Define that income, and break it down into smaller pieces.

I’m continually surprised at how quickly we can accomplish our goals by simply defining and committing to them. Our target income is no exception.

Yes, freelancers should write a plan, but it can be as simple as stating your intentions. I suggest using the Formula For Intentionality as your framework, and I’ve included the formula below. Each section also includes a list of questions and prompts to help guide you through the process. If you want a deeper dive on this, buy a copy of the book.

Freelancing requires we operate it like a business (because it is!), and it requires a commitment. The responsibility that comes with this commitment includes activities and tasks we don’t want to do. So, while many leave traditional employment to escape doing the things they don't want to do, the reality is freelancers do more of these activities. While freelancing gets hard, there is a greater reward when we push through and arrive at a state of flourishing. If we don’t want (or are not skilled) to do certain activities and still freelance, we need to earn beyond our personal goal so we can pay vendors or other freelancers to fill those needs for us.

On the other hand, one way to differentiate ourselves from others is a willingness to do hard things. When we embrace this tension, we’ll do well as a freelancer and the longer we do good work, the easier it becomes to have a steady stream of paying clients.

Photo by Ran Berkovich on Unsplash

New freelancers earn whatever price they set when they start.

For me, I began freelancing in 2014 at $75/hour. Before that, I owned a marketing company and our hourly rate was $150/hour, so selling my freelancing services at this lower was fairly easy, mentally speaking.

I’m a full-time freelancer and I build semi-custom (Template-Based) Joomla websites. When I build a website I’ll follow the high-level process below:

Primarily, failed freelancers are not fully committed to the craft and all that comes with the commitment. When it gets difficult or they face roadblocks, they allow outside circumstances to determine their fate. They blame others and they don’t do the hard things necessary to succeed.