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If you’ve ever attended an inspiring conference, event, or talk, I’m willing to bet you’ve experienced the post-event paradox of feeling simultaneously inspired/raring to go and utterly overwhelmed/paralyzed. Am I right? On the one hand, you’ve had an incredible amount of top-level information poured into your brain. On the other, you’ve had an incredible amount of top-level information poured into your brain! You see the problem? It’s too much. This paradox was precisely what I wanted to talk about in the closing keynote I had been invited to give for the Graphic Artists Guild conference last week. I knew that after a full day of expert-delivered information, the last thing attendees needed was more information from me. What they needed was a way to hold space for all that information, decide what was relevant for them, and make good use of it. They needed a process to focus their attention on what mattered to them in this moment. As neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha says in her TEDTalk How to tame your wandering mind, our brain “suffers from a problem of information overload; there’s far too much in the environment than it can fully process.” Luckily, evolution devised a solution, a system for focusing our attention. Dr. Jha describes attention as our brain's boss, and says, “Wherever your attention goes, your brain follows.” In another podcast interview, she asks us to imagine attention as a flashlight that can be directed to something specific, but can just as easily be pulled away by a distraction, say, a noise or thought. What I love about this science-backed information is how it transforms our “lack” of focus and seeming inability to put things into practice “even though we have all the information” into exactly what it is. A brain thing. Not a moral failing on our part. It turns out that the antidote to transforming this swirl of information, ideas, emotions, and feelings into some semblance of order and progress is not to do more or try harder, but to focus your attention. Don’t you feel better already? A person who is wired for high executive function will focus differently from a person who is neurodivergent. I am the former, my kid is the latter. Neither is right or wrong, it just what we get to work with. And when you know how to train your attention, you can stay out of overwhelm and make more consistent progress toward your goals. If you’re interested in leaving the unkind self-talk behind and are ready to find your version of focus, read on for a 3-step process. 1) Get it all out of your headThat swirl of information and ideas? It’s the death knell to progress. Get it all out of your head, literally. Dump it out. And because simple is always best, I use the visual below to facilitate the process. Here’s how you can do it: · Draw the diagram below on a nice big piece of paper. Don’t get caught up making it look pretty (I see you, creative people!). · Set a timer for 10 minutes. · Grab a pen and in each section, scribble all the things you’d like to be, do, have, or achieve in that time frame. · Trust your gut and circle the 3 things that would help you make measurable progress toward your goals. Just for kicks, let’s say those three things are: (1) raise my rates (2) create clear services (3) market my business. 2) Review and sift through the inputNow, cast your mind back over ALL that information you’ve received (in the case of a conference) or consumed (webinars, books, podcast interviews, etc.) on ONLY these topics. What tangible advice or information can help you make progress on these goals? For example, if your goal is to raise your rates, you may want to retrieve the information on setting up your business entity (creating a space for all that lovely income to go), mindset (value-based vs. hourly rates), and creating your ideal client profiles (higher quality with bigger budgets). 3) Turn that information into teeny, tiny action stepsMeaning that they are specific, time-bound, and you can say you either did them or you didn’t. Let’s stick with the raising your rates example: · Identify who your ideal clients are. · Hire an accountant instead of doing it yourself on TurboTax. Ask your colleagues and friends for referrals and contact them for a free consultation. · Educate yourself on finance with books such as Profit First (you can find more finance resources here). Pick one book and give yourself a deadline to read/listen to it. · Research small-business-friendly software such as Honeybook or bookkeeping software such as FreshBooks to ensure your business looks super-pro and runs like a well-oiled machine (it matters!). Learning how to focus our attention is a practice that involves a good amount of trial and error. What works for someone else might not work for you. But finding the process that supports you in finding and returning to your focus will have you feeling like Charlie when you find that golden ticket to the Chocolate Factory! With your process and tools, you can make progress on anything and everything. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2021/11/08/how-to-turn-distraction-into-action/
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In many ways, freelancing is the perfect career. You have autonomy. Flexibility. Choice. You, not your manager or employer, are the captain of your professional ship. But the same perks that make freelancing so ideal can also, over time, turn into a burden if you don’t take care. Freelancing requires an enormous amount of self-motivation. And once the initial glamour wears off and the grind kicks in, it can be hard to stay creative and inspired. But there are some simple things you can do to stay jazzed and keep your juices flowing. Focus on BalanceWhen you’re freelancing, you may feel a lot of pressure to always be on, to always be hustling. This can be especially true during the holidays, when busy schedules coincide with lots of added expenses. You might feel a lot of pressure to take that extra project or that unexpected gig just to ensure your financial house is in order through the holidays. But if you’re not careful, you’re setting yourself up for burnout. So, to keep your mojo all through the season, it’s important to be realistic about what you can or should be expected