to.

In most jobs, there's some tasks that people don't like -- even if they generally like the work they're performing. An employer might ask them to do something that's a hassle either regularly or periodically. And, in most cases, when an employer asks a worker to do something, they have to do it or they risk jeopardizing their paychecks. 

As a freelancer, though, I can simply turn down any work I don't want to do. If I'm offered an assignment or project I don't like, I can just say no. And I've exercised this option numerous times over the course of my career when I'm asked to write particular kinds of content I don't find interesting. 

Can all freelancers enjoy this benefit?

As a general rule, pretty much all freelancers have the right to accept or decline work as they want to. That's pretty much the definition of being a freelance professional. 

Of course, if you start declining a lot of opportunities, this can affect your income -- if you don't have enough work to earn as much as you want. But, as you grow your business over time, hopefully you'll have so many opportunities coming your way that you can be selective about what tasks you're willing to take on.

It took me a few years to get to that point. In the beginning, I would pretty much accept any writing assignment because I needed to do so in order to grow my business and hit my income goals. But, once I'd been working for a few years, I ended up with a surplus of work opportunities so I was able to start being selective and turning down tasks that I wasn't excited about.

I will still occasionally do work I don't love for clients who give me tons of assignments just to be nice. But I don't have to do this very often, and most of the time I just say no and explain why and there's no hard feelings.

Since I can eliminate virtually all tasks I don't want to do from my workday, I really love my job now. I'm excited to sit down to work every day because I know I'll be writing things I find interesting. 

If you're on the fence about freelancing, this is definitely a future benefit that's worth considering when you make your choice about whether taking control of your own career is right for you.