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Welcome to this week's edition of Freelance Fuel, where, as always, we share curated content that can hopefully inspire your business, or be the starting point to get started.
Today we look at recommended reading for creative souls, the 5-second rule (and it's not the one when you drop food on the floor), the lazy-girl era, better arguments and methods for taking what you're worth, and a (sort of) freelance blueprint.
Let's get started.
/Jannik from Factofly
🕊️ Recommended reading: Bird by Bird
“Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott is a classic when it comes to copywriting and creativity.
Even if you don't make a living with your pen, Bird by Bird offers some fresh perspectives on managing projects and keeping your motivation high as a freelancer.
Especially Lamott's advice on how to handle challenges and embrace imperfection, makes the book a must-read if you engage in even a smidgen of creative work.
⏱️ The 5-second rule
We probably all have a snooze button that's a little too easily accessible. At least the mental one exists throughout the day.
Mel Robbins'’ “5 Second Rule” is the method that helps you get to the point and cut out your own bad habits.
Mel's approach, in all its simplicity, is about counting down out loud from five, so you act before your brain can persuade you to make the comfortable choice.
“5-4-3-2-1-NOW”
If you wait longer than 5 seconds, your brain will react and persuade you to hit the snooze button instead.
🏝️ The Lazy-girl Era
“I do have such a chill life compared to what it was!”
In the wake of corona, the Quiet Quitting trend popped up. That is, only doing the absolute minimum in the job you were hired for.
And now comes the lazy-girl job.
The common denominator for the two is a sharper distinction between the somewhat blurred transition that has arisen between work and leisure during and after corona.
In all its simplicity, the Lazy-Girl job involves:
- Work you can do from home
- There is a “chill boss”
- Ends at 5pm sharp
- Pays 4-600,000 annually "enough to afford the basic comforts of young-adult life, yet not enough to feel compelled to work overtime."“
As soon as you bring "lazy" into the conversation, a picture is naturally painted of people who don't really care about their work and career.
We may not be completely familiar with the terminology, but the energy in the movement has its justification: taking control of your time and spending just as much energy on your free time as on your job.
We see, not coincidentally, many people flocking towards freelancing for precisely that reason.
You can read more about the antithesis of hustle culture right here.
🏷 You don't have to justify your price
Negotiating prices as a freelancer is a chapter that never ends.
It is inevitable that you will be pressured to lower your price, and therefore it is also a difficult exercise to find the right rental and know how to negotiate.
“Should I say 800 per hour if I take 650, or should I just be straight from the start?”
With experience comes more bullets in the chamber and better arguments when negotiating projects.
Chris Do helps here by giving you the right arguments, and a plan for how you can break the task into three parts if your price doesn't match the budget at the other end:
- Garden-to-garden
- Nice to have
- Pure extravaganza
Learn how to win the job and still get paid what you're worth.
👏 (A form of) Freelance Blueprint
