3 Mistakes I’ve Made So Far After 23 Days of Working For Myself

Avoid these freelancing traps

What are you doing, Scott? You’ve tried full-time freelancing before, and it didn’t work out! So why will this time be different?

I’m my own worst enemy.

You see, I’m blessed to have supportive friends and family. They’re all rooting for me to win.

It’s my thoughts that get in the way.

Nonetheless, I fought past my demons and leapt into freelancing. (Again). This was 23 days ago.

Since then, I’ve made three mistakes that have set me back, but not enough to stop.

Here’s what they are and how you can avoid making them.

Mistake #1: Pretending You’re a Fortune Teller

To put it another way, applying for a job =/= you’ve got the job.

I’ve made this mistake at least three times already.

Two weeks before quitting my corporate job, I got this random message on LinkedIn:

Freelance SEO support? Just 1–2 weeks? Heck yes!

I checked out the brief, and it was something I could do. The client was also a biggie. If you nail this, Scott, you could have a lifelong client!

We went back and forth by email, and I submitted a proposal. I also attached examples of similar work I’d done:

They gave me account access and accepted my quote without question. We even got into the weeds of the project:

Sit back and relax. This is yours.

I didn’t hear back for a few weeks. I nudged my contact and they were waiting to hear back from the client.

And then, a couple of weeks ago, I got this email:

“Just to let you know that the client has selected another provider, so a big thank you for reviewing the opportunity…”

I’ve seen this enough times now to realise this is part of the game.

Some opportunities pay off.

Some don’t.

Besides, this client has promised to keep in touch and send me further opportunities to work together as they surface.

Mistake #1 Takeaway: Don’t bank on a client until you start working with them

You want to carry an abundance mindset with you when you go freelance.

Don’t let scarcity drive potential clients away.

To this end, keep your day job for as long as possible, and only take the plunge when you feel 1000% ready.

I quit my job when I met the following conditions:

12 months of savings in the bank
At least one steady client
Replace my monthly 9–5 income (~$2,000/month) with the money I make online (freelancing, blogging, online courses, and affiliates)
A proven process to land high-value clients
I tested that I like freelance work (by doing it on the days I wasn’t working my part-time job)

I also cut down my costs to make my savings go further. I sold my car, sold sh*t on eBay, and pruned my monthly subscriptions.

Mistake #2: “Just One More Hour…”

The lines between work and play are blurry.

If people saw what I do all day, they’d think I work a lot.

My mum sure thinks so.

The thing is, I play with words, and because I enjoy it, I’m often on my laptop for hours each day.

It’s unhealthy.

I know I’ll burn out if I don’t take some time off.

So here’s what I’ve been trying:

I’m sticking to 9–5 hours as much as possible. This schedule isn’t for everyone, but I like routine. I also work in a library, which keeps me from going on YouTube.
I’m giving myself time off. Next week, I have permission to do nothing productive, and I’m so excited!
I’m hiking with friends. I like my own company and feel compelled to see my friends only sometimes. When I do, we want to do activities, such as hiking and escape rooms.

Mistake #2 Takeaway: Have a target monthly income

I want to make £10,000/month.

But why?

Last weekend, I drilled into the numbers. I totted up monthly expenses and how much I’m bringing in.

Then, I looked at my savings targets. Based on how much I save each month, how many years would it take me to reach these targets?

The “Actual” rows look at my current savings rate.

The “Target” rows look at my target savings rate.

For example, if I increase wedding savings from £200/month to £700/month, my years to target falls from 5.9 to 1.68 years.

Of course, these are only rough numbers, but they made me realise £5,000/month will do it — not £10,000.

I’m still aiming for £10,000/month because it means I’ll be able to do more for my family and save for long-term goals, like kids and future holidays.

However, this extra £5,000 a month doesn’t need to come from freelancing. Instead, it’ll come from future online products I make, blogging, and affiliates.

At least, that’s the plan.

Mistake #3: More Windows Than The Burj Khalifa

C’mon, you don’t need so many…

The biggest drain on my focus isn’t:

Social media
Lack of sleep
Hunger

My most unproductive days are when I keep switching between tasks. Gmail, Upwork, Notion, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google docs, client work, random website, random website…

My browser becomes a sh*tshow.

Sometimes, you need lots of websites open to complete a task. Other times, they’re a symptom of distraction.

And why do we distract ourselves?

Because the work is hard.

To this end, I ask myself Gary Keller’s “one thing” question: what’s the one thing I can do today that’ll make everything else easier or unnecessary?

It helps me prioritise tasks, pushing the less important stuff to later in the week.

Here’s another takeaway.

Mistake #3 Takeaway: There’s no easy way around this

Hard work is hard work.

What can I say?

However, here’s something else to reduce distractions that you may find helpful: batching tasks.

I like to schedule calls for Fridays. Admin tasks are on Monday. Tuesday to Thursday is for meaningful work.

This batching means that I can get into the flow when needed rather than breaking my focus.

More importantly, I stay there.

Takeaways

It’s no secret that working for yourself is tough.

You’re responsible for your success. No one else. Employers won’t take care of you, and you’ll make mistakes.

But they’re all part of the fun!

However, here are three mistakes you can avoid:

Mistake #1: Pretending You’re a Fortune Teller — Don’t bank on client work until it’s confirmed. It sounds obvious, yet you’ll be surprised how easy it is to fall into this trap.
Mistake #2: “Just One More Hour…” — Figure out how much money you need to achieve your goals and breatheeeee. You can stop when you’re there.
Mistake #3: More Windows Than The Burj Khalifa — If you get distracted, ask yourself the “one thing” question and batch your tasks. Hard work is still hard, but hundreds of open windows help no one.

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