10 Ways to Stay Motivated as a Freelancer – MoneyMagpie

Annie


2nd Jun 2023

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Going it alone as a freelancer is a brilliant feeling… until the work seems to dry up or get repetitive. Staying motivated as a freelancer is essential for your business success – but it can take a bit of tough love and discipline to keep going!

Use these strategies to stay motivated and keep pushing your business forward, even when you’re in a bit of a slump. You’ll feel productive even on days without client work AND you’ll get out of the doldrums, too!

Chamber of Commerce to find out what they’re doing in terms of virtual meetings. They’re a great way to meet other local business people AND promote your work without being too salesy.

Some groups run webinars, others like a Zoom meeting. Some are continuous chat channels like Slack, that you can dip in and out of depending on how much time you’ve got. Keep regular contact and answer questions as well as asking them. Giving back to the community makes others more receptive to helping you out, too.

Cold Turkey Writer blocks EVERYTHING until you reach a set goal!

Many freelancers struggle with their focus overall. Staying motivated as a freelancer involves an ability to cut out the distractions – which are often caused by a busy mind and that leads to a lack of sleep! Try apps like Flipd or Calm to help you learn techniques for coping with a busy head. Meditation strategies and even the sound of a crackling fire to lull you to sleep at night can all help you manage your mental focus.

Arrange Social Engagements

Don’t forget to have a life, too! Staying motivated as a freelancer is nigh on impossible if you’re all work and no play. It’s so easy to keep cancelling plans because you want to work on your next pitch, or you’ve got client work you really want to get finished (even if the deadline isn’t until later in the week).

Taking time for yourself to have social interaction is vital to maintaining your motivation during your working day. Set time aside to spend time with your family, and make sure you have at least one full day off every week to do things with your friends, family, or even just some ‘me-time’ that’s away from your desk.

Social interaction is important for your mental health and maintaining your relationships. However, it can also boost your enthusiasm for your freelance work. Taking time away from your computer to do something entirely different gives your brain time to percolate ideas in the background. You’ll return to work revived! Going out to do things, like taking a walk with your family or watching a film with friends, also brings inspiration from other places that you can introduce to your work.

More Freelance Tips

With so many redundancies, reduced hours, and people realising there’s never a ‘perfect’ time to launch their freelance dream, more people than ever are turning to freelance work. That’s why we’ve put together a whole bunch of useful articles about freelancing to help you get started!