Freelance is an alternative for the regular day job, but let’s be honest – not for everyone. Read about my top freelancer soft skills tips which I have to find out for myself thru my long freelancing career.
Most people can’t suit the everyday freelancing routine, can’t handle the stress level(which is much higher while it is regular 9to5), most of those people give up before they start or just right after starting their first freelancing career.
This top might be strange for someone, but most of the picks are not about your freelancer skills but about “soft skills”, which I think are way more important for any specialization, work or profession. If you follow those tips – you will succeed in any startup you decide to join.
- Good mood mode
The freelancing industry is full of myths, the most common myth – “working less, working for yourself, you the boss, working from anywhere – have more free time”. The truth is vice versa. Freelance is an everyday job, which means you must be ready to get work done on Sunday evening, Wednesday night AM time etc. To not burn out after this kind of work – you must get up in a “good mood mode” from the very beginning(as I called it). START YOUR FREELANCE DAY IN A GOOD MOOD, it may save you dozens of brain cells by the evening.
- Keep your working stuff at the same place
This s&*t are way too important. This freelancer soft skills tip saved me tons of time. Let me tell you something: everything you put on your working table – should have a place and that place should be reserved.
Let’s say – you have been working late, day after day after day, months over, and the new order require that paper which has been lying for months on the right corner of the table, you turn your head right and – yes, it’s there, spends 2 seconds to find = profit.
Same I found for coffee/tea cups – I put it on the same place all the time, that place is “safe” which means even if I push the cup with my hand unspecifically and water pour out – it will not harm my keyboard/mouse/paper documents and my laptop. I know the right place for my cup by millimetres and I suggest you find it too.
- Find the perfect music set
If you do not like listening to music while working – skip this part. Otherwise – open youtube and search for /music genre+/full album/mixtape/. I have found that music is positively influencing my work and my mood. Yes – listening to music while working is by far one of the best freelancer soft skills ever.
For small orders or fast deliveries, I’m choosing fast-playing music, for example, thrash metal(Metallica, Anthrax). For long-term or big orders, I’m using something more melodic because I’m supposed to spend the whole day in front of the monitor.
Chose wisely, change the genres from time to time, it will save you from burning out. Right now I’m listening to this electronic music album because writing articles are hard for me and takes a massive amount of time:
- Don’t forget to note(keep pen and paper with you all the time while working)
You never know when the buyer writes to you, the amount of orders’ information can overwhelm you. I have noticed that I’m losing the very last info which comes to me at the end of the day or right before I’m going to eat/drink coffee/ take a break. I’m always keeping my paper close and leaving notes every day even while it’s not necessary, it’s a plan B, a good habit that can save you orders, money, your freelancer seller’s rankings.
- Create an everyday routine
The right routing is the path to success. Working freelance is the same as being a boss, entrepreneur and hired worker all in one person. You can’t afford to get distracted from your freelance work. That’s why I have created my own routine and do it every time before I’m visiting Freelance Marketplace or before I start my work. I’m doing all the previous tips BEFORE I get to the work. The only distraction I have – changing the music on youtube. And that must be the top things that made me succeed on freelance for so long.
It was my top 5 most productive freelancer soft skills tips. I’ve spent years working on Fiverr, UpWork and as a direct freelancer for international companies and customers. If you want to talk about soft skills – you can drop me a DM on Twitter. You can read my story here.
If you know more useful suggestions – share them with me and readers in the comments. Let’s help freelancers who struggle with overwhelming and other diseases.
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