7 Mindset Shifts for
Freelance Writing Success
By Jim McCaffree

I may not be new to writing, but I am new to freelancing. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years and just never did it. I started a few times but always abandoned it. This time, however, I’m actually doing it. What’s different this time?

I’ve discovered Zen and the art of freelancing. And, I’ve made seven mindset shifts that, to me, are key to building a successful freelance writing career. Let me share what they are …

1. Role Shifting

I spent my entire working life as an employee — waiting for the work to come to me. My hours were set by my employer: I ate lunch when I was told, I dressed how I was told. The tradeoffs? I didn’t have to go to a lot of meetings. I didn’t have to bring business in. I was a copyeditor, not an account person. I came and I went, and I didn’t think about work until the following morning.

Freelancing, though, is a huge shift. No one tells me when to work, no one tells me when to eat lunch, no one tells me anything. And now I’m the account person — and I’m also the boss! Adapting to that shift and building my own systems will help me moving forward.

2. Exploring

I used to see freelancing as begging, like I was in the musical Oliver — “Write a blog for ye, guv’nor?” I felt weak and powerless. If it didn’t happen the way I wanted it, when I wanted it, forget it. Maybe this is personal to me, but when I view freelancing as a “project,” I feel freer. I take myself, my ego, and my expectations out of the picture. If something doesn’t work, try something else. Thanks to her connection with AWAI, marketing mentor and coach Ilise Benun has been a huge influence on my thinking here.

3. Detaching

It’s hard not to have expectations, especially when it comes to contacting possible clients. My expectations usually were unrealistic. I wanted all yeses right away. But that’s not how things work. So, when I didn’t get those yeses, or any responses at all, I got discouraged and quit. Even though I’d heard many times that it takes, on average, seven touches before people respond to advertising and marketing, I didn’t care. I needed results yesterday (usually because I was unemployed and needed money yesterday).

I also detached from the expectation of making a full-time living from it, which takes away a lot of pressure. Besides, I want to explore other income streams and projects, like touring a solo theatre show I wrote and perform in. I never even thought there were different ways to set up a freelance writing business until I invested in The Writer's Starter Kit. The possibilities are limitless!

4. Meditating

My meditation experience may be limited to a phone app, but I know that when we meditate, our minds wander. It’s not a big deal. Brains will do that. When that happens, I go back to focusing on breathing. I have learned to notice when my attention wanders, so I can pull it back to focusing on the writing and the business. AWAI offers a meditation program specifically designed to help writers enjoy better creativity, greater productivity, and more happiness. You can check that out here if you’d like to give meditation a try.

5. Working Smarter

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. We didn’t have ADHD diagnoses when I grew up in rural Illinois in the ’70s. So I grew up with the attitude that when working, you just have to “buckle down.” I didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, but for me, it usually meant staring at a blank piece of paper for hours. I simply can’t hold focus for very long, and I never could. Now I know how to work in the best way for me, which is the Pomodoro technique, working in 25-minute chunks, with five-minute breaks in between.

6. Defining Success

What does success look like for you? Making your entire living from freelancing? Supplementing a full-time job? Doing it part-time? Being able to work and make a living from anywhere in the world? For me, it’s being able to work from anywhere and the flexibility to work when I want to and making freelance writing one of several income streams. You may need to even redefine success depending on where you are in life. It may not be possible to freelance full-time, and so it’s important not to beat yourself up if your ideal doesn’t come true. I also say this to myself.

7. Reframing

Perhaps the biggest shift has been reframing how I view things … Looking at uncertainty as opportunity, and rejection as data. For now, it feels a little like thinking of down as sideways or black as gray. But in the long run, reframing these parameters should help me maintain a positive outlook.

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In my opinion, mindset is a freelance writer’s biggest business asset — even more than marketing knowledge and even writing skill. Success can rely on our relationship with what we define as success and failure, and being able to embrace uncertainty. And hey, you can commit to the level of freelancing that fits your life.

The most important shift is to take action, even if you don’t feel ready. As the proverb goes, a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step. So lace up your shoes! A great place to start is on AWAI’s website, which has resources and programs for just about any kind of writing you’d like to do.