Sometimes I feel like I’ve been freelancing so long, I may never stop. I don’t know why, but I feel a rush of energy when I’m able to provide a helpful service and get paid what I’m worth at the same time.

For me, the freelancing addiction started at 15 years old.

For you, well, you may not have discovered if you have the freelancing bug inside of you.Here are some events that can indicate you’re ready for freelancing:

When you feel like your current work isn’t meaningful

In high school, I was a football player. When I started playing, I thought what most student-athletes probably think — one day I will go pro. Over time, I felt what I was doing on the field wasn’t impactful in my life.

In contrast, football began to set my life backwards. Once players started leaving the team and I started to get injured, I knew it was time for a change. That’s when I discovered coding.When I began coding HTML, I was testing it onBlackPlanet.com. 

The work I put in on my page soon outweighed the commitment I had for football. Even though I played all four years in high school, football clearly took a backseat. My path wasn’t clear then, but coding gradually became a better outlet for me than football.You may not be at a point where you’ve found a meaningful outlet, but you may feel something isn’t right with what you do now.

 If you’re working and the time you’re investing is not worth the longterm payoff, it might be time to pick up a freelance gig.

When you’re asked for advice on a topic you specialize in

Usually, opinions come cheap. But when you provide your opinion that’s backed by years of experience, it makes for a lucrative opportunity.

When the idea of exchanging advice for money was introduced to me, I thought it was too good to be true. My first time seemed so easy that I thought I was stealing money. All I did with my client was listen to the problem and provide a solution to execute. No hands-on work necessary. It felt so easy, I didn’t even charge my client full price.

Later, I realized some jobs will require you to get your hands dirty. These hands-on opportunities became the best opportunities I’ve had because it made me feel like I was creating my own job!

Giving advice for free may feel good, but freelancing as a consultant may be what you’re looking for.

When you’re asked how much you charge

If someone is going to ask your hourly rate for your services, then consider yourself that much closer to freelancing.I could tell you another story about how this situation played out for me (similar to what you just read) but instead, here are a few tips to prepare you for when this question comes your way:

• Decide your hourly rate.
• Come up with a standard for how you work.
• Have a template proposal to quickly submit.

Simply trying out one freelance gig could be the spark you need — once you figure out if the time is right.