The truth is, once you establish yourself there’ll still be times when you feel stressed. Maybe you’ve got an especially tight deadline or a demanding new client. Either way, it’s vital you consider ways to maintain your mental and physical wellbeing.
In this chapter, you’ll discover the signs of imposter syndrome and learn how to overcome them, identify ways to work through low energy levels, deal with rejection, and how to create healthy and productive work habits and daily routines.
Identify imposter syndrome
If either of the above quotes describes how you’ve felt about work, it may be because you’re experiencing imposter syndrome. And you’re clearly in good company… 😱
Imposter syndrome is when a person is unable to acknowledge their own success, choosing to internalise and question it rather than embrace it. You might find it hard to accept praise, instead believing you’re either not good enough or a ‘fake’ waiting to be discovered.
Some estimates say around 70% of people experience it and, because of the nature of self-employment, it can affect freelancers in particular. Below are three reasons why:
Receiving little or no feedback
Having to be a ‘jack-of-all-trades’
Thinking you don’t know enough
1. Receiving little or no feedback
If you’ve ever been employed, you’re used to getting regular feedback. You may have had professional development reviews; time specifically to talk about your strengths, weaknesses and how to improve your performance at work.
This is key because it’s often easier to acknowledge our abilities when someone else is pointing them out.
Now that you’re a freelancer, you’ve lost that supportive work environment. Clients hire you because they already believe you have the knowledge you need to get the job done.
They won’t have time to tell you what you’ve done well or badly. Sometimes the only way to know is when, or if, you’re re-booked.
2. Having to be a ‘jack-of-all-trades’
Freelancing means getting up to speed on areas of business you’re unfamiliar with or have no idea how to carry out. Doing the accounts, writing copy for your website or networking: if these don’t come naturally to you, you can end up feeling inadequate. This feeling can seep into everything else you do.
3. Thinking you don’t know enough
It’s common to question the amount of knowledge you have. You have to know something in the first place to be aware of the gaps in your knowledge. There’s nothing wrong with recognising the areas you can improve on, but don’t do it at the expense of what you already know. No one knows everything so don’t believe you’re the one who has to.
Overcome imposter syndrome
1. Recognise the signs
Because the feelings of inadequacy are internalised, it’s easy to believe you’re the only one going through it. Recognising you’re experiencing imposter syndrome is the first step to overcoming it. The following questions can help you. Do you feel:
That you have to be perfect?
Terrified of failure?
That it’s hard to accept praise?
Prone to overwork?
That you’re not good enough?
That you have to be the best?
As though your success is down to someone or something else?
That you have to be superman or superwoman?
Answer yes to most of these, and the chances are you’re experiencing imposter syndrome. How can you begin to overcome it? This leads us to the next point.
2. Change the way you think
Because imposter syndrome is about how you think, changing your thought patterns is your most powerful tool. Valerie Young, an expert on imposter syndrome, shares practical ways to re-programme your thoughts in the video below:
3. Say 'thank you' and mean it
If someone praises you for something you’ve done, do you play it down, say that anyone could have done the same or attribute your success to someone else?
This inability to acknowledge success is a classic sign of imposter syndrome. Allowing yourself to accept praise moves you one step closer to owning your own success.
All you have to do to accept that praise is say, ‘Thank you.’
4. Don’t compare yourself to others
It’s very easy to measure your success by that of those around you. For example, your ex work-colleague who’s been freelancing for less time than you is already turning work down. The truth is, she’s not you. And why would you want to be her when you are so unique?
Looking at what others are doing means you’re wasting valuable time that could be better spent focusing on your own business. Tick off your goals, then create a set of new ones. Focus your energy on you.
Create a healthy routine
If you’ve ever been employed, you’re used to a routine. Your day has probably included a start and finish time with a lunch break in between. You’ve had to get up at a certain time, take a morning commute, visit the gym at lunchtime or after work, then make the journey home. It may feel like an imposition, but it helps to structure your day.
