14 Lessons I Learned In 2 Years Of Freelancing.

Someone who thought there was no escape from her night-shift job started her side hustle, left her full-time job, and has been freelancing for the last 2 years without any dry months.

That is an achievement!

Were all these as easy as they sound? Not really.

But, if you are about to start or have just started your freelancing journey, these 14 things can really help.

Why 14? Because it's my birthday. :)

1. The initial months are more about learning than earning: If you can't provide quality work, you won't be able to sustain yourself here.
2. Freelancing is not for you if you want to be lazy: Working and earning money is not enough. Finding clients, creating systems, managing your finances—there is so much to it.
3. Don't expect to see growth if you are not ready to keep working on your skills and try different things out: Don't ever think you know it all. There is no end to learning; you need to keep working on your skills, learn new ones, and experiment with different things.
4. Finding the right mentor or course can change your life: I've taken many courses and consultations, but I can think of only two that have impacted my freelancing career.
5. Charge what you are confident and comfortable with: Charge something that makes you happy and something that your ideal clients can pay.
6. Say no to the wrong prospect, even if you badly need a new project: Nothing is more draining than working with the wrong client.
7. Make friends in the industry with whom you can share your struggles and celebrate your wins: This is optional. But it can make the journey so much easier and more fun. Your friends and family might not be able to relate to everything, and that is where these connections can help and support you.
8. Attend networking opportunities, no matter how scary they feel: I used to hate attending events! But I attended one event a few months ago and had so much fun. And my mindset changed too. :)
9. Work on your confidence because clients prefer working with confident people: If you are the client, even you would want to work with people who are confident about themselves and their skills, right?
10. Comparing your journey with someone else's will only bring you down: Work consciously to turn the jealousy into inspiration. And unfollow anyone who doesn't make you feel good about yourself.
11. Don't say yes to every project and hustle 24*7: That's not why you started. (I hope)
12. Finding clients is not easy for most: Experiment with different lead generation activities. Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to know how I find clients.
13. Start documenting your journey in a notebook or journal: Write down your failures, wins, learnings, and roadblocks. And trust me; you will thank me later for this tip. :)
14. Build your online presence: This alone has been life-changing. Do it, no matter how hard it seems. Don't care about what anybody else will think. Do it for yourself.

Freelancing can seem challenging, but you can make it profitable and enjoyable if you do it correctly.

Remember, your journey will be unique; you can set your own rules and your own goals and choose to work on projects that align.

And that I feel is powerful.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to stay updated with my freelancing journey and everything I learn along the way. And follow me on Instagram if you want to see some behind-the-scenes content.

And if you want to learn from me, book a 1:1 consultation call .

I'll see you in my next newsletter. :)