“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…. One step at a time.” – Rande Wilson
There are different sorts of people and freelancers out there. What one person does to become successful could be different from the next person. There’s no one-size-fits-all sort of answer here. Despite the differences in all of us, there are five commonalities that exist between successful freelancers.
What are five habits that you can build today that can turn you into a highly successful freealancer?
1. Take personal responsibility.
If you want to do something, you will. If you don’t, you’ll think of an excuse. You’re responsible for everything. You have to accept this. You can’t blame others and you especially can NOT blame the world for your problems. You have to be personally responsible for everything that happens. The victim mentality isn’t going to go over too well as a freelancer.
Are you ready to take ownership for what happens in your life? I hope so!
2. Learn to be uncomfortable.
When’s the last time that you felt uncomfortable? Living within your comfort zone is freaking boring! I’ve learned to become uncomfortable and I love it. That’s when you see what you’re really made of. When something scares you, that’s usually a sign that you’re on the right path. Anxiety is just experiencing failure in advance and it prevents you from doing cool things.
3. Challenge yourself constantly.
Do you like to push yourself? Pushing yourself is key if you want to grow. When you become complacent, you become lame. When you become lame, nobody wants to work with you. Would you want to work with a lame person?
If you don’t challenge yourself, you’ll never learn anything new. Right now, I’m challenging myself to learn Spanish. I’m outside of my comfort zone, and I love it!
4. Listen to others.
You have to be open-minded. You don’t know everything. Even when you’re on top of the world, you still don’t know everything. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Why not try listening twice as much as you talk?
I hate it when a friend asks me for an opinion on something only to validate their thoughts. If you want someone’s opinion, then please listen to it. Don’t just ask, hoping that the person will tell you that you’re the best. You have so much to learn from those around you. So shut up once in a while.
5. Be consistent.
Consistency is definitely key in freelancing. You can’t just give up when you have a slow month. You can’t stop when you lose motivation. You have to work on your skills on a daily basis, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Building daily habits is crucial.
Do you possess any of these habits? If not, then you can always build them up. There’s nothing stopping you in this day and age from becoming highly successful.
“A successful person is one who can lay a solid foundation from the bricks others have thrown at them.” — David Brinkley
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