Freelancing Is a Job

Many advantages exist to freelancing online, but it’s still a job that requires discipline and hard work. In fact, it’s this mandatory self-motivated infrastructure that causes so many to fail.

TOP TIPS

At the end of each work day, take 15 minutes to organize exactly what you’ll be doing the next time you sit down to work. This way, as soon as you start another work session you’ll know right where to go and what to do.

No one is going to check in on you to make sure you’ve met your goals. Most of the time, no one will be there to help you when you stumble or think you’ll never make this silly idea work. (However, a robust Elance community does exist; see Chapter 18.)

Your schedule and goals are your own, and no one will be there to hold you accountable. For some people, this is no problem—in fact, they thrive in this environment. Others need a bit of structure or they tend to derail.

Consider how your personality fits into this spectrum. If you like to be held accountable, get a friend or family member to have you post your goals to them. Or design a set of rewards to go along with each goal reached.

For example, when you hit the 1,000-word mark, you can eat lunch, but not before. Or if you get your two proposals out today, you can watch the game tonight. Whatever it takes, but be aware of what you need to keep you going.