Well, its official

[lonestar]

I started the 80 hour week thing last week but it is not so bad at this point. 40 hours for my "regular job" in accounting as a state employee which pays a decent salary. Having officially declared my business open date last week (even though I had been freelancing for longer than that), I am putting at least 30, closer to 40 hours a week on that. Its good that I really enjoy my freelance business because it's not so bad putting in that extra 40 from the comfort of my computer desk and I already have 3 new contracts in place!

I am excited. :razz:

[and1grad]

Wow..congrats. Just make sure not to burn yourself out.

[tina1979]

Wow..congrats. Just make sure not to burn yourself out.
Congrats!!!
I have to agree with And1. 80hours a week for the first few weeks might be ok, but be sure to take some time out for yourself. You don't want to burn your candle at both ends.

[lonestar]

thing is those other 40 I can work in my boxer shorts, or take a brake to go swimming in the apartment complex pool, or ride my bike...its easier to cut it up into small pieces. Plus I can watch TV (a little) while i am working. I will probably cut it down a little after the summer (I have a good amount of business booked through August but will cut it down a little come Sept, but at least I will have banked a bit by then.

[HereComes30]

I have to agree with And1. 80hours a week for the first few weeks might be ok, but be sure to take some time out for yourself. You don't want to burn your candle at both ends.

If you are passionate about it then you will not get burnt out with proper sleep and other activities. I know a very successful entrepreneur in this area that just got up and running on his own a couple of years ago. He started while he was working here full-time. He worked for well over a year at 70-90 hours a week. He laughs when people say he got lucky because he knows the hard work and long hours he put into making his dream a reality.

[lonestar]

that's the thing...to build a business sometimes it takes real sweat and blood and I think it may work out if I don't get burned out...time will tell.

[SpaceMonkey]

Congrats on getting those contracts. I hope things keep working out for you.

[gymgurl]

Sorry, I missed the other posts, what is your freelancing business? Contrats though, that's awsome!

[lonestar]

Website, graphic design and programming (mainly ASP and PHP programming), Flash animation design...I didn't know I could make so much when I started freelancing but within two months I was pulling in an extra $1800-$2400 a month. Now I got some new customers plus the residuals from old customers for monthly maintenance.

[gymgurl]

ahh, that's cool. Sort of similar thing happened to me, I was working somewhere full time and have always done freelance writing as a hobby. I applied to work for this one site, figured it'd be fun and within a few weeks I was making more than twice what I was making at my job, but having a hard time keeping up with it all, so I actually ended up deciding to quit my job and go into freelancing full-time (I had only started that job too, about 3 weeks in and it was by no means a 'career' position). I haven't been more happy in my life and for the first time I actually feel like I"m doing something I'm meant to do (writing). I love it and if I can make a career out of this, I'll be in heaven!!

[yankeeyosh]

Don't burn yourself out!

That said, I think that despite what older people may think, this is an example that our generation is without a doubt NOT a slacker generation and that we ARE the hardest working generation in the last century. Even if we leave our "day job" at 5, that doesn't mean we're not productive. We're going to grad school, doing freelance work, etc. Even though we may not get paid, we also volunteer our time. I hope that in time this will be more recognized, and the stories about the 10-15% that are "entitled" fade from people's memories...

[wordsmith]

I dunno, Mark...my dad still works his ass off late into the night just as he always has, and he's pushing sixty. I don't think drive is a generational thing. I think it's an individual thing.

Props to lonestar, for sure...but I think his motivation is more a testament to lonestar than it is to his entire generation. Because, really...for every person who's willing to sink time and effort into a side gig, there are how many who's main criteria is a job they can clock out of at 5 (not that there is anything wrong with that)? Just as many, if not more, right?

[HereComes30]

Website, graphic design and programming (mainly ASP and PHP programming), Flash animation design

I used to recruit for people that did this kind of work. And if you are good at Flash you can pretty much write your own meal ticket. Really hard to find people with advance flash skills that are good at it.

That said, I think that despite what older people may think, this is an example that our generation is without a doubt NOT a slacker generation and that we ARE the hardest working generation in the last century.

Not sure that I totally agree with this idea. We tend to work harder to have more and not work hard to survive like past generations. Hard to say that my parents and grandparents weren't more hard working. I think they did indeed have a better work ethic in most cases. There will always be those that break the mold of the masses and this I think is an example of that. Plenty examples of slackers as well. I think the real thing is that we have a different focus of what motivates us from past generations and so does the generation after us.

[yankeeyosh]

Not sure that I totally agree with this idea. We tend to work harder to have more and not work hard to survive like past generations. Hard to say that my parents and grandparents weren't more hard working. I think they did indeed have a better work ethic in most cases. There will always be those that break the mold of the masses and this I think is an example of that. Plenty examples of slackers as well. I think the real thing is that we have a different focus of what motivates us from past generations and so does the generation after us.

Well, that is true. We are working harder less for survival as to gain material goods (which in a way is good because it shows that we are working because we want to, not because we have to). But I truly think that 20-somethings are taking more and more jobs that aren't typical 9-5 jobs or working overtime because we want to prove ourselves and show the world that yes, we have high ambitions, but we are willing to work hard to meet these goals (I would not define this as entitlement).