Stepping into the Freelance world is always a scary thing, whether you’re inexperienced or not the idea of working on your own and being solely responsible for everything you do just seems foreign due to the message that our media often pushes with the benefits of guaranteed job security and being told when and where to work. Looking at the Freelance game and seeing all of these experienced, successful freelancers can be quite intimidating. Have no fear, the freelance market is big enough for all and there are a variety of ways for you to build confidence and put your best self out there. 1. Contact Your Support Network One of the first things to consider when trying to build confidence is contact your support network. This can be family, friends, e-friends, groups, teachers, fellow freelancers, etc. Having a strong support network can be greatly beneficial in helping you get over that slump or hesitation. In some instances, your support network can actually help you land your first clients through referrals. 2. Set Up a Goal Plan Set up a goal plan and for each milestone you make, reward yourself. The best thing to do is to work with others to set up your plan so that you can have someone on your tail to get things done and/or not create a lazy plan. To give you an idea, you can set specific goals by day or week (try to avoid monthly goals from that start as they may be harder to commit). Basically you want to hit goals that are quick to see so that you can slowly build confidence for your efforts. 3. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others A big thing a lot of Freelancers do (and we as people do in general) is compare ourselves to others, often those who are “better” than we are. This can be damaging as this thought process can belittle our self-worth and clients will also see that lack of confidence. It’s quite the habit to kick but don’t compare yourself to others or if you can’t help but to, leverage that mindset. Instead of saying “man, they are so successful and have so much experience how can I possibly compete with them” instead opt for “man, they are so successful and have so much experience I want to learn from that and leverage that expertise so that I can be as successful in my own path as they are in theirs.” Those little mental tricks can make a big difference for your psyche and build confidence. Talk to just about any freelancer and they’ll tell you, often the hardest part about jumping in is literally taking that first jump. The worst that could happen is that you get a couple of rejections, and it can indeed be a frustrating experience after a prolonged period. However, a major part of freelancing is perseverance and adaptation and if you stick with it, freelancing can (and will) be a very rewarding path. Was confidence a barrier for you when you decided to enter freelancing? Comment and let us know. In life, we are constantly bombarded with messages of grandeur and success; many times the focus being the end result. While it is admirable when one reaches the end point of their long term goals, it is equally important (if not more so) not to underestimate the significance of each step along the way. There’s an old saying about the journey and the destination and when it comes to achieving success and happiness it should be noted. Never think of your short term goals as a mere checkmark or milestone used only to measure towards your long term goal. As a large believer in baby steps I instead implore you to think of them as small victories and reward yourself accordingly for achieving them. Whether it is meeting a certain deadline, daily challenges, losing a certain amount weight, etc. Using small rewards keep you motivated as you work towards grabbing the big carrot. Don’t make the mistake of missing the forest for the trees however, as you can easily fall into the trap of rewarding yourself for a small goal but find yourself slowly decreasing your goals and rewarding yourself for little to no effort, diluting your long term performance in the process. Always set short, reasonable goals and remain stern on meeting them and rewarding yourself afterwards. It’s a fine balance but one that is more fulfilling in the end as you constantly push yourself towards reaching your long term goals and success. Many times you’ve probably heard of the Law of Attraction, meaning that situations happen to you correlative to your thinking. Mind you, this works both ways and you’ve also probably heard of Murphy’s (or Sod’s) Law which states that if anything bad can happen, it likely will. I think we can agree that if one believes in the Law of Attraction, Murphy’s Law isn’t exactly the ideal model to follow if you’re looking for a happy and fulfilling life. Even in the darkest of times, positive thinking can have a profound effect on the elements around you. At times this thinking can help mitigate stress and allow you to relax your mind and think clearly. Positive thinking can keep you inspired and ease/remove any doubt in pursuing unknown endeavors. In some ways, positive thinking rewards you in some fashion or another for simply being well, positive. Now I am not saying that one has to be positive and sunny skies 100% of the time; we’re human and we have “those days”, we mourn losses, we get overwhelmed, etc. It’s normal; however the idea is that we don’t let those hardships hold us back and positive thinking plays a key role in helping us push forward. So when you feel like the world is seemingly against you, don’t look at it as a setback; instead look at it as a challenge and let the elements know that you will gladly push back in the face of adversity. If positive thinking has done anything for you, feel free to leave a comment. |
Frank Sheppard
NOTE: all opinions/views represented here are my own and do not reflect on any third party that I am affiliated with. Archives
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