How to Be a Motivated Freelancer

Millions of people in the world forego their traditional in-the-office career to start their freelance business. This is partly a result of the enormous range of possibilities for a motivated freelancer, but also because of the flexibility that comes with the choice. In the past years, the so-called gig economy has made a completely unprecedented change in the way people and companies function worldwide.

Not only do people decide to pursue a freelancing career, but companies are starting to accept this trend and enjoy it, too. Many businesses choose to hire a motivated freelancer over a regular. Due to the increase in freelancers, their choices increase by thousands compared to what they could regularly find and hire in-office.

Everyone seems to love the idea and the results are often very positive. This creates a unique opportunity for a motivated freelancer with a set of useful skills and experience to start their own freelance business.

Why Choose the Freelance Path?

Choosing to start a freelancing career is one of the most attainable and feasible businesses you can start. The best part about it is that you can start freelancing while holding a position with a company. That is, at least until you reach the point when your freelance income becomes a better investment of your time. And this will happen if you’re a motivated freelancer.

Everyone has their own expenses and they won’t vanish overnight. If you believe that your current work isn’t providing enough for you or you simply want to enjoy more flexibility, freelancing is the right way to go.

Here are the most common reasons why people choose to become freelancers:

Increase Income

One of the biggest benefits of a freelance business is the additional income. Whether it is just a couple hundred or thousands, a freelance side business can really make a difference in terms of your financial situation.

In the beginning, even the most motivated freelancer will work for a quote that is below their initial expectations. Once you build a name for yourself, however, you can modify the pricing accordingly. Based on market value, you won’t have to look for a raise and wait for it to be accepted. Being a freelancer means that you set the rules and others can just accept or reject them.

Skill Building

Many people choose a freelancing business with the goal of discovering and honing their skills. This is much easier and more flexible due to the fact that you have it all under your control. You are not going to take more clients than you can handle, or have to meet impossible deadlines to please a controlling boss. This makes for a more motivated freelancer, and with time, you will surely get better at what you do.

The other advantage here is that you will have numerous clients and projects on your resume to show for it. A large number of individual clients who praise your work and success will fill your resume, make you appear more experienced and professional than a single position in one company, and help you become a more motivated freelancer.

Develop Connections

Seeing a freelance business as just a source of income is a big mistake. If you start looking at it as a chance to make connections with others in the industry, you can create relationships that will raise your career to a whole new level.

Build a Brand

Deciding to start this kind of business will open up many opportunities for you. As you progress, people will hear your name and demand your services. Being a motivated freelancer from the start will help you build a brand and get your name out in the industry.

Being a Motivated Freelancer from the Start

If you are interested in taking this step, either to pursue a different lifestyle or as an additional source of income, you must be prepared for all the changes that come with it. Freelancing comes with many upsides, but can also have downsides if you aren’t careful. Even if you master the freelancing business and enter the freelance business world with success, lack of motivation can pull you backwards faster than you’d believe.

To boost your motivation right from the start, here’s how you should prepare to launch your freelance business:

Define Your Goals

Freelancing is a career that requires gradual success. Be realistic and set up the plan before you get into it. Have clearly defined and measurable goals that you can actually complete. If you immediately set hard goals, you will have a lot of trouble achieving them.

Is this a career path you are choosing or a way to earn some extra income on the side?

Do you want it to be a side hustle until you become better and then turn it into a career?

Or are you looking to take this step for some other reason such as personal development, or to enhance your resume?

Find a Niche

If you are already an entrepreneur or business owner, or even an office worker, you probably have a niche you are currently pursuing. Do you want to pursue this trade in your freelancing career, too?

Check out the competition and see where you can stand out. That is the niche you need to get into.

Identify the Clientele

Being a motivated freelancer requires identifying the target clientele. This will help you attract the right clients for your business so that you are working with the kind of people you want to. As you are just starting to do this, it is much safer and more effective to take your time to create an approach to landing good clients. With the help of your recognized name brand and word of mouth, this will be much simpler later on.