You’ll need this same sense of routine to help you successfully transition into your freelance career. There are eight things you can do to create a healthy routine for yourself:
1. Have a dedicated workspace
Your workspace could be at home, in a business park or shared office. But when you’re there, it should be to work. Get into the habit of saying you’re ‘going to work’, even if that’s at home. It will put you in the right mindset to start your day.
When I say I’m going to work, it means I’m going to the desk, computer and bookshelf in the corner of my spare room. When I stop for lunch or a break, I leave the room until I start work again. It means when I’m there, I’ve programmed myself to associate it with work.
2. Get dressed
It’s so easy to get up, grab a coffee then head straight into your home office to start work. And there’s nothing wrong with this – unless, of course, you’re going to take part in a video conference call. 😬
But getting dressed for work adds a layer of discipline that you used to have when you were employed. It’s part of getting into the right mindset to help you believe you’ll actually be working.
Create a morning routine that helps you prepare for your day, even if you’re working at home.
3. Set your working hours
This is useful in terms of setting boundaries for yourself (and your clients!). Otherwise, it’s easy to work well into the evening and, hence, overwork. Decide how many hours a day you want to work, how much time you’ll need for breaks and what your start and finish times are.
When I’m writing, I tend to work in 3-hour chunks. That’s the longest I can write before I clam up, literally. I then need a lengthy break so quite often will have a 2 or 3-hour break at lunch. It means I finish later in the evening, but also means I’m way more productive.
When I’m training, I tend to work onsite for clients, so my working day is usually shorter, with a shorter lunch. Experiment to discover what works for you.
4. Choose a place to meet clients
When meeting clients, get out of your home office. The change of scenery will be refreshing and act as a break. Depending on the type of work you do, meeting in a coffee shop can suffice. You can also hire affordable meeting spaces through mycommunityspace.com.
5. Use physical exercise to keep you focused
Physical exercise is not just good for your body, but it also helps keep your mind healthy. It’s vital to incorporate some physical exercise into your day. Aim to do something before those times of the day when you usually find yourself waning.
For me, that’s getting started in the morning (yoga class) and early afternoon (a walk at lunchtime). Figure out the times of the day you’re usually the least productive, and schedule some form of exercise to precede it. This leads on to the next point on the list:
6. Allocate break times
When you take a break, actually step away from your desk or workshop space. If you’re working at a computer screen most of the day, it’s important to have regular time away from it to relieve the strain on your eyes.
7. Manage working alone
Freelancing can be a solitary past-time. If you miss the camaraderie of working in an office, consider renting shared office space, which is often cheaper than renting an office.
Allocate time to network in your week. Go to business networking events that will keep you in touch with people, but potentially also help grow your business.
8. Work with your energy levels
There’ll be days when you just don’t feel like working. It’s important to realise this, and acknowledge that it’s normal and ok from time to time. Keep some flexibility in your daily schedule.
If your energy feels low today, maybe you can catch up on some admin instead of working on the latest project. If you’re feeling energetic, get some of the more difficult tasks out of the way.
Deal with rejection
You won’t get every job. If you spend too much time dwelling on why you weren’t chosen, you’ll waste time that’s better used approaching new clients. However, you still need to know how to deal with what is, in effect, rejection. Here’s how:
Don’t take it personally
There are many reasons why a client might turn you down - and only one of them is because they feel you’re not up to the job.
They might already have someone earmarked for the project, want someone less experienced who they can pay less or no longer have the budget. Recognise that it isn’t about you.
Don’t ignore it...
Always thank them for the opportunity. It makes a good impression on the client. You might also want to let them know it’d be great if they could keep you in mind for any similar work.
You’ll come across as professional and relaxed which could quite possibly lead to work in the future.
… but don’t hang on to it either!
It’s ok to feel disappointed, but move on to the next bid or project and you’ll soon forget the disappointment and re-focus.
You now have everything you need to develop a healthy work strategy. In part two, we’ll focus on simple ways to manage your income.
