Navigating Life’s Downs As A Freelancer

No, every day isn’t the same. But maybe it isn’t meant to be that way.

When you have deadlines and the expectations of your boss and colleagues urging you, it’s impossible to let life pass by. You don’t have the luxury of ignoring work and spending all day lying in bed.

But when you’re a freelancer, the onus for growth is on you.

The more hours you spend working, the better prospects you’ll have.

But how can you push yourself to work hard when every day looks the same as the previous one? How do you focus on growth and self-improvement when you’re low on motivation?

In this post, I’ve compiled my story of how I navigate the lows of life as a full-time writer. I’ve also included some actionable steps I implement that you can steal and apply in your life.

Before we start, here’s the dark truth: I don’t wake up excited every day.

Sure, I love what I’m doing and am constantly inspired by the impact my work creates on the world.

But no, every day isn’t filled with fire and passion.

There are days when I go through the motions, ticking off items on my to-do lists and sticking to deadlines.

Some days, the only thing I’m concerned about is paying the bills,

Some days, I take as much time as I need to feel myself again.

And you know what?

It’s completely normal.

Don’t let the world fool you into believing that the only way to love your job is to wake up every day, heart filled with motivation.

Some days, it’s okay to be low on inspiration, as long as you know and believe the world will be right there — waiting for you to conquer it when you feel amazing again.

Have you had one of those days in a job you love with all your heart?

Here’s an unpopular opinion if you’ve been feeling low on energy of late: Take a break when you feel like it, don’t wait to deserve a break.

In this era of “You snooze, you lose,” it’s easy to glorify hustle and look down upon breaks as wastes of time.

But here’s how breaks can help you:

You get a chance to spend some time with yourself, re-evaluate, and reset your priorities.
You get in touch with the WHY of starting what you started.
You reconnect with the sense of purpose that’s been pushing you for so long.
You get clarity on making intentional changes in life to get to where you want to be in the next few years.

Breaks aren’t a luxury. They’re a necessity.

What you do during the break also determines how effective it will be.

Scrolling through social media or watching a movie might give you a dopamine rush in the short term but won’t have any life-altering impacts.

Here’s how to have productive breaks: