It’s no secret that I learned some valuable lessons from my mother. Most of these lessons deal with how to be a good person, but there are a few that have helped me become a better freelancer as well.
As you read this article, you will learn:
- What it was like for my mom to work at home during the 1960s and 70s
- How she managed her time when raising children and working at home
- How she juggled multiple careers throughout her life (and earned enough money to send all three of us kids through college)
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Embrace the freedom and flexibility of freelancing. |
| 2. Build a strong support network to navigate the freelance journey. |
| 3. Consistent self-discipline is essential for success as a freelancer. |
| 4. Continuous learning and upskilling are key to staying competitive. |
| 5. Effective time management is crucial to balance work and personal life. |
| 6. Networking and building relationships can lead to new opportunities. |
| 7. Don’t be afraid to negotiate fair rates and value your expertise. |
| 8. Emphasize clear communication to foster positive client relationships. |
| 9. Diversify your client base to mitigate income fluctuations. |
| 10. Embrace self-promotion and market your skills effectively. |
| 11. Learn from failures and setbacks to grow and improve. |
| 12. Take care of your mental and physical well-being as a freelancer. |
| 13. Stay organized and track your finances for smooth operations. |
| 14. Celebrate achievements and milestones along your freelance journey. |
1. Don’t Wait For The Perfect Time To Start. Just Start
The first thing I learned from my mom is to not wait for the perfect time to start. Mom said, “Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it’s never going to come.” She went on to say that if you want something bad enough, you have to take action and make it happen and that’s exactly what she did.
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2. The More You Learn, The Better You Get
The more you learn, the faster your productivity goes up. The more knowledge and experience you have as a freelancer, the easier it is to get new clients and keep them happy. This is why it’s so important to continue learning new skills at this stage in your career it not only makes you better at what you do but can also help immensely when it comes time for negotiations or pitching for a bigger job (and thus earning more money).
3. Your Work And Your Attitude Toward Your Work Matter Just As Much As Your Talent Does
As a freelancer, your work and your attitude toward your work matter just as much as your talent does. If you’re not willing to put in the effort to learn new skills, keep up with trends and make connections with other creative people in your field, then you’ll never be able to get more than part-time gigs.
If you’re not good at what you do or if people complain about working with you then it doesn’t matter how talented or skilled of a writer or illustrator or designer you are; no one will ever hire you again.
You have to be able to turn out quality work on time without needing constant supervision from someone else; otherwise, no one will trust that they can count on getting high-quality work from someone who’d rather spend their time playing video games than doing their job (you may remember this happening once).
4. It’s OK To Go Slow Sometimes
Sometimes, you have to take your time and walk in the woods or sit on a bench and just be. Sometimes, you have to sit with yourself for a while as you go about your day-to-day life and be comfortable with that.
Sometimes it’s OK to not rush through things; sometimes it’s OK not to feel like anything is falling apart because of how slowly you’re moving through space. I think that this is especially important for freelancers who are working remotely (or even if they’re not). If there’s one thing my mom taught me about being freelance: It’s OK when things get boring at times!
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5. You Have To Take Breaks
This is something I learned from my mom, and it’s a pretty easy lesson to remember. She works as an administrative assistant at a bank, and she’ll tell me stories about how she’d go into work, get caught up in her work for eight hours straight, and then come home exhausted by the end of the day.
She’d feel so drained that she’d just want to sleep but she couldn’t fall asleep because all this work was still on her mind! So she’d stay up late finishing what she needed to do before going back out again the next morning (and doing it all over again).
The point here is that when you’re exhausted like this, your ability to make sound decisions goes out the window plus you have less energy than usual which means your productivity level will decrease rapidly too!
This is why it’s important not only for yourself but also for your clients that if they need something done in 24 hours (or even sooner), don’t stress yourself out trying to get everything done right away; instead set deadlines so YOU can relax later rather than burnout after working through several nights without stopping.
6. Find A Mentor, Or Several, And Listen To Them When They Give You Advice
Mentors can be a valuable resource. I cannot stress this enough. You need someone to keep you on track and help you make decisions when things get tough, and mentors are great for that.
They’ll help keep your head in the game when life gets busy and stressful, which is often the case with freelancing. Mentors have been there before they know what it’s like to work from home, so they can give you some valuable insight into what works for them and what doesn’t work for them, which might be different than your own experience.
A good mentor will also offer advice on how to avoid making the same mistakes they did when starting as a freelancer or entrepreneur (which is something I’ve seen first-hand).
