If I hear one more person tell me to "quit my job and follow my passion," I might actually scream. On a more serious note,we have turned freelancing into this aesthetic dream where you’re just sitting in a cafe with a MacBook and a latte, "working" for two hours and making millions.

There is this huge wave on social media making everyone feel like a "slave" because they have a 9-5. They make it sound like if you aren't a freelancer or a "solopreneur," you aren't living your best life. But let me tell you something: being your own boss is just a fancy way of saying you are now the CEO, the Janitor, the Accountant, and the Customer Service rep all at the same time.

When you have a 9-5, your biggest worry is doing your task and making sure your manager is happy. When the month ends, that alert hits your phone whether the company made a loss or a profit. But when you’re "your own boss"? Omo, if you don't work, you don't eat. And sometimes, you work until your eyes are turning red, and the client still tells you "we will get back to you."

The "Freedom" Delusion

Everyone talks about the freedom of freelancing. "You can work from anywhere!" Yeah, sure. I can work from my bed while crying. I can work from a wedding reception because a client suddenly decided their logo needs to be "more poppy" at 2 PM on a Saturday.

In a 9-5, once it’s 5 PM (or 6 PM if your boss is "that" person), you can technically switch off. You can go home and be yourself. But as a freelancer, your office is in your pocket. Your "boss" is every single person who has sent you an invoice. You don't have one manager anymore; you have ten. And trust me, some of these clients have more "vawulence" in their pinky finger than any HR department you've ever seen.

The "Steady Alert" vs. The "Insha Allah" Budget

Let’s talk about the money. 9-5 life is boring, but it is predictable. You know exactly how many packs of noodles you can afford this month. You know when the rent is due and you know the money is coming.

Freelancing is a rollercoaster. One month you are "Boss Man," eating out and feeling like a tech bro. The next month, the market is dry, three clients have "ghosted" you, and you are looking at your laptop wondering if you should start selling roasted corn. The mental stress of not knowing where your next "gig" is coming from is a different kind of trauma. You spend half your time chasing payments and the other half wondering if you should just go and update your LinkedIn profile and find a "proper" job.

The Real Gist

Between you and me, the best way to live is to find what fits your personality, not what fits the Instagram aesthetic.

Some people are built for the structure of an office. They like the routine, they like the colleagues, and they like the "closed" sign at the end of the day. Other people are built for the chaos of freelancing. But don't let anyone make you feel "less than" because you want a steady paycheck.

Being an employee is not a crime, and being a freelancer is not a personality trait. Some persons would rather have a boss who pays on time than be their own boss and be owing themselves three months' salary.

The Bottom Line

Stop letting people "motivate" you into poverty. If your 9-5 is giving you peace and a steady alert, hold it with two hands. If you want to freelance, start it as a side hustle first. Don't just jump into the deep end because you saw a "Day in my life" video on TikTok.

The grass is always green on the other side until you get there and realize it’s artificial turf. Work is work, whether you’re doing it for a CEO or for yourself. Just make sure the "stress-to-money" ratio makes sense for your mental health.