Sounds good, right?

Except it's a lot more difficult than you would have ever imagined!

When you work in an office, with colleagues and managers, you have a sense of urgency towards deadlines and projects. But when you're at home, chilling in your pajamas and teddy bear slippers, time flows at a different rate.

So, "be your own boss" doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want, whenever you want. It actually means the following:

• Search for new projects
• Convince prospects that you are their best choice
• Establish prices that are fair to you and the customers
• Communicate with the customer
• Take full responsibility for your actions (good or bad)
• Make a budget and stick to it
• Set deadlines and respect them
• Implement a work ethic that's sustainable

Of course, the list can go on and on, but the elements above are enough to give you an idea of the situation. When you are a freelancer, you must think about the entire business process, not just the role you play in a bigger project.

Furthermore, because there are no managers or bosses to watch over your shoulder, you have to learn how to set deadlines, milestones, and budgets.

Tools that can help

Google Calendar, Asana, Toggle, and many other time management apps that are available for free or based on a submission. Depending on your needs, some of these platforms also keep track of your budget and some even help with creating invoices.