5 Things I Stopped Doing In Order To Live A Fulfilling Freelance Career

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

I don’t know about you but I believe the ultimate goal is to live a fulfilling life. No matter what keeps your hands busy.

A life of purpose, intention, and satisfaction.

I believe the same goes with freelancing. After all, it’s a lifestyle and not just a hobby.

In the past 4 years, I stopped doing these 5 things in pursuit of a rewarding freelance career. Not all at once, but gradually.

I stopped undervaluing myself.

The hardest part is always the part where you decide if you should start.

Self-doubt comes into play by day 1 and undervaluing yourself sets in.

But despite the fear, start anyway. Do it or do it scared.

I used to charge so little for my services. I’m talking about $20 research articles. I mean, it sounds illegal right?

Sure, we all need to start somewhere and that first $ will feel like a million bucks. But you also need to set a goal for when you charge a bit higher than the usual.

Now I know my worth.

If my client sees my value, then the pay shouldn’t be an issue.

Overworking my butt off.

With freelancing comes the danger of overworking.

Whether you’re a newbie or you’re incredibly successful, you’re going to be tempted to accept every job that comes your way.

Why? Because freelancing is unpredictable. You could land 4 clients in one month, and none in another.

But I stopped overworking myself.

I used Toggl to track my daily hours, particularly how much time I spend on each task that I’m working on. And frankly, I noticed significant changes in my wellbeing.

Because I clock in almost the same hours everyday and have dedicated ‘work hours’, I now look forward to working without overworking.

Building in private.

I’ve always wanted to live that lowkey life where no one knows what I do, where I am, and how my hair looks like. I just wanted to be on my way without the prowling eyes of everyone.

I stopped building in private this year though.

I revived my LinkedIn account, set up a new Twitter profile, and built a newsletter that only a few people see for now.

By building in private, I improve my skills and do what needs to be done. But by building in public, I get to share that with a lot of people who could pick up a thing or two from my success and failures.

I like to see it as a win-win situation.

Adapting systems that don’t work for me.

Systems here, systems there, systems everywhere.

Like you, I love absorbing from bigger creators online. I celebrate their wins, learn from their losses, and adapt their system.

I tried to follow their hacks, advice, and techniques.

But now I’ve come to realize that their system is working for them because it took them years to build that. I can’t just simply download their system and install it in my life. I had to build my own.

You’re the only person who knows what system and flow will work for you.

I’ve built a system that works for me now and I’m proud of that. It took me 4 years to be in tune with myself and learn what works for me and what wouldn’t.

Promising more than I can deliver.

Oof! This one just hits hard.

I recall this one night when I was browsing through Upwork. I found a really high-paying market research gig but the topic was so heavy on tech and software. It obviously was my weak point but I applied for it anyway.

Voila, I got the job. I signed the NDA and my contract was rolling.

2 days into it, I reviewed the project guidelines again and realized I was screwed. Big time! The client needed solutions that I couldn’t provide and recommendations I couldn’t back up.

I ended up confessing to my client that I overpromised. It was such an embarrassing experience and I vowed to never do that again.

Now I have a rule for myself: Only close the deal if I can overdeliver.

By doing so, I can guarantee 100% that even my bare minimum work will be acceptable. And get that 5-star review, of course.

If you made it here, thank you.

Writing this forced me to take a trip down memory lane which is a great way to self-reflect but also sort of cringe-y. It’s been a rollercoaster ride filled with moments of self-doubt, overworking, and trying to fit in with the crowd.

But if there’s a takeaway here, it’s that I had to stop doing certain things to live a fulfilling freelance career.

It’s been a journey of ups and downs. But beyond that, it’s been an adventure of growth and self-discovery.

I hope this helps you discover the things you need to stop doing so you can finally live a rewarding freelance lifestyle.