My mom had some really good mentors who helped her through her early years of business ownership (she started her own business after leaving the corporate world), but if she hadn’t had those people around at the time then she would have made some bad decisions that could’ve led down a path she didn’t want to go down!
7. Sometimes You Have To Learn Things The Hard Way
It’s important to understand that sometimes you have to learn things the hard way. You don’t know how a piece of software will work until you use it and see for yourself, but there are other times when you can ask someone who has already used it before.
The same goes for any new tool or program. If your mom had never tried stitches before her surgery, she wouldn’t have known that they wouldn’t hold up against heavy use. Of course, this also means learning how not to fail in some cases: if she hadn’t sewn her fingers together, she probably would have been able to work on other projects afterward without any problems.
In general though: just because something works doesn’t mean that using it is always going to get good results sometimes what seems like an improvement may be worse than whatever was there before! Allowing yourself room for error will help avoid repeating mistakes from happening over again; this isn’t just true with sewing machines either it applies across the board when working with anything else too.”
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8. It Can Be Hard Making Friends In A New Place, But It’s Worth It
I know, I know. It can be hard making friends in a new place, especially if you’re shy or introverted like me. But trust me: it’s worth it to get out there and meet people! The whole point of moving is to expand your horizons and make connections with others, but if you don’t make any effort at all then that won’t happen.
Don’t worry about “putting yourself out there.” Don’t worry about what others think of you or how awkward you might feel at first when I moved from New York City to the Deep South all by myself after college graduation, I felt the same way as many people do when starting their freelance careers but there are ways around this discomfort if you’re willing to try something different than what worked for other people before (and even then).
For example: when my mom moved away from her hometown in Upstate New York after getting married and having children (me), she knew no one here except my father’s family members who lived across town from where we were living at the time (in North Carolina).
However, they had both been living elsewhere during most of their lives so they didn’t know many people here either; plus they didn’t go out much so meeting new friends wasn’t easy either unless someone invited them over for dinner parties, etc…
Even though this may seem like a lot easier than trying something new–which could end up being harder it isn’t because these types of situations don’t often lead anywhere unless both parties want something specific from each other which rarely happens among strangers!
9. If You Want People To Value Your Work, You Must Value Yourself First
This is a lesson I learned from my mom when I was young and doesn’t seem to have aged with her. She had a lot of jobs during the time I was growing up and all of them were “just until something better comes along.” We lived in New York City at the time but she would commute from Long Island every day because she couldn’t afford rent and didn’t want me living alone in Manhattan (which is where I now live).
She worked as a nanny, as a secretary for an interior designer, and as an office manager at a pediatrician’s practice, and every single one of these jobs paid less than minimum wage. The best one paid $9 per hour after taxes!
And even though she did all these things out of necessity and never complained about it there wasn’t much money left over after paying rent and buying groceries each month between two paychecks. So how did she manage? How did we manage?
She taught me how not to undervalue myself by demonstrating that if someone pays less than what you think your labor should be worth then it’s perfectly fine for them to do so but if they don’t pay enough then there are many other options available for earning more money elsewhere in other jobs or positions (she found another job within 48 hours).
10. There Will Always Be People Who Don’t Agree With What You Do Or How You Do It
You’re writing for yourself. And it’s okay to not care about everyone’s opinion. Some people won’t like what you do or how you do it (and that’s fine).
You don’t need everyone to like you and agree with your opinions, because that would defeat the purpose of writing in the first place which is being able to get your thoughts out into the world and find an audience who values them just as much as you do.
You can be proud of what you write, even if others don’t always share your opinions. This is something I learned from my mom when she was starting her own business: “I may not be right 100% of the time (if only!), but knowing myself well enough to know what I believe in has been crucial in setting me up for success later on.”
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11. Get Outside Every Day, Even If It’s Just For A Few Minutes At First
If you live in a city, it can be hard to get outside every day. But it is essential for your health and well-being, so you need to make time for it. The first step is making yourself more aware of the benefits of getting outside. This can be as simple as saying “I am going outside now” out loud before you leave the house just make sure no one hears this!
Once you’ve become more conscious of the benefits, then try taking some time every day even if just five minutes at first to go sit under a tree or take a walk around your block. Even if it’s cold outside and snowing (which happens here sometimes), just go for a walk around the block anyway!
You won’t regret it when spring comes around again later on in life and all those extra steps will come back as good vibes when your body feels better about itself because you treated yourself nicely each day instead of letting yourself fall into bad habits like eating junk food or being too sedentary during downtime after work hours end.