to accomplish in a day, a week, or even an hour. There are only so many hours in a day and only so much energy to expend. If you’re trying to blaze through the holidays with all pistons firing full blast, sooner or later, you’re going to run out of steam. Remember that a slow burn is the better and more sustainable option if you want to stay creative and inspired. This means taking time each day to relax and recharge, to do something entirely unrelated to work. This also means setting aside at least one or two days per week that are just for you, your dear ones, and the things you love. Best of all, you’re going to find that your downtime actually turns into the source of your inspiration during your working hours. As you use your days off to savor your passions and explore your curiosity, you’ll find those interests galvanizing your projects, helping you turn to each new gig with fresh eyes and an enthusiastic spirit. Feed Your Body/Feed Your MindKeeping creative and inspired isn’t just about finding that ideal work/life balance. It’s also about cultivating your physical health. In fact, if you want to feel more motivated and productive, one of the best ways to do that is to give your body the fuel it needs. A healthy diet can help give you the energy, focus, and clarity you need to thrive in your creative work. And when your body is energized and your mind is sharp, you’re going to feel more creative and inspired, no matter how many hours you might have put into your gigs that week. Shake Things UpIf you’ve tried everything and you still can’t seem to break out of your creative slump, then it might just be time for bold action. For instance, you might decide to take the leap and relocate. After all, as a freelancer you have the luxury of a job that travels! Even the mere process of preparing for a move can be inspiring. When you’re planning to relocate, you go through a process of separating from your old routine to embracing your new life. Packing your belongings can be a first great step because it allows you to weed through and get rid of the things in your life, both physical and emotional, that could be holding you back, even as you are reminded of those things that truly matter most in your life. Finding and settling into your new neighborhood is also a perfect opportunity to meet new people, see new sights, and embrace new experiences. And this will help to spark your creativity and fire your inspiration for your work. The TakeawayFreelancing is a great career, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Holding on to the spark of creativity and inspiration you need to stay motivated and productive can be tough. However, with a bit of strategy and a good measure of self-care, you can keep those fires of inspiration burning for years to come! via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2021/11/04/how-freelancers-can-stay-creative-and-inspired/
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Traditional employment conditions us to be dependent. When you work for other people, they take care of you. Your paycheck goes into your account and has already been taxed, your 401(k) has increased, and your company has even covered life insurance. That nice HR person reminds you of the deadline for open enrollment. The corporate attorney handles that cease and desist order. Your manager sets your goals and “develops” you to reach them. They also control what you do, how you do it, and what you’re worth. You must be at a certain place at a certain time. Even if you don’t, you still need to put in a certain number of hours or complete a certain number of deliverables to get your paycheck. And your paycheck gives you what they decide is “fair” compensation for your contributions to the overall product or service. This learned dependence often means that when people start working for themselves, they don’t fully know how to use their newfound freedom or manage the myriad responsibilities associated with running a business. It is a fundamental mindset shift to start taking care of yourself AND break free of the social conditioning that dictates the connections between time and money, “hard work,” and “rest.” You have to learn how to be a boss in a world where the vast majority of workers never work for themselves. Solopreneurs, in particular, get stuck in an employee mindset because they often don’t consider themselves “real businesses” just because they’re a one-person show. This leads to undervaluing their work and time, which traps them in the same cycle of overwork and underpay that they had when they worked for other people. You don’t get to fully reap the rewards of independent work if you can’t break the employee mindset. Here are the key mindset shifts that need to happen to claim your freedom like a boss. You Make the Decisions and Solve the ProblemsWhen you work for yourself, you are the only person in charge of the decisions that drive your business and therefore your life. You are also the person that has to solve the problems. This means you will need to be (or get) good at more than what you’re an expert in now. You are a great [fill in the blank] — graphic designer, coder, writer, etc. The world needs you and your unique skill set. But unless you are also a marketing expert, project manager, business strategist, website designer, HR expert, accountant, and lawyer — all at the same time — then you’re going to have to learn some new things and wear some other hats. Now, I’m a big believer in delegating/hiring experts when that makes sense, but chances are you won’t have the funds to always do that. And even when you do have the funds to do that, it’s up to you to decide what you need, find the right person, and integrate them into your business. Be ready to roll up your sleeves and learn new things constantly in order to keep the lights on and the doors open. You Hold the Purse Strings and Fill the PurseWhen you’re 100% in charge of the money that facilitates your life and the time it takes to make it, you think about it in different ways. When you work for someone else, you might not even know what they’re actually charging for the end product and how your time fits into it. As a business owner, you need to charge enough to cover not only your time but also your overhead, taxes, benefits, PTO, and everything