The freelancer’s life can be a rocky road, and most of us who decide to go it alone do encounter our fair share of setbacks, rejection and disappointment.
What do you do when you encounter an obstacle on your path to success?
If you find you keep worrying about a certain obstacle, take this as sign that you haven’t fully decided in your own mind that you can overcome it.
What obstacle on the road to success are you struggling with right now? Take this ten-second test to see if you’ve really decided to overcome it…
Think of something in your freelance business that’s causing you anxiety or stress.
Now ask yourself… was this concern on your mind a week ago?
If the answer is yes, that means a whole week has gone by, and you’re still focusing on the obstacle, which takes your energy away from the actions required to overcome it.
Until you consciously make the decision that you’re going to do whatever it takes to overcome this obstacle, you’ll take forever to get to the solution.
What I mean is, every minute you spend worrying about the obstacle is one more minute you must wait before you can think about solving it.
Last I checked, we only had a finite amount of time on this planet, so let’s not waste another second sabotaging our own success… instead, let’s consciously decide to overcome the obstacle that’s temporarily blocking our path.
For example, let’s say you want to get new work as a freelance copywriter in the financial industry, but you’ve never done any financial copywriting before.
Is this an obstacle? Sure it is. So first of all, acknowledge it, which is easy to do. Simply say something like this to yourself: “Ok, I don’t have any samples of work in the financial industry to show prospects.”
Next say, “This is an obstacle, but it’s not going to stop me.” The simple act of saying these words – out loud and with passion – can snap you out of the worst funk and get you moving toward, rather than away from, your goals.
Take time to acknowledge the obstacles in your path, and consciously decide that they will not stop you. You’ll be able to take them on with less anxiety and greater confidence.
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Pete Savage is co-founder of TheWealthyFreelancer.com
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
A friend of mine once told me we shouldn’t run away from our problems, we should run towards them. This mindset has helped me immeasurably, because as I run towards them, I start taking action to solve them and before I know it, a solution is well under way.
Hi,
I’m a bit worried about the “throw yourself at problems to solve them” mindset. Does a person under stress or challenged have what it takes to fix a problem ? I’m a bit worried about the go-get-it messages I read around. Facing doesn’t fix it if you have a more complex problem underneath or if you are not in shape to have a clear view of the problem at hand. I hope your message carries that kind of warning. Being myself a business woman and a coach, I would recommend you make sure your audience take a minute or two (sorry, no billing allowed, but so many benefits !) to acknowledge their present and desired state, make sure they are in shape (healthy, at peace, surrounded with loving people, enough energy available, …) and have the means (knowledge and support) to fix the problem. Being an entrepreneur does not make us gods nor jungian specialists…
Sylvie,
Thanks for sharing your comment here. To respond to your question, yes, I am of the belief that people do “have what it takes to fix a problem” and often especially when “under stress or challenged.” The advice you offer here is appreciated. However, I wonder how often people would risk thinking themselves into inertia were they to run through a checklist that required them to be healthy, at peace, surrounded with loving people, with enough energy available (how do you determine this one?) and in possession of requisite knowledge and support… all before moving forward. People often overcome obstacles with few of those things in place, no? You recommend a different path to problem resolution than what is offered in the post, which is why I appreciate you sharing your perspective here. Let’s be careful with the language we use though, ok? Leaping to a god statement when you encounter someone with a different point of view to yours… is quite a leap.
Amen!
Hello to all at The Wealthy Freelancer,
I reckon it is all about how you see it. If you see it as a giant problem then that is what it will become. I have recently been writing about this on my blog–titled under “Fail And Then Succeed”. If you find yourself working too slow for example, you may end up verbally beating yourself up with, “I’m so slow! I’m so stupid.” …etc. However, if you step back, look at the situation, recognize it for what it is, and then learn from it. Realize you are being slow, pick up the pace, and then go. Have a cup of coffee to help get the speed engines going. Just keep trucking along. As long as you keep going solutions will arise. It’s when you stop dead in your tracks and wallow in it that “failure” knocks at your door. Positive attitude and continual progress breeds results.
Good luck to all in your endeavors,
Mac Bull
“The Guy In Japan”
I hear you, Mac from Japan!
In fact, here are two heart-warming videos that demonstrate the power we all have to overcome great obstacles. I wonder where these two guys would be today had they not persevered despite their disabilities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnrLv6z-mM&feature=player_embedded
I like to watch these when I think I have a reason to complain. Puts things in perspective.