As a digital freelancer it’s a beautiful thing not to have a traditional ‘boss’ – but going it alone can be challenging. That’s where a supportive community comes in. Today we kept the agenda open so we could talk freely about the issues we’re facing, so we can support each other in discovering our own best solutions.
Gordon kicked things off beautifully by expressing how working for yourself means you need to embrace the discomfort – of continually moving outside of your comfort zone, until it becomes comfortable.
We talked about having a side-hustle vs fully jumping in to working 100% for yourself. Randy suggested asking yourself the question “In 5 years what do I want to be successful at?” and creating a strategy from there.
We also talked a lot about how not having your own boss is a real challenge. Can we create an informal board of directors? Find accountability partners?
On productivity: Deadlines get things done. Time blocking. Creating ‘levers’ that motivate us. Finding space in the day outside of “normal life” to focus. Tapping into what type of work you’re good at during different times of the day.
On business plans: A 1-page plan or 60 pages, it’s ultimately meant for you, but how you approach it depends on who your audience is. It should be a living document that evolves with your business.
Tips when your feeling stuck: Change your environment. Walk the dog. Be kind to yourself. Look at what you’ve accomplished instead of beating yourself up for not getting things done.
Some good quotes from today:
On putting yourself out there: “The nail that sticks out is the one that gets hammered down.”
On failure and discomfort: “When a child learns to walk and falls down 50 times, he never thinks to himself: Maybe this isn’t for me?”
On finding your ‘north star’: “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.” – Simon Sinek
On being of service: “We’re all here to walk each other home.”
Thanks everyone!
Next month we’ll talk about client acquisition in terms of identifying your audience, where they hang out, and how to reach out to them.
FYI, Here’s a link to today’s Meetup Event.