else it takes to run a business. One of the biggest mistakes new freelancers make is charging a similar rate compared to what they were making when they worked for someone else. You are a business now, not an employee — what you got paid as an individual contributor is not going to cut it. This is a big one for solopreneurs. You might have much lower overhead than a larger company and so you justify hourly rates that don’t include the costs it takes to run your business of one. A business of one is still a business — your clients need to be paying you like a business. You Know What You’re Worth and How to Ask for ItThis applies to everyone, not just business owners. Our society has created a stigma around talking openly about money and compensation and ultimately, what that does is reinforce power structures where people get paid less than they deserve. When you work for other people, you have the luxury (or crutch) of only having compensation conversations with your boss. When you work for yourself you need to be very clear about what you’re worth and get comfortable talking about money with other people (clients, staff, other freelancers) regularly. You Decide What You Do and When You Do ItIn exchange for the added responsibility, you get flexibility and control over your work and life. This can take some getting used to when you’re accustomed to other people telling you what to do. This flexibility means that you have to think carefully about what you prioritize. Many new (and not-so-new) freelancers get stuck doing the same things they did when they worked for someone else, even the things they hate. When you’re the boss you have to think intentionally about your time, revenue, and business model to make sure you’re doing what you love. That’s right — LOVE — because if you’re going to hate your work, you might as well and go back and do it for someone else. You Develop YourselfIn order to be successful and get those top rates, you need to be great at what you do. You also need to be able to pivot quickly and learn new things on the fly. You have to have a process for setting your own goals and making them happen. You are the only person in charge of “developing” yourself and your business into version 2.0. When you work for other people, they perpetuate the myth that only an outside perspective can show you what needs to change. While an outside perspective can be helpful, ultimately you know when something isn’t working and have the power to change it, whether that means taking a course, investing in a coach, or getting a new certification. The pay-off is so much better when you’ve decided what needs to shift and take the necessary steps to do it. You Decide When to Not WorkWe’ve been taught that work = virtue/worth/value and idleness = laziness/indolence/inadequacy. When people start working for themselves, they often can’t think outside the box of the 40-hour workweek and eight-hour workday. You still feel guilty when you have a day (or hour) with nothing to do even if financially, you’re fine. This can lead to people trying to fill their days with work, even when they don’t need the money or pricing their work so that they must work constantly to make ends meet. When you’re the boss, you get to change the relationship between time and money, you get to decide how many hours you work in a day, week, or month. Want to work a 20 hour week and still make the same money? Do the math and price your contracts accordingly. Of course, that all has to be backed up by knowing what you’re worth and building your business model around your life, not just your bank account. Sometimes we chase a full workload because it validates us, not because that amount of money will actually change anything in our lives. When you work for yourself you get to choose rest and not feel guilty about it. On the flip side, you can also choose to work your ass off for a period of time in order to take an extended vacation or retire early. That’s the beauty — you get to choose and, in the end, the results are yours. Those days you spent working your ass off went directly into your bank account, your retirement fund, your business, not someone else’s. Working for myself is one of the greatest gifts of my life. It saved me on so many levels and has given me a pathway to a fulfilling life that I would not have been able to find otherwise. But the truth is, it isn’t for everyone. Having complete control over your time, work, and life sounds amazing until you realize the level of responsibility that gives you. Working for yourself is not the easy route to money but it’s the best route to freedom if you’re willing to work for it. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2021/11/03/do-these-6-things-to-start-thinking-like-a-boss/
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It's that time of year again! Everyone who buys health insurance on the individual marketplace has a small window of time when they can select a plan or make changes to their current coverage for the coming year. That period, known as Open Enrollment, starts today, November 1, and runs through December 15. If you're not covered, it's more important than ever to make sure you're protected starting January 1. It's also more affordable than ever, thanks to increased subsidies and cost-sharing provided for by the American Rescue Plan. (We'll have more details on that later.) Ready to start shopping for coverage? We can’t stress enough the importance of buying your health insurance plan through Freelancers Union. The policies we feature are available on the health insurance exchanges and cost the same as anyone else selling the same policy, but when you buy through us, you invest in our advocacy (like the Freelance Isn’t Free law), community building (through SPARK), and free education programs (through Freelancers Hub and this blog!). Getting your health insurance through us means better health for you and a better future for all freelancers. Find coverage now, and if you have any questions, reach out to our member services team for one-on-one assistance. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2021/11/01/its-time-to-secure-your-health-coverage-for-2022/ |
AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
April 2023
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