Find accountability and embrace a healthy mindset

Research tells us: We’re highly unlikely to get things done if we don’t have accountability built in. We have a 10% chance of accomplishing something if we come up with the idea, a 65% chance of completing that goal if we tell someone else about it, and a whopping 95% chance of meeting the goal if we have a meeting on the books with another person!

When you’re chasing a big goal, accountability can look like:

• Asking a friend to check in with you every week, over text.

• Meeting with a coach once per month.

• Creating a freelancer pod, where you all set goals verbally and check in on them during the next meeting (the Pollen community is great for this!).

• Tracking your own progress in a notebook.

Accountability, your style

Choose an option from the list above (or another option that appeals to you) and write down how you might use it in your life and business. Then add one sentence about that accountability to the bottom of your action plan template. Your assignment is to text, email, or reach out to get that accountability set up right now, before you close this playbook! 

You don’t have to do this alone.

Maintain a healthy mindset as you expand your comfort zone

Leveling up means grappling with discomfort. You’re stepping out of your comfort zone! While this big step is good — after all, you’ve made the choice to do it — you’ll want to come to this process prepared with a toolkit for reflection and emotions management. Many people get two weeks into working on their new revenue streams and find themselves buried in self-doubt. “Can I really do this?” they ask. Money fears are also incredibly common. To ward this off, take some time for self-reflection.

Practice self-reflection

As you continue to grow your business, you’ll need to reflect about whether or not the current method of diversification is working for you. Here’s how to implement that reflection, to keep you on track over the long-haul:

Define two ways that you prefer to reflect. Some people journal, and some people like to think while they walk. Others are verbal processors, which means they need to talk things out with a friend, therapist, colleague or partner. Still others will handwrite, sketch, or write poetry about their thoughts. 

Write down the two reflection methods that work best for you.

As you start to build this new thing, here are some questions you may want to journal on or consider:

• Why am I worthy of my own trust?

• What projects have I completed in the past, and how did I make progress on those projects?

• What’s my motivation for completing this project?

• What doubts do I have about working on this project? For each doubt, what is another perspective you could take?

• What beliefs do you have about your own ability to succeed? Do those beliefs come from you, or someone else?

• What kind of person do you want to be? How does a person like that act, think and carry themselves? How could you implement those habits into your days?

Taking big steps in your business is a risk! But it’s also a risk to stay where you are and avoid growth. These mindset tools are part of the scaffolding required for you to level up.

Wrap up and next steps 

Success for this playbook looks like having a clear understanding of diversification, and a vision (plus a tangible action plan!) for implementing revenue stream diversification in your freelance business.

Feel free to return to this playbook any time you feel like you need to level up in your freelance business and want to take action!