6 Proven Ways to Create the Future you Want

Keep freelance success from slipping through your fingers and create the future you want by focusing on your goals for your freelance business.

Every freelancer can build a stable, successful freelance business. That’s the good news. But you have to work for your success. That’s the bad news. Sitting in your office waiting for clients to hire you won’t help you create the future you want. Neither will hoping you get lucky. You’ll end up taking whatever work comes along, usually for low-paying clients who don’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated.

You can make more money this year, and struggle and stress less.

Create the Future You Want

But you need to get back on track with your 2019 goal. By now (early February), 8 out of 10 people have abandoned their goal, says U.S. News. Maybe you’ve abandoned your goal too, or you haven’t set one yet.

It’s not too late to work on, or to set, your 2019 goal. Because if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get the same results—and freelance success will slip through your fingers.

Achieving your goal probably won’t be as hard as you think it will be. Studies show that most people exaggerate how much effort it takes to reach a goal.

Here’s how to start creating the future you want:

Believe in yourself
Set the right type of goal
Break your goal down into small, easily achievable parts
Focus on the process, not the outcome
Face your obstacles
Change course if things aren’t working out.

1. Believe in Yourself to Create the Future You Want

Freelance success starts with your mindset. If you don’t think you can succeed as a freelancer or you feel like an imposter, you may be afraid to try.

Most of the freelancers I’ve worked with have a lot more going for them than they think they do. You probably do to.

So believe in yourself, and be proud of whatever you’ve achieved so far. You have the power to change your attitude and the ability to create the future you want—as long as you’re willing to work hard.

Use “whypower” to stay motivated. Think about why you want to achieve your goal, and how much better your life will be when you do.

2. Set the Right Type of Goal to Create the Future You Want

The right type of goal is a SMART goal:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time bound.

Specific: Setting a specific and attainable goal is really important. It’s easier to stick with and achieve a goal that’s specific because you have something concrete to work towards.

Measurable: If you don’t measure what you’re doing, you don’t know if you’re making any progress. Measure whether you’re spending your time doing things that are important to your freelance business.

Attainable: And if your goal is too big, you’ll get discouraged and stop trying. So it has to be attainable.

Relevant: Your goal also needs to matter to you (be relevant). If it doesn’t, you won’t want to work to achieve it.

Time bound: Just like you have deadlines for your client work, you need a deadline for your goal. Otherwise, working on your goal will get lost behind everyday tasks.

FREE SMART GOAL WORKSHEET

Use the SMART goal worksheet to make this year your best year in freelancing.

Download your free 2019 SMART Goal Worksheet

3. Break Your Goal Down Into Small, Easily Achievable Parts

Break your 2019 goal down into small, easily achievable mini-goals and the actions you’ll take to achieve each mini-goal. Set mini-goals for each quarter.

Your SMART goal, mini-goals, and actions are your plan for achieving your 2019 goal. And having a plan makes you 2 to 3 times more likely to stick to your goal—and create the future you want.

4. Focus on Actions, Not the Outcome

You can’t control the outcome, but you can control your actions. Take the easiest actions first and fast. Every time you complete an action, which can be small, you’ll feel good about yourself.

So you’ll want to keep taking more actions. Taking the right actions consistently will eventually lead to the future you want. And even small wins help cure imposter syndrome.

5. Face Your Obstacles

Be honest with yourself and figure out why you’re having trouble sticking to your goal. Develop “if/then” plans to conquer your obstacles. An “if/then” plan is where you say, “If this happens, I’ll do x.”

For example, “If I don’t spend 2 hours working on my goal by the close of business on Friday, I’ll do this on Saturday.”

Studies show that you’re more likely to achieve your goal if you plan what you’ll do when you face obstacles ahead of time.

6. Change Course if Things Aren’t Working Out

Be flexible enough to change course if it looks like you won’t be able to achieve your goal or mini-goals. This isn’t a failure. Giving up is.

Changing your goal or mini-goals means you’re tracking your progress and are smart enough to realize that you need to change course. You may change your goal or mini-goals, move them to next year, or drop them altogether.

If you drop your overall goal, set a new goal that you can realistically achieve. Work toward that goal so you can keep making progress in moving toward the future you want.

Want to Create the Future You Want in 2019?

Learn the 7-step process that helped me and hundreds of other freelancers find great freelance clients and build high-income freelance businesses. For step-by-step instructions on how to build a stable, successful freelance business, check out my book, 7 Steps to High-Income Freelancing: Get the clients you deserve.