12. Read Constantly, No Matter How Busy You Are
Read everything you can get your hands on, especially as a beginning freelancer, and then some more. Read books that teach you skills, read stories that inspire you to be creative and think differently, and read biographies of people who’ve done amazing things in their careers (or in life). Keep reading so that when someone asks for advice or guidance from you, they know what type of answer to expect from your vast storehouse of knowledge.
13. Remember That Those Who Are Close To You Want What’s Best For You
“Remember that those who are close to you want what’s best for you even if they sometimes think they know better than you do about what that is.” This is a lesson I’ve learned over and over again, both professionally and personally. It can be difficult not to take criticism of your work or life choices personally, but remember that the people who care about you are only trying to help.
They want what’s best for you. Even though it’s tough to see your loved ones struggle, try to keep in mind that this path may not be right for them (and vice versa). Also, recognize that we all have different goals and desires; some advice just won’t work for everyone.
14. Never Stop Exploring What Inspires Your Creativity And Makes You Happy In General
Because these things can change over time as well as with each new project or relationship we’re involved in. One of the most important things I’ve learned from my mom is that we should never stop exploring what inspires our creativity and makes us happy in general, because these things can change over time as well as with each new project or relationship we’re involved in.
She always encouraged me to pursue whatever made me feel like I was doing something special and that meant more to me than anything else. Then, when she saw how much it affected my life positively, she was even more convinced that this was something I should continue doing for as long as possible which has turned into a lifelong career for me so far!
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Final Thoughts
I hope this article was helpful for anyone who is thinking about freelancing. The most important thing I learned from my mom is to keep learning because you’ll never know everything. Also, don’t be afraid to make mistakes it’s better than not doing anything at all. In the end, just remember: You don’t have to be the best, just a little better than the rest.
Further Reading
Here are some additional articles you might find helpful:
Eight Things I Learned After Two Years Freelancing Full-Time: Gain insights from a freelancer’s experience after two years of working independently. Discover valuable lessons and practical tips to enhance your freelance journey.
What I Learned in 2 Months of Freelancing: Explore the firsthand account of a freelancer’s journey in the initial two months. Find out the challenges faced, lessons learned, and how to navigate the early stages of freelancing.
7 Things I’ve Learned in My First Month of Freelancing: Gain valuable insights from a freelancer’s experience during their first month. Discover tips and strategies to help you thrive in the early stages of your freelancing career.
People Also Ask
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelancer is a person who takes on various projects with different clients. Some examples of freelancers are lawyers, graphic designers, tech support specialists, and freelance writers. In comparison to contractors who take on one project at a time freelancers often have multiple clients simultaneously or may even work for one employer part-time while also working for others.
What Do I Need To Become A Freelance Writer?
The first step in becoming a successful freelance writer is to develop good writing skills. Freelance writers should be able to write reports that contain accurate data from interviews and other sources of information.
A strong grasp of grammar will allow you to ensure that your reports are free from errors; it also helps if you know how to use spell check software! Once you’ve gotten comfortable with the basics of writing well-researched content, it’s time for step two: finding clients!
How Can I Make The Most Of My Time At Home?
One thing about freelancing is there will be lots of days that are slow you’ll feel unproductive, or like you’re spinning your wheels. The best thing for me during those days is to set goals for myself: “Today I’m going to write 500 words,” “I’m going to work on this project until 2 PM,” etc., then put them on my calendar (or in Evernote) so they’re there as reminders when I need them most.
It also helps if you find projects outside of work that keeps your mind active: maybe take a course online (I took one on writing novels), go out with friends more often than usual… whatever works!
Just remember not all days are created equal; when things get tough it’s important not just because then we wouldn’t know how good things could be but also because now we know better than ever before exactly who we want ourselves to become later down this road.”
How Can I Make Money From Home?
Well, the answer is simple. You can do it with a freelance writing career. There are many different ways to get started on your own freelance writing business, but I recommend starting on Upwork and Fiverr. Both of these platforms have a huge user base and a lot of demand for their services.
These sites will set you up with clients who need help with their projects, so all you have to do is provide them with high-quality work and make sure that every deadline is met for them to pay out on time don’t worry though!
This isn’t as hard as it sounds: once you find someone who trusts your ability enough that they hire you again and again (which should happen if you’re doing good work), then everything else becomes easier because there’s no risk involved anymore you’ve already established trust through previous interactions between client/freelancer relationships before this point and then all that remains is getting paid!
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!