How To Define Your Goals As A Freelancer

kyle-prinsloo by Kyle Prinsloo Last updated Jul 16, 2023

Today I'll discuss how to define your goals as a freelancer.

Here’s what I cover:

Coding vs. NoCode
What don’t you want?
Creating a timeline
SMART objectives
Where do you see yourself 3 years from now?
Essential skills for success

🎥 Prefer watching? Here’s the video:

💻 Coding vs NoCode:

A fundamental question, but what do you want?

Do you enjoy coding and want to code websites for 8 hours a day?

Then make sure you hire someone for operations to deal with clients or partner with someone or outsource this part of your business.

Do you want more time, freedom and flexibility?

Then use NoCode solutions to make websites fast and enjoy the extra time to play tennis or golf or do whatever you want.

Maybe you might enjoy a hybrid approach to coding but not want to work 8 hours a day.

It doesn’t matter what it is, but it’s important you work towards this.

Also, I’ve found there to be a misunderstanding of what it means to be a freelance web designer or developer.

The bottom line is you’re making websites.

And the reality is you don’t need to know how to code to make websites.

So don’t get caught up in wanting to learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Mongo and everything else.

This is not the route everyone needs to take to make websites.

Most high-earning freelancers don’t even know how to code or they have a basic understanding of it.

Think of it as helpful, but definitely not a requirement.

🔥 ACTIONABLE STEP 1:

Weigh your options. Consider your interest and skill level, the type of projects you want to do, and the time you want available.

Next, let’s move on to:

❌ What You Don't Want

This question helps those who are unsure of what they do want.

Some examples may be:

I don’t want to ask someone's permission to go to the beach at 11 am.
I don’t want to ask someone's permission to go on vacation.
I don’t want to have set lunch break hours.
I don’t want to struggle financially.
I don’t want to be working 10-hour days as a manager.
I don’t want to miss time with my kids when they grow up.

And so on…

Once you have these “I don’t want…” in place, then you can start thinking about what you do want.

The more "I don’t wants" you have, the more you’ll realize you need a flexible job or you should rather do your own thing.

🔥 ACTIONABLE STEP 2:

Make a list of your I don’t wants and really think about what you can do to avoid them.

🗓️ Setting Up a Realistic Timeline

Next is Timeline. Setting up a realistic timeline is critical. Your timeline should be flexible enough to accommodate changes but rigid enough to keep you focused.

Don’t be too optimistic either, but take it seriously.

🔥 ACTIONABLE STEP 3:

Create a timeline with clear milestones. Check your progress regularly and adjust as necessary.

This leads us to:

🎯 SMART Objectives

These are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals that can guide your freelance journey.

Don’t just say, I want to become a freelancer.

That’s a random goal and it’s undefined.

You want something almost tangible.

Here’s an example:

I want to become a full-time freelancer earning at least 5k /month within 12 months while I’m working a full-time job.

I’ll do this by learning and working evenings and weekends.

Now you’ve defined the overall goal, you need to obviously define what you will learn and what you will do, but this is how your goal should look like.

🔥 ACTIONABLE STEP 4:

Avoid ambiguity and provide clarity for yourself with SMART goals.

The next thing to consider is:

👀 Where Do You See Yourself in 3 Years?

It can be a tough question to ask with so much change happening today, but it’s a necessary question.

Why?

Because it’s a great motivator. There will be a lot of challenges and any goal worth achieving will by its nature not be easy to achieve.

Think about anyone you admire.

A couple who has been married for 40 years.
A business owner.
A 6 figure freelancer
An athlete.

It doesn’t matter who it is, they would have had to make compromises and overcome difficulties and challenges to get to where they are.

Having a form of end goal in mind can help you keep your eyes set on the prize when things get tough.

🔥 ACTIONABLE STEP 5:

Write down where you’d like to be within 3 years, 10 years and beyond. This will provide clarity and guidance when you need it.

Finally, it’s nice talking about what we have, but it won’t work without the right Skills & Mindset.

You can have all the skills, but without the right mindset, you won’t go far.

📈 Essential Skills for Success

What skills are needed?

That will look different for each person depending on their goals.

But in a general sense, it could be:

Learning how to make websites
Learning digital marketing
Learning how to do sales and deal with clients
Learning how to run a successful freelancing business or agency

And for mindset, it could be the realisation you need to be willing to fail to learn and grow.

To be willing to step out of your comfort zone and face imposter syndrome head-on.

I want to encourage you that it can be done and you can do it.

🔥 ACTIONABLE STEP 6:

Identify the skills you need and change your mindset accordingly.

As we wrap up this article, remember that the journey of a freelancer is a marathon, not a sprint.

There will be challenges, but with the right mindset and clear, actionable goals, you'll overcome what lies ahead and enjoy the view from the mountaintop and help others along the way.

That’s it, hope you found this article helpful.

And if you’re interested in becoming a freelancer, join my free community at FreelanceFam.com (it’s free):

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