It’s been a very busy few months, not that I’m complaining! However, writing for myself has definitely suffered in the process, so much so that I forgot to commemorate my 1 year anniversary as a freelancer!
I finally spent some time this week going through my lessons from 6+ months ago, to see if they still applied or not. While I do believe in most of them, I’ve decided to use this space to share some anecdotes from my year in freelancing.
While my lessons and stories are more introspective this time, I hope they help you as you’re navigating your career too! So, here is my (hopefully decent) attempt at capturing my new and improved lessons from my first year as a freelancer!
1. If you get paid, you’re good enough
If I’m being totally honest with you, I indulge in self-pity every once in a while! I question what I write, how I research and strategise, how I communicate and so much more. However, I’ve had clients this past year who’ve come back because they valued what I brought to the table. And repeat business is a wonderful thing. It allows you to know a business better, and builds trust and instinct to provide more insightful guidance in the long term.
Which brings me to an important lesson — if people value your work and pay you money, you’re good enough. It’s essential to remember that you’re bringing important skills whenever someone hires you. While self-belief fluctuates every so often, I’ve learnt to not base my career and professional value on changing moods.
2. Take initiative and be visible
When I was younger, people often told me to put my head down and work hard. And while working hard has stayed with me, I question the ‘put my head down’ bit. Humility helps me put aside any ego and focus on achieving a common goal. But showing initiative to handle additional tasks, being accountable and visible in meetings and going that extra mile has always helped me in every project I’ve taken on. It’s helped me build leadership skills too.
While hard work is essential, being proud and accountable for the work you do while managing every aspect of it, builds confidence and enables stakeholders to place their trust in you.
3. You WILL get overwhelmed, but discipline is key
Every freelancer will feel the pressure of working with many clients on varying timelines and expectations. Personally, feeling overwhelmed happened A LOT this past year. I often felt I had taken on too much, and if I opted out of something, I felt guilty and unambitious.
That’s when I decided to take a step back and work on my discipline and logic.
There will be times when more work comes your way, but always focus on whether you can do justice to what you take on.
Can you handle working for X number of clients with Y deliverables in Z days?Answering these kinds of questions will help you evaluate your work load in a disciplined manner without feeling overwhelmed.
4. Don’t look at others to validate YOUR path
The number of times I’ve said this to myself is countless! Looking for external validation places too much emphasis on others, and not enough on myself. I’ve spoken to people who’ve told me freelancing is unsustainable, or only possible if you have other means of money. While I have been lucky to have support during my initial freelancing months, I’ve also worked hard to be financially independent. In fact, it was one of my first year goals!
It’s important to not feel too happy or too sad from external validation. Your decisions affect some key people in your life and only their opinion should factor in the choices you make. Once you decide on a path forward, don’t let strangers/acquaintances put you down!
5. Treat your freelancing business as a brand
As I’ve spent more time working on projects with clients, I’ve felt the need to establish myself as a brand, rather than a freelancer. I especially felt like I had to focus on showcasing my specific skills and share my way of working in advance.
If you’re looking for next steps after establishing yourself as a freelancer, treating yourself as a brand might be helpful. It’ll give potential clients a clear understanding of your personality and style of working before they even contact you, so the initial groundwork is laid out.
6. Saying “no” doesn’t end your freelancing career
The most important lesson of them all! I have felt extreme pressure (from within) to say ‘yes’ often. In fact, I even made it a lesson in my 6-months article. But it’s nearly impossible to say yes to every project when you only have 24 hours in a day and you’re not in a position where you have a whole team working for you. That’s when you need to say ‘no’ with a twist.
Saying ‘no’ doesn’t end your career. Burning bridges might, though. I’ve learned to be polite and transparent whenever I say no to anyone. Treating people with respect and kindness goes a long way in maintaining important relationships that WILL be useful at a later date. I always look forward to meeting new people and building business connections, even if I may not have the bandwidth at that exact moment.
Well, that’s a wrap on my lessons from last year! This crazy, unpredictable period has taught me so many lessons in gratitude and self-belief.
If you’ve come this far, thank you for reading and engaging with my stories. I often feel silly writing them, but I appreciate ALL the support I get.
Did any of my stories resonate with you? Let me know in the comments.
