Working remotely is the way the world is moving. This isn’t just a fad or a side hustle reserved for techies or coders.
But one thing I see often is that so many people say they want to work from home, and then they end up holding themselves back.
They say things like, “I don’t want to take a pay cut,” or they tell themselves they aren’t good enough and don’t carve out the time required to get to where they want to be.
Working online is your ticket to living a life you have always dreamed of.
So, if you are so close to your dreams, why do you continue to tell yourself these lies that only get in your way from being and doing what you always wanted.
If you can overcome these myths and lies about remote work, you’ll set yourself up for success! So, let’s get into it.
Let’s debunk 4 of the lies, excuses, and roadblocks I hear people telling themselves instead of jumping right into working online.
Lie #1: Claiming to be Uneducated
The number 1 lie people tell themselves to avoid working online is, “I just don’t know how to do the work”.
This lie could creep into your mind in several ways:
- “I have a background in healthcare, but I can’t seem to break into the healthcare field online.”
- “I would love to be a social media manager, but I don’t even know how I would get started.”
- “I love graphic design, but I don’t know how I would be successful on my own.”
But did you try?
These days, you can teach yourself ANYTHING with the click of a button.
We have never in history been this connected to information and had it available so readily at any moment. Claiming that you don’t know how to do something is just another excuse you are creating to keep yourself from following your dreams.
If you truly cannot teach yourself the skill you are hoping to learn, the internet is full of masterclasses to purchase, mentors to train you, and networking opportunities to learn from others who ARE succeeding in the thing you are hoping to do.
I’ve helped thousands of people to break into this line of work and you can, too. So next time you are telling yourself this lie, instead ask yourself, “but did I try?”
Lie #2: Working Remotely Means a Pay Cut
You’re excited to work online. You are DONE with your 9-to-5 corporate job.
But you have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay, and you just got that salary increase that you’ve been hoping for. You are doing well enough to make it, but you hate it.
You could hustle on the side and work remotely and make a little extra income, but you could never quit your “real” job because there is no steady money working online, right?
Wrong: this is just a flat-out lie.
According to OWL Labs, remote workers earn salaries higher than $100K/year 2.2 times more frequently than on-site workers.
Now, let’s be fair and honest here… you aren’t going to learn all the skills in 1 day and be making the same amount or more than you were in your corporate job in a week.
Your remote work often pays more money depending on your experience. So, for someone who just learned a new online skill and has never been paid to do it before, you might start out making $15-$20 an hour.
But do you know the difference between your corporate job and your remote career?
You decide how much you make.
When you become proficient in a skill, it is an industry standard to raise your rates every 6 months.
No more begging your boss for a promotion or waiting for someone to notice how much work you’ve put in before it finally pays off.
Want to make more money? Don’t worry about working overtime as you would in a traditional job, focus on sharpening your skills and people will pay you what you are worth.
Work hard, get paid. It’s as simple as that.
Lie #3: Telling Yourself You Aren’t Good Enough
Selling yourself short can create major mental roadblocks in your remote work success.
Let me introduce you to Mrs. Imposter Syndrome. She can be a real mean lady if you let her!
Understanding that literally anyone can work online as long as they have the skills will improve your chances of succeeding while working remotely.
The skillset or talent you have is only 25% of your success. 75% of being successful while working online is your mindset.
If you continue to wake up every day and be positive about the work you are doing, and feel confident while doing it, you will see success come your way.
Selling yourself short isn’t just negative self-talk; it’s so much more than that!
Let’s explore some ways in which mean old Mrs. Imposter Syndrome tends to show up for remote workers:
- Feeling bad for not knowing how to do something.
- Working on the same project over and over and never actually turning it in.
- Hitting a roadblock with anything (a new skill you are learning, technology issues, a client’s personality, etc.) and telling yourself you just aren’t meant for this kind of work.
- Telling yourself you will be more marketable if you just learn one more thing.
- Having too high of standards for yourself.
The list of ways Mrs. Imposter Syndrome shows up goes on and on, but the important lesson here is that it’s all in your head. Telling yourself you aren’t good enough in any way is just another roadblock you are creating to stop yourself from making money.
Lie #4: Telling Yourself You Don’t Have Enough Time
In the United States, we’ve grown up in a society that idolizes a Monday-Friday workweek with a traditional 9-5 schedule.
We LIVE for the weekend and we “thank God it’s Friday” every week. But, what about the other 5 days of the week?
Whether you are a full-time parent, corporate worker, spouse, student… you are in charge of your time. You are in charge of whether or not you live for the weekend.
If you don’t have a spare 30 minutes a day to jump into working remotely, then you are lying to yourself.
Let me ask you a question… did you spend 5 or more minutes today doing any of the following:
- Looking on social media
- Doing your makeup in the morning
- Going to a coffee shop
- Grabbing a bite to eat
- Watching TV/Hulu/Netflix/Youtube
- Making a lengthy meal
- Reading
- Or anything else that you didn’t have to do?
If you did, then you can carve out 30 minutes a day to invest in your remote career and your future.
By carving out the extra time now, you could gain more time in your future. The amount of money you make working 40 hours a week at your job now could be made in half that time in your remote career.
You need to start thinking about time relatively. One of the key lessons in becoming successful is learning how to separate your time from your income and your value from your time.
Let’s think about this in terms of money: In your current corporate job, it takes you 10 hours to earn $200. In your new remote role, you just landed a job to complete a project that pays $200. The very first time you do this, it may take you 12 hours with all the technical difficulties and new skills you had to learn.
But, once you gain experience, it’ll only take you 1 hour. Your hourly rate just went up to $200/hr.
Are you spending more time making excuses as to why you don’t have enough time than just doing the work?
Now is the time to tell the truth. Are you going to stop making excuses? Will you stop telling yourself lies and creating roadblocks to your dream career?
Working remotely isn’t going to be easy, but I can promise you it will be worth it.
Find the time and the confidence, get educated, and start your path to making more money!
If you’re having a difficult time figuring out where to start, you should check out my proprietary course, 90 Day VA. In it, I teach you all the basics of starting your career as a virtual assistant, along with the hottest skills businesses are looking for.
So what are you waiting for? It’s always the best time to get started. Join my masterclass to learn more about how you can ditch your 9-to-5 and start working online now.
Jordan Milner is a virtual assistant with a passion for helping others succeed in their businesses so they can channel their passions and make more money. She’s a member of 90 Day VA and assists with everything from social media strategy and optimization to marketing and everything in between. To see all the services she offers and how she can help you, check out her website here or on Instagram at @milnervirtualsolutions
