Wouldn’t it be great to have a crystal ball when considering changing or choosing a career? It would give us so much more confidence about whether we’ll be successful! Well, at Fired Up Freelance, we don’t have a crystal ball for you, but we have found some common traits that will help you figure out if you have what it takes to become a successful freelancer.
First, a caveat. There are no guarantees in life. If you want absolute certainty, it just doesn’t exist. There is no magic formula that will allow you to calculate your future success. (But that holds true for everything in life, right?)
So, even though this list can’t give you any guarantees, I hope it will give you valuable insights and some encouragement. These are a few key ingredients which can indicate your potential success with freelancing. Which of these characteristics do you already have, and which could you develop, to become a stronger freelancer?
1. A willingness to hustle
People who are self-directed and who work hard are bound to get ahead in most professions. With freelancing, however, this trait is particularly important. Your success is directly dependent on your hustle.
2. Commitment to deadlines
If you take a laissez-faire approach to turning in your projects, or you regularly show up to meetings unprepared, you’re not going to be in business for long. (Never fear, procrastinators! This does not automatically preclude you!) Outside deadlines are the best tools get us freelancers in our seats, when we’ve made a commitment to never let a client down.
3. Humility
When you land a client, you become an ad hoc member of their team for the duration of the project or contract. You need to be willing to hear and accept feedback from lots of different people as you work together. Be humble enough to collaborate.
4. Willingness to take action
Some people love to gather information, but ultimately they don’t do anything with it. That method is not going to take you to a successful 6-figure freelancing career. Having said that, it’s normal to have the excitement wane… but you have to keep taking action anyway.
5. Commitment to consistency
One of the main objections to freelancing is the fear of “dry spells”–those pesky times when you’re in between clients and you don’t have any income on the horizon. But guess what? Dry spells are completely avoidable. If you are consistent in your prospecting, you have a great shot at successful career.
6. Pleasantness
Let’s face it: nobody want to work with a jerk. Be professional and friendly. Make it easy for clients to appreciate your work and refer you to their colleagues!
Your turn! This was by no means an exhaustive list—what other traits do you feel a successful freelancer needs? Let us know in the comments below!
Last Updated on July 1, 2023.
