For 5 years, I wrote hundreds of articles on just an old Macbook Pro.I fought with its limited storage on a daily basis. The battery started to die faster and faster after each recharge, and eventually, the keyboard turned into a grease trap. Then when I started writing and making more music at home, I relied on my old Blue Yeti desk mic to record acoustic guitar and raw vocals. On Soundcloud, the quality was fine, but for all the tracks I released on Spotify or iTunes, I had to book studio time with a friend that started to get expensive with each new single.Before I knew it, I was wasting more money maintaining my old habits than I would be if I invested in new alternatives. And I get it—being a freelancer means having to stay thrifty and low-cost. However, once I bit the bullet and invested in myself as a freelancer, a whole new world of opportunities opened up for me. Here's why it's a good idea to do the same for your success:
So like I said, my productivity as a freelancer and musician started to suffer from my limited equipment.Every day, I was writing more and more articles, and I'd occasionally get commissioned to do some graphic design work for clients that my old laptop could barely handle. Needless to say, turning around assignments became more of a hassle, and over time, I had to take on less work because I couldn't get through assignments as fast as I could when business was starting out.Then what really started to take a toll on me was the fact that I was no longer pursuing my creative passions. Aside from writing blog posts, my dream is to write poetry, produce my own music, write screenplays, and shoot and edit my own films. On a random weekend, sure—it was possible to carry out one of those endeavors—but since work started piling up and I was always behind, pursuing my dreams slowly fell by the wayside.I woke up one day and sat at the computer in total depression. The thought of churning out more articles exhausted me, and suddenly, I told myself: "There's more I can accomplish than just sitting here repeating the same routine." I knew what I needed to make my work from home better. Most of all, I knew what I wanted to bring myself closer to my dreams and living the kind of life I envisioned.So, I went over to Apple and ordered myself a brand new iMac computer. I had been saving money for years, and it felt like the perfect time to take my creativity to the next level. Then once I got the computer. I bought a brand new microphone, a preamp to record audio, and video editing and music recording software to build my own content.Altogether, I spent just over $5,000 on my new setup. At first, I thought to spend that kind of money on myself was insane, but after I got everything set up, I quickly started to find the benefits.
From the start, it may seem like I was out $5,000, but as I continued my normal work schedule, I actually started to make money back with each new project. Let me explain...So for freelance writing, I was immediately able to execute more assignments in a quicker amount of time. The iMac has a bigger screen, and since I hooked up another external monitor, I was able to reference materials much faster and churn out 4-5 articles a day for clients. Sometimes, I would write everything I needed to write for the week in one day. I started to maximize my earnings, while still giving myself plenty of time to work on the things that I loved the most. Not to mention, for extra work with graphic design or website development, I had a brand new workspace with all the right components to make the experience as fluid as possible.And not only did I start to generate more revenue on the freelance side, but I also saved more money on all of my creative projects, too. For example, with the new software and equipment I bought, I was able to record and mix all of my own music and distribute it online. In the past, I would have to pay my friend roughly $300 a song to record and get a final mix in his studio, but now, I get to save that money, while also giving myself all the time I need to make sure that my songs are just the way I want them.So far, I've recorded, mixed, and released 3 of my own songs, which means I've already made back $900 toward my initial investment. Plus, I still have a handful of songs in the works that will continue to pay me back with each release.In addition to making music, I've started a YouTube channel with a friend to produce more video content that I can shoot and edit myself. I've even launched a new podcast called Weekly Chaser that I record from my new set up at home. These are all things I couldn't execute at a high level with my old arrangement, but once I invested in myself, a whole new world of opportunities became available, and they continue to do so.
For the longest time, I only advertised my skills as a freelance writer in order to make money, but now, I nurture my success with Fiverr to promote all the new talents that I can share with others.Rather than just freelance writing, I can now offer voiceover services, video editing, music editing, podcast services, web design, graphic design, and anything else I want to pursue. That's why it's good to invest in yourself—because it fuels you with the confidence and ability to create the life you want. After all, that's why so many people become freelancers in the first place. You don't want so many years to go by without pursuing your dreams, and when you actually take steps to make your dreams happen, that's when real success takes over. If you've been thinking about upgrading your work station or taking that next step to go after what you want, I'm here to tell you that it's possible. And once you decide to go for it, you'll be surprised at how easy success comes.
