What’s the best about being a freelancer? Your schedule depends on you, you do not have a boss who controls how you use your time, and you can work wherever you want. So, where’s the catch? Despite numerous advantages to this scheme of working, maintaining motivation might be a serious problem. How to deal with it? Following some (or all) of the tips below can help you stay motivated as a freelancer. Try them out to see what works best for you.
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5 tips to stay motivated as a freelance translator
1) Work with passion
If you have a passion for what you do for a living, you reduce the chance of burnout and motivation crisis. Genuine passion and commitment make it easier to actually get to work, because you don’t perceive your tasks as duties. A way to achieve that? Think about specialization. If you choose to translate texts related to a field you find particularly interesting, you’ll find your job much more rewarding. That way you will achieve a sense of fulfillment and stay motivated and committed to what you do.
2) Maintain a healthy work-life balance
Contrary to what might appear, freelancer work isn’t all roses. People often perceive freelancers as happy-go-lucky dudes who always have time for everything. The sad thing is that most often than not, the opposite is true. It often happens you feel you’re constantly running out of time. Sometimes the lack of organization is to blame. As a result, you end up devoting days and night or whole weekends for work-related activities. This should be avoided. Naturally, there are emergency situations, last-minute calls, urgent projects that ought to be completed “for yesterday”. However, if it becomes a rule rather than an exception, it might have a toll on you. The lack of free time and detachment from work can result in decrease in motivation.
That’s why it’s important to be assertive and find some time for yourself and things you like. Socializing with friends, spending time with your family or getting some alone time are important to maintain mental hygiene.
3) Reward yourself
Treat yourself to a reward for each stage of the project you complete. Rewards do not necessarily mean shopping and spending – it could be anything you do for your own pleasure. Watching a good movie, going out with friends or a bike trip are just as good as getting yourself a new gadget or a piece of clothing.
4) How about a little bet?
Rewarding yourself is a great idea, but sometimes apart from the proverbial carrot you need a stick too. After all, a lot of people find they are more productive when working under pressure. On the contrary, if you know you can take as much time you want to finish a certain activity, you often end up doing it for way too long. What can you do? You can set a deadline yourself, or better: make a deal with someone! Let’s say, if you don’t finish a certain task on time, you will do something for them.
5) Find a quick way to recharge your batteries
Even if you’ve mastered all the methods and you avoid situations that may jeopardize your motivation to work, the crisis might still occur. That’s why it’s worth finding some simple ways to fight it. It can be a quick, short yoga session, a short jog, a relaxing walk or even taking a nap. The reason you can’t stay motivated is often because you feel overwhelmed, exhaused or burnt out. You need to find something that will let you wind down and regenerate a bit. For a lot of people physical activity seems to do the trick, but it depends on an individual. You should also remember about regular breaks and adequate amount of sleep.
