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Any effective motivational pill for a freelancer?



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Any effective motivational pill for a freelancer?

Working as a freelancer and earning from it is a fulfilling experience, but keeping up the good work is harder than I thought. Sustainability and perseverance and motivation are keys to continuously be in that job. But what are your underlying motivational tools that can really make you work long-time?

Any effective motivational pill for a freelancer?

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Cristian
MONEY. Your main drive and motivation should be money. I'm not kidding. At least at first, this should be your main incentive.
Later on, it should develop into passion, personal projects ideas and in the end, you need to be able to love what you are doing.
I know it is hard but after a few years, it should be everything you want to do.

I personally love my work, but the 9-5 and the freelancing part. I'm working 12hours per day and I still don't feel satisfied (and it's not about the money) I just want to have more time in a day to do more!



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Barida
I slightly agree with you in the sense that making the income that can keep food on your table can be a motivating factor as well which is quite important to become a better freelancer at the end.



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JonathanS98
I completely agree with this 100%, though I am slightly shocked you said it.

Personally, I'm not one to get into anything for the money, because it can sometimes lead you off course of finding the true validity behind what you're doing. This is why I try and cultivate any interest I may have in something early; therefore it'll turn into a genuine passion that I can continue on. Hopefully creating some time of return on investment from that passion.

But sometimes, having a common goal of money is good because it can keep your drive alive. Money turned to greed is bad, in my opinion. However, seeking other capital sources and using that as motivation to dig deeper as a freelancer, is inspiring.



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AmieBotella
Thanks for this. I needed this reminder. Now, I am money-motivated alright, but I need to find that passion. Lately it seems I lack the passion to push harder on the things that I want to do. The problem with me is I can learn a skill and would find stuff interesting but not really that passionate to make it a motivation to create more wonderful things. It seems that I am so into the $$$ that I tend to just push doing what I NEED to do in order to gain never really caring that I liked what I'm doing. As a result, drains me eventually.



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peachpurple
Yes, money is the pill to motivate a freelancer to become active and hardworking. I blog for money, not for fun. I don't have a full-time job , so I had to improve my blog in order to earn more money



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vinaya
I totally agree with you. Money is my number one motivating factor. As long as the work involves money, I feel delighted to work. More money means I put more enthusiasm, less money means my enthusiasm is less. Recently, I was commissioned to write an ebook for $120. I completed the work in 5 days. I have been commissioned to write n article for $5 about two weeks ago and I am yet to start on the work.



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mildredtabitha
I also agree that money should be your motivational pill. Freelancing is a job and if you are paid well, you will feel non of your hardwork is going to waste.



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TommyCarey
I've actually written up a couple "Motivation Monday" discussions here on SEOclerks Any effective motivational pill for a freelancer?

I haven't gotten to one today because I've been busy, but I might start doing that right now Any effective motivational pill for a freelancer?

The biggest motivation you can have, is MONEY, just like Cristian said. Money makes the world go round and it's what we all need in order to keep on moving forward on our journey to riches.

If you want to check them out, here are the 2 motivational posts I wrote up already:
https://www.seoclerks.com/faq/2472...l-unless-you-try
https://www.seoclerks.com/faq/2482...-never-giving-up

Basically they go over how you shouldn't give up, and how you can motivate yourself if you happen to be down in the dumps. There are various ways to boost your own moral, and I've gone over some of them, within those two discussions Any effective motivational pill for a freelancer? Of course, these are the methods that work for me, so they might now be as good for you, but you'll never know until you try Any effective motivational pill for a freelancer?


- Razzy



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Judas2018
Enjoyment of the work, enjoyment of the space or niche you operate in and the people you meet that come with it - should be first and foremost. Money should be a close second. I'd say a distant third would be purpose. I don't agree that peoples purpose in life should be defined by their work because your purpose in life I think changes as you get older. So it can vary every 10 years or so.



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JoeMilford
I think that this is SO important because, if you don't enjoy the work, when you hit a rough patch, you will be more likely just to give and quit. You have to love what you are doing, and this freelancing and writing thing is not for everyone. I also totally agree with your ideas about purpose. I am not sure where you are, but here, in America, way too many people I have observed define their entire identities around their careers, and I think that, if one is not careful, this can become a very empty life devoid of true passion.



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Barida
Learning more from working for others has been the core aspect of working as a freelancer, it's always good to study more from working for other clients on the internet.



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overcast
Freelancers tend to work more than the day job.The reason being they charging low price. And that part changing the way things are going. I think for that reason alone I'd say it's always better to be safe with having medium level pricing for the freelance service. Otherwise working online becomes really hard. That's what I have learned so far.



