Oh the things that put you off balance and mess up your freelancing day: a last minute project, a client who refuses to pay you on time, a project that received a bad feedback, a relatively calm period, the stress of diversification, social media, an unpleasant happening…a technical glitch on your website …no coffee!!
Perhaps you have though about giving it up or taking a break from your freelancing business because (a) it’s too unpredictable or (b) it is too stressful or simply because (c) you need a healthier career.
Actually, you can have a healthier career without quitting freelancing. With business yoga. Not familiar? Let’s apply a few principles together.
- Be flexible with yourself
Although I believe in planning as a form of progress and a way to control life a bit, most of the things happening to a freelancer don’t come with an invitation and are often unplanned. From clients walking away with no apparent reason, to a stressful event, you CAN plan, but you CAN’T control life.
So just learn to bend, bend a bit more, even more and then to bounce back as a flexible bamboo. Because flexibility is important to absorb and digest business happenings and it gives the chance to learn and progress without giving up on your dreams.
- Set your business intentions
Why are you freelancing? Have your goals and intentions changed in the past year? Maybe the answer is yes: your life has progressed and you have realised that the reason fuelling your passion have changed. You have different business intention based on your experience and the state of your freelance business.
Tip: lists are great tools to help you (a) check your milestones and (c) check how life is changing your goals & plans.
Create regular lists, set new intentions, reach them or give voice to your fears and needs, visualise what is the ultimate goal, let the list help you get there.
- Keep on practicing
Practice makes perfect, in yoga as in freelancing. If you are not happy about the quality of your projects, then exercise. You don’t need a freelancing assignment, just explore, try, create and apply your ability.
- Live and (love) the project
In yoga we say that living the moment is key to appreciate the present and make the most of our nature.
I would suggest that, as freelancers, we learn to live and love the present project more. Because this celebration of the busy professional is damaging the way we manage out freelance business. Let’s take 2 more minutes to focus on the project and make it our friend, live it, understand it and the client. A calmer approach leaves space to conversation, exchange, teaching & learning, progress and new possibilities.
- Be positive about what you can do
This says all. If you are thinking about quitting maybe just take a break rather than trash all you have done so far. It’s fear speaking, not you.
Find another temp job to pay your bills if that is the problem, or go back to step 2 and change your priorities & intentions, but don’t be harsh with yourself because that will kill your motivation for other projects you are planning to get into, too.
- Let the client go
Some people are just not meant to be working with you; they just bring toxic vibes into your life, let them go and focus on more positive experiences.
- Get into the freelancing zone
You would not practice yoga without a little preparation and purification.
So you would not freelancer without preparation and focus. Even though we love working from home, we know that the people around us don’t always understand and can make it a very unpleasant experience.
Just create your home-based office with all the attention and professionalism you would put into an office-based job, set clear rules, stick to a few vital daily habits regarding your office hours and healthy routines, make sure to be flexible and ready to work hard.
The Healthy Freelancer 