Setting and Achieving Goals as a Freelancer
Ready to reach your goals? Setting and achieving goals as a freelancer might seem difficult as with so many ideas, clients, and projects on our plates - but with a little focus and organization, it’s possible to monitor and manage goals for both you and your clients. Check out our favorite ways to set and achieve goals as a freelancer:
Think of the big picture
Daily and weekly goals are important for keeping things moving, but monthly and yearly goals keep things growing! Really seeing the growth comes from months of work and effort put into areas that you have pre-determined you want to find success in.
Come up with your goals by trying to decide where you want to see yourself in 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and so on. Don’t be afraid to dream big in this stage and have fun with where you see yourself.
Set measurable goals
Measurable goals help you realize when you have reached success. For example, instead of saying you will get more clients, create a measurable goal by saying you will get 3 more clients. Attaching a number to a goal allows you to know how close or how far you actually are from achieving it.
Don’t be afraid to get specific with dates and amounts for your goals, but remember to be realistic. Breaking your bigger goals into these bite size, achievable chunks makes setting and achieving goals as a freelancer seem truly within your reach and avoids burnout on your way to success.
Create action steps
Once you have your measurable goals, it’s time to take action. Decide what actions you can take to reach those goals and implement them to your daily routine or schedule. If your goal is for additional clients, consider adding an action step of sending your portfolio to 5 potential clients a week to help you reach this goal.
There’s never just one right way to do something or achieve success, so don’t be afraid to get creative with your action steps if what you’re doing isn’t working as well as you hoped. Adjusting your action steps as needed will help get you closer to setting and achieving goals as a freelancer and crossing your goal off your checklist.
Stay organized and on track
Keep up with your goals as a business and with each client in a way that allows you to monitor and manage their success and progress. Staying focused on your goals and taking daily action to make progress is key staying on track. Ensure that you have an organized system to help you sort goals for you and your clients so that you can focus on what priorities you have for the day or week ahead of you, as well as setting and achieving goals as a freelancer.
A great option is utilizing a unique workspace where you can organize all your pressing client campaigns and goals. Keeping your client work organized is easy when you join Mailchimp & Co, a global community of agencies and freelancers using Mailchimp with their clients. One of the perks of being in the community is the ability to manage all of your clients in one place—your dashboard. Connect directly (and securely) with your clients’ accounts, re-order them to keep clients you work with the most at the top, and toggle back and forth to easily work on multiple projects and goals throughout the day.
Reward yourself along the way
Give yourself an incentive for your hard work with some self care and time for you. This doesn’t have to be anything too expensive, luxurious, or time consuming - just something that’s enticing enough to keep you motivated as you cross off your goals on your way to success.
Being your own cheerleader is necessary as a freelancer, so don’t be afraid to really celebrate your own success. Buying yourself a cake for even the smallest win sometimes can make the biggest difference on your mentality and motivation. Sometimes it’s more than just getting an invoice paid - these special little moments can be what makes the hard work worth it when you realize just how much you’re capable of.
Reassess your goals as you grow
Continuously reevaluate if your goals are aligned with the bigger picture for you and your business. As we move through seasons of change as both a human and a freelancer, it’s natural to have different needs than at the beginning of our journey.
Make a note to check in with yourself and your goals at least once a quarter. This will not only keep your goals fresh in your mind, but will ensure that the work you’re putting in is always going to go towards something you are passionate about.
Book a meeting with yourself and get serious about your goals with these tips for setting and achieving goals as a freelancer. Challenge yourself to come up with a big picture goal for you and your business and create a plan to get it done. We’re rooting for you!
This article is sponsored by Mailchimp & Co, a global community of agencies and freelancers using Mailchimp with their clients. Learn new skills, grow your network, and get tools to manage your clients–all while enjoying insider perks–when you join. Plus, it’s free.