What Freelancers Can Learn from The Tortoise and The Hare.
Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? The speedy Hare’s overconfidence led to his defeat. After he left the Tortoise far behind, he took a nap. By the time he woke up, the Tortoise had crossed the finish line.
The moral usually taken is that slow and steady wins the race. But there’s another lesson to be learned. The Hare worked towards leaving the turtle behind, instead of concentrating on the finish line. That’s what led to his loss of focus, and his ultimate failure.
Not everyone can get what they want, at least not yet. Even the best-laid career plans take time to bear fruit. Most aren’t ready to quit that day job and earn exclusively through freelancing, which involves earning good money through passion-based work. Stability is needed to build the foundation required to establish a rewarding freelance career. This usually means starting out with an employer and hours that aren’t entirely agreeable.
So how do we pass the time? Go through the motions until the dream is achieved? Or does implementing long-term plans call for a more positive attitude?
Recall the second lesson of the Tortoise and the Hare. The same insight applies when working towards a career that rewards true passion. Rather than view the current situation as something to get away from, it’s much better to just look at the long-term objectives and consider them as something to reach for.
Such a positive outlook makes the beginnings of a freelance career much more enjoyable By focusing on the goal instead of concentrating how hard it is to get there, less energies are wasted on bemoaning an imperfect life, and getting diverted to getting things done.
Better yet, you’ll be more open to the opportunities gained as you slowly—but surely—work towards your dream freelance career. Just as the Tortoise took advantage of the Hare’s arrogance, so shall you take advantage of these opportunities, making your freelancing dreams much easier to achieve.
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POSTED IN: Lazy Sunday Reading, Living as a Freelancer, Ramblings of a Freelancer, Ways to Work Faster, What's Great About Freelancing
2 opinions for What Freelancers Can Learn from The Tortoise and The Hare.
V. Neely
Jul 15, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Encouraging advice. Good ol’ Aesop knew what he was talking about.
Rico
Jul 15, 2007 at 6:34 pm
There’s a good reason why people read his stories 2600+ years later. :)
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