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overcast
I look at the success of others. I also bank on my own success. And also make sure to take steps towards my future. So one success at a time. That's how the freelancer should look at. And that means one client at a time. And then increasing clients as you get good at handling people. And that seems to be the way for handling the freelancing crowd. I think it'd be reasonable to start with the slow pace and then develop the motivation per client basis.



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augusta
As a freelancer don't believe or buy into the myth of total freedom to lazy around because you might not make much at the end of the day.Always deliver an excellent work if you need more clients and referrals.You need passion and commitment to scale through the daunting side of freelancing.Keep working daily, have your breaks but don't back out.



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Barida
Yeah, being at the top of our game is the best way to make it as a freelancer. The truth is that no great freelancer is that green since there will be work here and there for him.



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JoeMilford
This is exactly true, especially because of how competitive this freelance market is. So many people are out there doing this right now, and so people who want to hire you to write articles or other potential customers can pick from a very saturated market. This can be tough because then those who hire you can ask for cheaper and cheaper prices for your work because someone will always be out there willing to do it cheaper than you. It's hard to find your niche and then to find your own original content or product in your niche, and I think that that is a challenge for all of us in this business.



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vhinz
Money is the first and be able to work at home or anywhere you want is the second motivational factor for an online freelancer. As a freelancer you do not have to drag yourself every day to go to the office. You can wear any clothes you want and you can work and earn money without leaving your family every day and spent most of your time in the office or field. You could also travel if you want while your doing some online jobs.



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Tronia
That's true and if you are smart you can easily do many things while still being a freelancer - for example; go outside whenever you want since you aren't tied to a fixed schedule, spend time with family and more. It's one of the best things about being a freelancer and I'd never change it! Working at home is so comfortable compared to an office.



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overcast
Money can't be motivation for long enough. After some time you have to think about stability of the actions. Lot of freelancers end up forming companies and then stabilize their business. For them it works out that way. I think money can't be motivation forever though. Because what would you do once you are rich but in mean time worked so hard that you are forgetting to enjoy?



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JoeMilford
Of course, money is the prime motivator, but when that is not coming in, as it happens to all freelancers from one time or another, you have to find other things to motivate you. If you already really enjoy writing in general, then I would think that taking on projects which are interesting and stimulating to you could be inspiring or motivational. Also, some freelancing stuff can be fun, even if it just pays a little, such as forum posting. You have to find ways, I think, not to get discouraged and to keep working at it every day. It is very competitive, but there is still room for us all to make money and to be appreciated for our content and our unique voices and approaches to it.



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overcast
This is true. It's some of the times about the money. And if money is not coming and if the day job is not enough. That's when the feeling of the anxiety is going to strike. And that in itself is going to be a motivational killer. So one has to be seriously understanding about the finances and also spending. So that's something you have to learn from and develop for your freelancer career.



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JoeMilford
Right. I knew going into freelancing that I should not quit my "day job" anytime soon, and I was right, at least so far. I am still learning how to make money at this, and it is a slow process, but I know enough to know that it would be totally irresponsible to quit my other gig and just dive into this online world right now. I do not know what the future holds, and I am working very hard at all of my projects, but so far my motivation is full, but my wallet stays empty a lot, lol.



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overcast
I would say freelancing should remain as side hustle. And one should never leave the job that took them years to master. Because freelancers life is volatile. And nothing is ever guaranteed. And you can see that on that basis It'd be reasonable to do things which are more secure for monthly paycheck. I won't say all the people can pull it off. But some can pull it off and it is going to be different on that context.



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JoeMilford
Right--I guess if I had began this freelance thing years and years ago, I could've mastered it by now or cornered some sort of lucrative market; however, I am a newcomer and a late-comer to this game, and there is stiff competition for everyone's traffic and dollars. I would never leave the career it took me fifteen years to build just to take on freelancing full time; however, that being said, the supplemental income that I get from freelancing does help--hell, any little bit helps, right?



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overcast
The thing with freelancing is that unless you make a company out of it. The public that uses the service of freelancer, they are going to treat the person like low cost service provider. And that is going to be lot different for almost every freelancer out there. I'd say for the same reason It's reasonable to avoid being solo person for like decades. That's not a good recipe for long term.



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AmieBotella
Haha. But I sure hope they (wallet) will eventually get filled. I believe that doing your best at all times still make you reap good harvests.

I am also doing this freelancing behind my 'day job' because there isn't any "I earned $6000 while strolling on the beach". or if one exists, this is not an overnight thing. So taking it easy and learning it one step at a time is essential.



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overcast
I think very few and lucky have made that beach and nomad lifestyle. I am definitely not one of them. I have mostly met some really hard customers. So making money through them is not going to be easy gig. And for the same reason I think freelancing is definitely tough luck. I'd say freelancing should be treated as side hustle for same reason.



