There are so many things freelance writers can do to improve their businesses and their careers: take classes, raise rates, network more….
Yet sometimes the things we freelancers give up do the most to boost our potential.
The list is a familiar one. Nothing I list here will be unique or even new. What is new, though, is the notion that these things are holding you back. Well no, that’s not even new.
Consider this a friendly reminder of potential habits we might have that are getting in the way.
Here are the six things we should give up right now:
1. Excuses.
Every excuse you make is a roadblock you place in front of you.
“I tried. It doesn’t work.”
“I can’t because I have a disability.”
“My draft isn’t ready yet.”
“I have to learn this first before I can approach a client.”
Look at what the root cause of your excuses really is — fear. Yep, you’re afraid to try lest you fail. But not trying is already failing. You can’t really do worse than that, right? A little exercise to help you identify your excuse-making behavior: Get out a small notebook and pen. Every time you think about or say an excuse out loud, write it down. At the end of a week, read the list. I think you’ll see that what you’ve written down is a reflection of your fear, not your actual circumstance.
2. Self-doubt.
Right there is why you make excuses. You doubt your abilities. Once you look at those excuses you’ve identified, you’re going to see plenty of doubt in them. Just look at the short list I typed out in the previous point — every single one is rooted in self-doubt and fear, two very close cousins.
Now ask yourself what would happen if: you tried again; you realized disabilities have nothing to do with talent; you let go of perfection, or; you just do it and learn as you go. Would you fail? No. Movement forward, even if it doesn’t land the gig, is progress. Failure is sitting there waiting for every planet to align and doing nothing.
3. The need to please.
If you catch yourself saying “I’m sorry” a lot, congratulations. You are a codependent. And that codependence means you’ll take any rate, any treatment, any lousy connection because you’re afraid to upset or disappoint someone else. Never mind the fact that they’re not too concerned with upsetting or disappointing you.
The fix for this is easy: Pretend your business is a loved one you have to protect. Then protect it. Speak up with this person in mind. You wouldn’t let a client talk to your loved one like that, right? And you’re sure as hell not going to let them underpay your loved one, or keep expanding the scope of work without additional pay. Take that attitude forward, for your business is your loved one.
4. Fear of success.
Yes, you’re afraid to succeed. Why does that sound crazy? Tell me this: That first assignment you scored, what came right after you celebrated and fist-pumped? That right there — that queasiness is your fear telling you that success comes with some heavy responsibility. But honestly, your responsibility is to finish the job as promised. Nothing more. But some freelancers actually worry that they’ll get so busy they won’t be able to keep up. You’ve seen them on social media saying things like “What if I send my idea to four magazines and they all want it?” The odds of that happening are ridiculously high, but even if you did get struck by that particular lightning bolt, there’s no way those four magazines have exactly the same audience, focus, slant or needs. That bridge, should you ever come to it, is easily sorted.
So is your freelance success. There will be times when yes, you’ll be really busy, but not at the beginning of your freelance writing career. By the time it happens, you’ll know how to handle it, or will have a strong network of freelancers from whom you can get some advice.
5. Negative thinking.
To me, fear of success is a sign that someone is prone to negativity. Negative thinking keeps people in the same ruts.
“Freelancing is dead.”
“Content mills are the only work I can find.”
“I suck at marketing.”
“I can’t charge more — no one will pay that.”
Not one of these statements is true, including the sucking-at-marketing one. You don’t suck at it, but rather you just don’t like doing it. News flash: No one really likes it. (A little networking and schmoozing and making acquaintances is really all there is to it.)
Every time you find yourself thinking or saying something negative, turn it around.
“Freelancing must be lucrative because there are plenty of successful freelancers out there.”
“I can do so much better than $20 an article.”
“I’m friendly enough — let me connect with a few people on social media.”
“Raising my rate will attract better clients than the ones I have now.”
6. Negative people in your orbit.
Maybe the reason you’re so down on everything is the company you keep. In the past, I belonged to a few forums that were, well, depressing to read through. Instead of good advice, there were statements about how “dead” freelancing was, how getting $100 per every 1,000-word article was a blessing, how this writer or that one writes “for love, not for money” (and tell me how much of your electric bill your “love” will pay for, huh?)….
I removed myself from every one of those places. I found better places. I found places that allowed for multiple points of view and sharing of resources and ideas. And I made sure the people in these forums are taking a serious approach to their careers, not just there to learn from some self-professed guru or there to whine about how bad things are “out there.”
If you’re surrounded by negative messaging, you can’t help but absorb it. Get away from it. Gravitate toward people who have built their own success without whining and blaming the state of things for their troubles.
What else should we be giving up in order to succeed?
What was the one thing you gave up that turned it around for you?