With January 1 right around the corner, today I offer 20 new year’s resolutions for freelancers, consultants, independent creatives, and soloists of all stripes.
Nothing unrealistic or impossible – just a set of principles and practices that will keep your solo business on solid ground in the coming year and beyond.
Read them, live them, laminate them!
1
I will treat my independent business as exactly that – a business. It’s an enduring enterprise, not a hobby or a flight of fancy.
And it has all the functions of any other business – most importantly, of finding clients and improving their conditions.
2
I will control what I can control. Specifically, I will plan for my business at least quarterly, and I will execute that plan with ruthless consistency.
3
When planning, I will focus on the Five Mores: How do I become more efficient, more effective, more connected, more in demand, and more expensive?
If I’m improving any of those things, I’m creating a better tomorrow for myself.
4
I will treat my time as valuable inventory. I will track it rigorously, analyze it regularly, protect it carefully and invest it intelligently.
5
I will focus my limited time on high-value work. Almost everything else can be outsourced, automated, minimized or ignored.
6
I will incline my value upward. When I continually increase the value I deliver, I create happier clients, more referrals and higher income.
7
I will recognize that I am a marketer. It’s something I signed up for in this line of work.
Like all great marketers, I will do a few things well, not many things at parity.
8
I will sharpen my positioning. I will be precise about what I do, why I’m different, who I serve and how they benefit.
9
I will be grateful for every single client. The good ones show me what I should be doing more of. The lousy ones show me what to avoid.
10
I will screen my clients carefully and define my terms of engagement.
There are plenty of clients who are doing work that matters, for the right reasons, and with the right posture. Life is too short to work with the disrespectful, the short-sighted or the unethical.
11
I will do work that I’m proud to sign my name to, every single time. That’s the work that gets me rehired and referred.
12
I will be a pleasure to work with. I will communicate clearly, manage projects effectively, hit deadlines religiously, and bring positivity and integrity into every interaction.
13
But: “A pleasure to work with” is not the same as a pushover. My clients hire me for my expertise and my perspective.
So, when necessary, I will speak truth to power and I will disagree productively.
14
I will deliver maximum value to my clients by playing to the height of my abilities – and consistently elevating those abilities.
15
I will not accept work that I can’t do well, no matter the payday.
I will refer it to someone better qualified, or I will tell the client the simple truth: That accepting this work is not in their best interests or mine.
16
I will recognize that independence does not mean I work alone. I will actively seek out sounding boards, an accountability team, mentors and/or coaches.
17
I will define what success means to me.
I certainly won’t outsource my definition to an “influencer” or “growth bro” who equates success with making an arbitrary amount of money.
18
I will celebrate my wins – and not just the major milestones.
I will give myself credit for the daily habits, practices and mindsets that create long-term success.
19
I will remember that “work-life balance” is a false construct. There is only life balance.
My business is an extension of who I am. So I will start with my priorities & values, and I will design a business that works for me.
20
I will protect the asset – and I am the asset.
I will prioritize exercise, sleep, family and friends, hobbies and interests, reflection, and gratitude. And when I make promises to myself in these areas, I will keep them.
Here’s to your best year yet, in all the ways that matter.
Your time is valuable, and I hope I’ve rewarded it. If so, your shares are greatly appreciated, as I try to spread the gospel to as many freelancers as possible.
I have a limited number of slots available for 1-1 coaching. I’m not some guy who’s been freelancing for a minute – I’ve been doing it since 1997, with brands you’ve actually heard of. Click here to find out more about how my coaching services can help you level up.
Copyright 2023 – Matthew Fenton. All Rights Reserved. You may reprint this article with the original, unedited text intact, including the footer section.