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AmieBotella
Yes I think so too. I have been in the online world, and I am learning that it's a whole new world that is packed up with the same difficult people and shares of pure luck and all. It is also a struggle for all types of people too. Same struggle and same effort for all of us.



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overcast
I think there are distractions with quick money. And then there are some long term earning skills. And we struggle in between all of this. So I guess struggle remains constant. It's just how we handle it and then overcome issues that decides our future. It takes time for those things though.



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kgord
I like being able to work from home. To be able to continue to do that, is something that motivates me to continue with work from home earnings. It is simply one good way to be able to make some money and stay out of the rat race.



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JoeMilford
kgord,
I agree with you here--working from home can be really awesome, and I teach and freelance from home every day. I have found that, though, I keep insane and inconsistent hours, so I really need to work on that for my own personal health. I still am a bit in the rat race, in terms of my official job, which pays most of my bills, but I have been able to make a lot of supplemental income freelancing and writing from home, so, like you, that is definitely a motivational thing for me!



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kgord
It is nice to have a bit of a balance..but by and large, working at home is much better than working in an office of some sort. The type of freelancing I do allows me to spend some time in the community which is nice, so I do get a chance to get out of the house.



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Tronia
For me, it's a mixture of money, passion for freelancing and the ability to have a flexible schedule. Those three combined all serve as sort of motivational factors and keep me going in the freelancing market. Money is obviously important as others have pointed it out but I believe that passion is up there as well. If you hate what you're doing, you will get burned out so easily and look for something else.



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Soulwatcher
I can tell you although I am not a freelancer I do a lot of freelance type of stuff for my website. And without a doubt, music is my motivator. Without music, I can maybe work on websites for an hour or so and then I start going crazy. But with music, I can sit back and focus and work on websites nonstop without missing a beat. So I would suggest trying listening to music while you work.



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Baburra
Whenever I think to myself that I'm tired of working freelance from home, I just try and remember that the alternative is to waste my life sitting in a car in traffic for 2 or more hours each day at the very least, whereas I could spend that time just resting or even doing something else that is important. On top of that, I'd also have to spend a lot of time getting ready and getting dressed, and if I work in an office then I'd have to stay there even if I have finished all my work and that also causes me to waste time. It's my main motivation in working from home.



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jaymish2
I like your question. I 'm actually dealing with the same issue right now. I'm finding it really hard to focus and stay motivated. I can see the amount of money I will earn, that's still not helping.I have concluded that I am tired and kind of burned out and need to take some time off. I have been working continuously since I began on this journey. I also need to get inspired. It's very easy to just work for the sake of money. This I believe shows the results you give. If you think about it, it's not your best work.

I plan to take a long Christmas break. I am looking forward to it and this is also helping me to stay on track.



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Baburra
Same here and I agree. I also was feeling tired and didn't have much motivation for doing freelance for a time and couldn't put my finger on why, and eventually I realized it was because I've been working on my own for so long that I just burned out without even noticing it. Now I'm also taking it slow a little bit just to regroup and I feel like it is helping a lot as I am already warming back up and feel like I will be back to working just as hard by the next year.



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Everett
I would definitely agree with Cristian that money should be your primary motivation factor, other than loving what you do. For instance, if you earn all your money via the internet then a house over your head, electricity, car payments, etc should all be motivation not just for freelancers but anyone in the work force. Without money means no home, no car, no nothing. If you do not have motivation to do work online, then you probably also do not have any motivation to do work elsewhere. This is a great indicator of your work ethnic. If you applied somewhere, and just so happened to give your seoclerks profile to the employer and they were to skim through your Community Discussions section and found this post then they would probably think that you are not really interested in working for them and would most likely deny your application, i know i probably would.

Here are things that motivate me to get online everyday:

  • House
  • Car
  • Food
  • Electricity
  • Heat (it's getting really cold here, have to have heat!)
  • Water (you need it to live otherwise you would die!)
So if you don't have anything to motivate you, then you need to find something to motivate you. Perhaps set a goal for yourself and make sure you meet this goal. Self discipline goes a long way.



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DarthHazard
Someone else said it as well, money. Money is such a great motivational pill especially if you are struggling financially. If you need to earn money then it can be a great motivational pill that will motivate you to work harder and to complete your freelance work as soon as possible and without delay.



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DenisP
Well for one thing, I think it is important to try and zero in on a field that you genuinely enjoy. We all have something that we're more knowledgeable about than the average person, and that is what we can regard as our niche. Once you've found your niche, odds are you can put out much more content and enjoy it far more than just working on random things that you barely have any interest in.

