5 Easy Ways for Freelancers to Develop the Growth Mindset
Successful freelancers believe that working hard to develop their talent and abilities will lead to success. They have a growth mindset.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right,” said Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company. Ford could have been a farmer like his father. Instead, he used his growth mindset to transform cars from a novelty that few people could afford or thought were useful to something that re-shaped life in the 20th century and helped build the American economy.
A Growth Mindset Can Make You Smarter
Ford continually looked for new things to learn and do—because he had a growth mindset. People like Ford with a growth mindset know that they can develop their talents and ability through hard work, persistence (or grit), and knowledge. They know that they can get smarter. And they’re willing to put time and effort into doing this.
Other people believe that talent and ability are fixed. They also believe they shouldn’t have to work hard for success, and that doing better is beyond their control.
These people are wrong.
A Growth Mindset Leads to Freelance Success
“Everything starts with mindset. Your mindset guides your actions. And your actions dictate your results,” says Ed Gandia, in “Ten Strategies for Developing a Moneymaking Mindset.”
Successful freelancers have a growth mindset. They believe that working hard to develop their talent and abilities will lead to success. They believe that they can learn new things—including how to get the high-paying clients they deserve and build a stable, successful freelance business. And they put the time and effort into doing this.
A growth mindset is part of the mindset for freelance success.
A Fixed Mindset Leads to Frustration and Failure
“But I’m not good at marketing” is something I hear a lot from freelancers.
Marketing is a skill, just like writing, editing, design, or other types of freelance work. If you learned how to write, edit, design, etc., you can learn marketing.
But if you have a fixed mindset, you’ll think that you can’t learn how to market your business so you can get the high-paying clients you deserve. And you’ll be more likely to give up if things don’t go your way.
If you have a growth mindset, you’re much more likely to face challenges head-on and overcome them.
5 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset
Your mindset—growth or fixed—is usually your destiny. But it doesn’t have to be. Like Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”
Here are 5 ways to develop a growth mindset so you can build and sustain a stable, successful freelance business.
1. Take small, repeated actions
“Here’s the truth: it’s your daily actions that will change what you believe about yourself and the person you become,” says James Clear in “How Your Beliefs Can Sabotage Your Behavior.”
“It’s about setting a schedule, showing up, and sticking to it. It’s about focusing on building the right identity rather than worrying about getting the right result.”
You can’t control outcomes, like whether a client hires you. But you have total control over your actions.
Taking small, repeated actions builds the momentum that helps you continue to work hard to develop your talent and abilities. It helps you develop the marketing habit.
Learn more
The Habit that Will Make You a Freelance Success
2. Focus on small wins
Focus on small actions that will give you small wins because each small win gets you one step closer to freelance success.
If you aim to get 3 new clients in 30 days, for example, you’re going to be disappointed. Clients rarely need freelancers when we first market to them.
But you can easily develop a list of 25 prospective clients and send them direct emails over the next 30 days. Each email you send is a small win. Actions like this, repeated often, are very likely to result in new clients in the future.
3. See challenges as opportunities
All freelancers have challenges. Feeling sorry for yourself only makes the situation worse!
Face your challenges. See them as opportunities to enhance your skills and grow. Think positive.
Plan and take actions that let you achieve small wins and make progress in overcoming your challenges. Making progress helps you develop a growth mindset. It also boosts your confidence.
4. Grow your grit
Also called determination or mental toughness, grit is what helps you keep going until you reach your goal. Grit helps you push through the obstacles that all freelancers face.
Grit is more important than anything else in achieving business goals. And we can all grow our grit.
Learn more
The Superhero Power You Need to Know About: Grit
5. Build your resilience
Resilience is your ability to bounce back and keep going when you face adversity and setbacks.
Resilient people are rarely born that way. They develop resilience over time. Studies have shown that people can overcome adversity and become better than ever.
You can also become less resilient over time. If you consider adversity a challenge and deal with it, you’ll grow. But if you consider adversity a threat, it may become a problem that never goes away. And you’ll lose resilience.
Learn more
How to Boost Your Resilience When Things Go Wrong
Make Freelance Success Easier with a Growth Mindset
Having a growth mindset helps you build the momentum that will help you develop your talent and abilities. And developing your talent and abilities will help you build a stable, successful freelance business.
Learn More About the Growth Mindset
From The Mighty Marketer
FREE TOOLS:
The Ultimate Guide to the Freelance Success Mindset
The Ultimate Guide to Goals for Freelancers
Blog posts:
The Habit that Will Make You a Freelance Success
The Superhero Power You Need to Know About: Grit
4 Ways to Become a More Positive Thinker
How to Boost Your Resilience When Things Go Wrong
Other Resources
James Clear, “How Your Beliefs Can Sabotage Your Behavior”
Ed Gandia, “Ten Strategies for Developing a Moneymaking Mindset”