Set Prices

There is no set salary at the end of the month or a boss who will inform you of the rate per project you can expect. Being a freelancer means that you are your own boss, so setting the rate is part of the deal. A big part of being a motivated freelancer is thinking carefully about your desired rate. Asking or following other freelancers in your niche can help you set a reasonable rate, but always make sure that you are happy with it. If you are accepting something lower than you expected, remember that you’re just starting out, and make sure that you have a plan to push it up down the road.

Create a Portfolio

Your online presence is crucial to a successful freelance business. A great portfolio will communicate and prove the skills and services you offer. Potential clients will usually request proof, so you’ll need to create a clear, professional portfolio that shows your best work.

How to Stay Motivated as a Freelancer

In a career like freelancing, losing motivation can easily happen if you’re not careful. Flexibility is the biggest advantage of this career path, but it also comes with a great deal of responsibility and a huge demand for organization. To be successful, you need to be prepared to overcome such periods.

Love What You Do

This is the business you will be running and organizing. All decisions and work will be done by you, even if you have people working for you as part of your freelancing business. If you go into the business just for the money, you will not be a motivated freelancer for long.

If you love what you do, you will be passionate about it. It is only natural that you will find the work be enjoyable, rather than a burden that saps your energy. This love is the biggest factor that will keep you motivated.

Always Have a Goal

Even when you reach the goal you had in mind in the first place, don’t just stop there. Maintaining the same pace can be demotivating. The freelance life allows you to progress continuously. Don’t settle but keep creating new goals so you can be a motivated freelancer all throughout.

Offer What You Can Do

Never ever offer to do something you don’t possess sufficient knowledge to do well. Keep in mind that in the gig economy, one badly done project can undermine your freelancing future. One of the greatest challenges of freelancers is to keep clients happy, and you will surely come across a situation where a client asks too much of you. In such cases, it is best to turn down the project rather than be unable to deliver your best.

Shun the Negativities

Every great entrepreneur knows that many times it is best to turn a blind eye. In your career as a freelancer, you will encounter impossible clients. Taking everything to heart can certainly destroy your motivation, so try to take the negativities in stride. Know who you are and what you can do. Use negative feedback to improve, and don’t let impossible clients lead you into a cycle destructive criticism.

Wake Up Early

This is the biggest struggle of those who work from home. You don’t have a boss or manager that will tap his watch or dock your pay because you are late. Training yourself to start the day early is very important to determine how productive and energized you will be moving forward – and if you will continue to be a motivated freelancer.

Set a schedule and follow it. Start right and you’ll see how well it sustains you throughout the day. Remember that procrastination is the biggest enemy of your motivation.

Dress Up

Yes, one of the benefits of a freelancing career is the flexibility to work from the comfort of your home, but do you really have to do this in your pajamas? If you close your doors and wear your sweatpants all day, you run the risk of lowered productivity and motivation.

Wearing lazy clothing often makes us lazy. Of course, we aren’t suggesting that you put on your Sunday best, but putting on actual clothes will truly help.

Have a Working Corner

Have you started your career sitting on your bed and typing on your laptop? Pajamas aren’t the only thing that make you lazier when you work. The place you work will also greatly affect your productivity.

If you work where you sleep and relax, the association will both make you lazier and prevent you from falling asleep at night. You need one distinct place for relaxation, and another for work. Don’t mix them up.

Work Out

Schedule actual physical activities during your day, especially if you take on freelancing as a career. One of the perks of working from home is that you can do things you cannot normally do while working in an office. Take a walk, go to the gym, or play a sport. The important thing is to keep yourself active to boost your energy.

Get Outside

When you feel like your motivation is failing you, it is time to take a break. Don’t turn your apartment into a bunker. This is your safe spot, but when you both work and sleep there, it can get monotonous. Go outside and spend some time with other people so you don’t go stir-crazy. Lack of socialization is one of the big challenges that freelancers face, and this can damage your motivation.

Conclusion

These are just some simple tips for getting you on the right track with your freelance career. The main idea is to keep moving – being a motivated freelancer is all about making progress.

Joe McLean is a dedicated, full-time freelance writer for Assignment Masters. He has the busiest schedule you can imagine due to the popularity he enjoys online. Even so, he still manages to work at his own pace and have an amazing social life. Joe says that he gets all the work done because he has discipline, and that this is what gives him the motivation to do it all in the first place.