The other motivation, of course, is money. Maybe you want to renovate your house or buy yourself an expensive, fancy gadget. Whatever the goal might be, you have to constantly keep it at the forefront of your mind. People often think to themselves "I want this so I'm going to work for it", but as they work they end up pushing that goal to the back of their mind. Once your goal is back there, you're going to have a much harder time drawing motivation from it.

Then again, if you quickly lose focus of your goals it's probably time to sit down and have a re-evaluation of what is actually important to you.



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wiseagent
I think there is no better answer to that question than money.

It may seem like a superficial thought (or too much capitalist, depending on your social political point of view), but I think that when you put money as one of the main targets of your work, you can see the whole thing with different eyes.



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Aree
Here are a couple of bad ideas.

If you have kids, how about putting a picture of them as your wallpaper? That way, you will always be reminded of what all your hard work is for.

If you don't have kids, how about putting a picture of an old man/woman homeless on the cold street? That way, you will always be reminded of where you might just end up if you don't start working harder while you still can.



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jaymish2
I also think it depends on what work you're doing as a freelancer.If you are doing something creative like design or writing, you can't force yourself to be motivated. You can put all the pictures you want on the wall and even have the best vision board. This is still not going to make a difference.Creativity requires inspiration. As Tonny Robbins says 'you need to learn to get yourself in the state'. You need to learn to get yourself inspired.You need to find an environment or conditions that inspire you. This ensures that the work you produce is of the highest quality.If you do creative work mechanically, it tends not be that good.



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mildredtabitha
I also agree with you. Someone who is inspired tends to be highly motivated. If you can pick up the little experiences and other materials and make something useful out of it, then you are highly motivated. Most of my writing is inspired but that is a different case when it comes to assignments.



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TimothyAlex
One of the prime reasons that I am a freelancer is pay for production. My income is a direct result of my efforts, period. That is all the motivation that I need. I don't have to rely on a company's salary ranges or what a boss thinks I'm worth.



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Corzhens
My motivational pill is the learning I get from freelancing aside from the fact that I enjoy my work in the interactions in forums. There are times that I was down like when I get a low rating from an admin, I would lie low for a day or two to lick my wounds. But the motivation is innate because, as I said, I enjoy what I’m doing and I guess that is the most important to me.



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mildredtabitha
My passion for writing is what keeps me going. Freelancing has its ups and downs and we all need to love our work so we can be able to survive. Money should be everyone's motivation but having a good employer or client is more motivating. Someone who understands your work and gives a rate or feedback so that you can know where to improve.



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Rumu
Well, the first motivation that can drive you to continuous writing is Money. Lol.I don't know about you but the passion I have for writing has always been my number one motivation. If you like what you do, then you shouldn't have a problem getting motivated. Also, the need for positive achievement can serve as good pill for writing effectively.



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potentialwriter
As a freelance writer, you might need a motivational pill from your fellow writers who have, in one way or the other, gone through what you are presently going through today. This is very normal and it really works a lot most times in business. You need to be encouraged by others who have already become successful in the business.



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Rumu
First thing motivational pill for a freelancer is the earnings, this is the motivation force thats why patience works with it, a freelancer should always know that his/her earnings depends on it and how well they work.

The freelancing life is an easy one that's if you are passionate about what you do, you won't start earning immediately just always remember that, the life of freelancing is being considered as broke because they dont know how it works especially when we need money most but we are just getting started. Freelancing motivation pill is also the fact that you get better at the art you do, it improves your skills and make you more aware of what and why you are doing it, there is the communication skills freelancing gives you better way of communicating to people thats why most freelancers are being called for big jobs you can ever think of. Another motivation pill to freelancing is that you only get better wiser and richer and that you just have to follow steps and you get there.



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Pixie06
The monetary rewards are definitely my primary motivation. Getting praised for a job well done is yet another thing which motivates me. Doing a job that you really love and which helps you to grow and use your skills will help to keep you motivated.



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keen2write
What keeps me more motivated is keeping your main goal in your mind and keeping that in focus will have you more determined. But, also think of new ideas all the time, what are people wanting and what skills do you have which can help them along the way. Also, plenty of sleep, am not joking, more sleep means you have more energy throughout the day giving you more time and energy to give to people.



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anahbello1206
I also agree that money earned as a freelancer would be a great motivational pill at first. But to maintain that same drive for a long time once must also be really passionate about what he does. For example, going extra to help improve himself and at the same time boost his income. Another is that proper treatment for employer would also greatly affect the motivation of a freelancer.



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centurion
I like to learn from online. Basically I bid with every project and try my best for getting long term based work. I am profile on several marketplaces but I am only success in here at SEOClerks. Every freelancer have his own and unique idea to do works on outsouricng world. I like to share my tips and tricks and techniques with all freelancers and like to get tips, tricks and techniques from another freelancers also.

Thanks
Centurion



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