Am I a “Full-Time” Freelancer?

Today’s edition of Wishful Working is a 3 minute read.

At the end of March 2022, I officially launched my freelance writing business with a LinkedIn post: “I'm thrilled to announce I'm pursuing a lifelong dream of being a full-time freelance writer!”

When I read this now, nearly two years later, something doesn’t sit right with me. I feel I should add an asterisk after “full-time,” followed by a mouseprint disclaimer. 

Because the IRS and the career site Indeed both define a full-time position as requiring an average of 30 hours per week or more.

And when I look back at 2023, I had exactly one 30-hour week. In fact, the vast majority of my weeks were below 20 hours, and my average across the year was just 14 hours per week.

To be fair, the distinction of full-time versus part-time work is not as relevant in the world of self-employment. I don’t need to work a certain number of hours per week in order to meet expectations or access certain benefits, and I don’t even bill hourly for the majority of my client work. 

So why do I even care about my hours?

It’s probably a souvenir of my time spent in traditional full-time positions, a vestige of the hustle and grind culture that pushes us to maximize our productivity and output above all. If 30-40 hours per week is considered typical, what does it say about me if I only work half that amount? Or a third? Am I wasting time?

I don’t think so.

Averaging around 15 hours of work per week currently feels great for me. It gives me enough margin in my days to do household chores, run errands, prepare meals, and still have plenty of rest and leisure time. It also allows me the flexibility to thrive during busier seasons and avoid running myself completely ragged. And I’m actually making more money than I did when I was working 40-hour weeks (but more on that in a future newsletter 🤓).

In his 1930 essay entitled Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren, English economist John Maynard Keynes imagined a future where technological advancements and increased productivity would enable a significant reduction in necessary working hours.

Well, how about that. I’m living John Maynard Keynes’s dream.

Of course, most people aren’t. Keynes’s idyllic “leisure society” has largely not materialized, and technology/productivity gains have instead led to longer working hours, increased economic inequality, and devastating environmental impacts.

But hope is on the horizon! Many companies now offer flextime and fully remote work, and some offer reduced hours through four-day work weeks, summer Fridays, sabbaticals, and other policies. 

I’m thrilled to be part of a growing contingent of freelancers and other self-employed folks who are flouting all norms when it comes to work schedules. This feels like the future — less time working, full-time living.

See you next week,

Kara