Celebrate your wins

You have put in so much hard work! Even if you’re not seeing the fruits of your labor yet, you need to celebrate how far you’ve come.

Celebrate your wins with small rewards

Did you know that our brains are hard-wired to need recognition and rewards? Science even backs this up: research has found that people who reward themselves frequently remain motivated to continue completing tasks. Consistently rewarding yourself helps you create positive habits. Success begets more success.

For example, you’re in the process of finding work through Twitter, LinkedIn, and Slack. You may spend 10 minutes today, tomorrow, and the next day interacting professionally through these channels. You may not see immediate results. But with every day that goes by you are building awareness for your brand and cultivating job leads.

Let’s take a look at two freelancers who do (and don’t) celebrate their wins:

This week, Alex posted on Twitter and reached out to five different brands looking for freelancers. Alex is only looking ahead and isn’t taking the time to look at all the progress they’ve made. As a result, Alex feels more discouraged and has a harder time staying motivated to continue.

Adrian, on the other hand, takes the time to record his small wins throughout the week. Adrian rewards himself with a new mug he’s been eyeing, for a job well done and feels excited to keep going.

When you skip over celebrating your wins, you’re overlooking the progress you’ve made. Remember that you may not accomplish your overarching goals immediately. Every step you take toward them matters.

Need some inspiration on how to start celebrating your small wins?

• Tweet at me (@kaitarford). I’ll celebrate your small wins with you! Just tag me in a tweet about your accomplishments. I’ll respond every time!

• Celebrate with your fellow freelancers. Freelancing can be a lonely business. Make it a little less lonely by connecting with another freelancer over your successes. Invite other freelancers to share their successes with you on video and phone calls. 

• Jot down your small wins. Take a second throughout your way to write down your accomplishments. It doesn’t matter how small the win is! Tracking your progress 

• Track your wins on a sticker chart. Remember the pride you felt in kindergarten when you got to put a sticker on your chart? Buy or print out a sticker chart and proudly place a fun sticker on it whenever you accomplish a goal — no matter how small.

• Treat yourself to a little indulgence. Order in food from your favorite restaurant. Visit your favorite coffee shop. Read a new book. Treat yourself to an at-home spa day, or go get a manicure. Take yourself out on a little date.

Congratulations on completing this playbook! You’ve successfully learned how to source legitimate freelance clients for your business. The next step is putting this advice into action. Schedule some time every week to work on sourcing freelance opportunities. It takes time to build a client base, and the work you’re putting in now will pay off. Be persistent and don’t give up. I believe in your ability to land amazing clients!