Hola, Unfxcked Freelancer👋🏼!
Welcome to another week of getting unstuck, taking control, and going pro as a freelancer. In case you missed my last newsletter, see the full archive of previous issues here.
While I was still learning the ropes of freelancing, I stumbled upon “The Luck Factor” by Richard Wiseman. That book totally shattered my beliefs about luck. It remains one of my favorite books to date.
It turns out that luck isn’t some magical force that randomly happens to us. It isn’t just a series of fortunate events falling into your lap.
Instead, luck is something we can actively create. It’s often the result of several factors aligning perfectly at the right time.
Imagine you’re trying to catch a flight. If you stand idly at the airport, hoping the airplane will magically appear and pick you up, chances are you’ll be waiting for a long time.
However, if you take proactive steps like checking the flight schedule, arriving early, knowing your destination, and positioning yourself strategically at the airport, you increase your chances of getting lucky and catching that flight.
The same principle applies to luck in freelancing. It’s about positioning yourself and taking intentional actions that increase your opportunities.
If you go out there and ask any successful freelancer to what do they owe their success? They’ll all say the same thing: Self-made Luck.
They are all great believers in creating luck. They understand that the luck of having talent is not enough to succeed; you must also have talent for luck.
So how do you get lucky like successful freelancers out there?
Grab your favorite drink, find a comfortable spot, and let’s dive right in.
5 Practical Steps To Get Lucky
Luck is a difficult concept to define, and there is no one surefire way to get lucky. However, there are certain steps you can take to increase your chances of success. Here are five practical steps that I’ve used to get lucky as a freelancer:
- Define Your Goals: Luck becomes much easier to create when you have a clear destination in mind. Just like the flight story I talked about earlier. Before I started getting lucky, I had to define my short-term and long-term goals as a freelancer. What kind of projects do I want to work on? What income level do I aspire to reach? What type of clients do I want to work with? All these questions put me on track to luck. Once you know where you want to go, you can actively take action and seek out opportunities that align with your goals.
- Hone Your Skills: I always tell my friends this: luck favors the skilled. And this is why I always focus on constantly improving my craft. Despite over half a decade of freelancing, I still take courses to get better at writing articles and designing websites. Because not only does learning make me knowledgeable, but it also makes me open to new opportunities. The more you refine your expertise, the more you’ll stand out from the competition and attract lucky breaks.
- Expand Your Network: If there is anything I’m grateful for today, it’s my network. This is because most of my luck has come through my connections. People I connected with in the industry and online communities, be it fellow freelancers or clients. If you want to increase your chances of stumbling upon lucky breaks, I encourage you to put yourself out there and build a strong professional network.
- Take calculated risks: In the first issue of this newsletter, I talked about the importance of the right mindset. You have to understand that it takes the right mindset to take calculated risks to create your own luck. Many times, I pitch big media platforms like Fast Company, Inc., Wired, etc. Despite knowing there is a high chance of me getting rejected, I wasn’t afraid to shoot. Because luck favors the confident. And it’s through bold actions that you increase your chances of creating lucky opportunities.
- Take Action: Every successful freelancer I know did not get lucky just through wishful thinking. They took action, consistently. They showed up every day and worked towards their goals and objectives. They understand that luck often shows up when we actively seek it out. You can be like them. You can decide to put in the work and create your luck through hard work. You can even get luckier if you stay persistent and resilient.
We all want luck to be on our side, but the truth is, you are the beginning and the end of your luck. It takes choice to get lucky, not chance. Feel free to get out there, be your own luck, create your own luck, and let success find you along the way.
That’s a wrap, Unfxcked Freelancer!
Catch you on the flip side,
Temidayo
Chief Unfxcker