Resilience and Decision-Making Skills for Freelancers

Through years of guiding professionals in career and business transitions, I’ve learned this: 👉 The ones who thrive don’t control more. They control differently. Most people waste energy trying to control the uncontrollable - market timing, restructures, client decisions, hiring freezes. The ones who land faster, pivot smoother, and stay resilient? They know exactly what belongs in Control, Influence, and Accept, and they anchor themselves with resilience traits that keep them steady in the storm. 𝗠𝘆 𝗴𝗼-𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖.𝗜.𝗔. 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 Control → What’s 100% in your hands. ✔ Updating your LinkedIn profile. ✔ Sending that proposal. ✔ Practising your interview. Influence → What you can’t control, but can shape. ✔ How a recruiter perceives you. ✔ Whether a client trusts you. ✔ How your brand lands. Accept → What you must let go of. ✔ Hiring freezes. ✔ Market downturns. ✔ Budget cuts. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: List your current challenges. For each one, ask: Control, Influence, or Accept? Put 80% of your energy into Control. (Daily actions, skill building, consistency). Dedicate 20% to Influence. (Relationships, reputation, storytelling). Release the Accepts. (They free you to move forward instead of staying stuck). 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆: Map your situation. Write down everything that’s on your mind. Label each: Control, Influence, Accept. Double down on Control. (Daily actions → profile, outreach, interview prep). Play the long game with Influence. (Relationships, positioning, visible thought leadership). Release the Accept. (You don’t need to carry the company’s decision with you). 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Transitions are when this mindset is tested most. ➡️ Into a new role: You can’t control when the perfect job opens. But you can control your preparation, influence how decision-makers perceive you, and anchor yourself with resilience traits that keep you steady in the wait. ➡️ Into a business: You can’t control every market force. But you can control your clarity of offer, influence your audience through consistent visibility, and rely on resilience anchors to keep you moving when progress feels slow. P.S. If you’re in a transition right now (new role, new business, or both), where are you putting your energy: Control, Influence, or Acceptance? P.P.S. And see comments for 6 resilience anchors needed during transitions - which do you lean on most? ♻️ Repost if you found this helpful

A fellow writer was in tears as she shared the sad news last October, "I'm losing everything. AI is taking my clients. The economy is tanking. I don't know if I can survive this." I felt terrible for her. And I debated whether or not to share something that took me decades of painful losses to learn. Something that seemed too simple to be true, yet had transformed how I navigated every market crisis since. For four decades, I watched market cycles, searching for the pattern that separated winners from losers. And then, a few years ago, everything clicked into place when I read a quote from Charlie Munger, the legendary vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Munger said: "If you are not willing to react with equanimity to a market price decline of 50%, you deserve the mediocre result you're going to get." This hit me like a thunderbolt. Because it perfectly captured what I'd observed. Here it is... The freelancers who dominate during tough times rarely have the best portfolios. They're not the most talented. They're not even the most tech-savvy. They possess something far more valuable: emotional equilibrium. Right now, I'm watching freelancers make catastrophic decisions out of fear: Slashing their fees in panic. Chasing toxic clients out of desperation. Completely freaking out about AI instead of learning how to apply it. But here's what they don't see: The market doesn't just reward skill. It rewards temperament. Your greatest asset isn't your talent, your network, or even your experience. It's your ability to stay strategic when everyone else loses their nerve. I just heard back from that freelancer who called me last October. Turns out, she transformed her approach after understanding this principle. And last week, she landed her biggest client in years. The future belongs to those who see market disruption not as a threat, but as an opening to position themselves more powerfully. The question isn't whether more disruption is coming — it is. The question is: Are you ready to turn chaos into opportunity?

Let's get real for a moment. You know those months where your inbox is eerily quiet? When you start wondering if your last client was actually your last client? Yep, as someone who used to be a lone freelancer, I've been there. More times than I'd like to admit. Freelancing can sometimes feel like you're on the world's most unpredictable rollercoaster. But over the years, I've crafted a strategy to not just survive, but thrive during those 'no income' months. Grab a cup of coffee (or tea, if that's your jam), and let's dive in. 🌺The Rainy Day Fund: First things first, always have a safety net. You know those days of abundance right? Instead of spending the money on things you only want (not need) , set it aside. I set aside a portion of my income during the good months. It's not just about paying bills; it's about peace of mind. 🌺Upskill Time: No clients? No problem. I use this time to learn something new. Whether it's a course on a new design tool or brushing up on marketing trends, I come out more marketable than before. In fact, my first portfolio as a freelancer (which gave me my first $1,500 here on Linkedin) was borne out of one of these dry spell days. 🌺Network, Network, Network: Remember that coffee date you kept postponing or that webinar you bookmarked? Now's the time. Opportunities often come from the most unexpected chats. Human beings can't function well alone. You need other people. Which makes me wonder if the phrase “Self-made” is actually correct. 🌺Re-Evaluate and Pivot: I take a step back and assess. Is there a service that's not getting traction? Maybe it's time to pivot or repackage. Use this period to get expert feedbacks and improve on something. Innovation is the only way to stay ahead in the world of today. 🌺Self-Care Isn't Selfish: It's easy to spiral into anxiety. But I've found that a walk in the park, spa dates, a good book, a weekend getaway or even a Netflix binge can recharge you and take your mind off things for when the next client comes knocking. 🌺Reconnect with Past Clients: A simple 'Hey, how's it going?' can lead to repeat business. It's not about being pushy; it's about staying top of mind. 🌺Golden Nugget Alert 🚨: The Portfolio Revamp: This is my secret weapon. I take this downtime to polish my portfolio, update with recent work, and sometimes even do mock projects. It keeps my creative juices flowing and often attracts new clients who see my updated work. Portfolios are extremely important and if you don't have one, you're missing out. A well-crafted portfolio can be the difference between a 'maybe later' and a 'let's work together now!' If you're wondering how-to get started, you can find a curated list of optimized portfolios through the link In my bio or comment section. In wrapping up, remember this: Dry spells don't define your worth or talent. They're just a part of the freelancing or even entrepreneurship journey. So, tell me, how do you handle the quiet months?

Do you feel exciting momentum or do you feel like you've plateaued? After talking to hundreds of freelancers, I saw a common thread with the "plateaued" group: chronic hesitancy. We assemble a rigid mindset like a car with mismatched parts: an old chassis of overthinking, rusty doors of perfectionism, seats upholstered with anxiety, and a windshield of seeing all the available options. The crazy thing about the "momentum" group is that they don't have twice the talent and three times the opportunities. Whether they realize it or not, they built a car from better parts. Here are five of them: 1. Make more decisions, faster. Jeff Bezos talks about 2-way doors versus 1-way doors. Toni Schneider, formerly of Automattic, talks about reversible versus irreversible decisions. Deduce which kind you're dealing with, and make reversible, 2-way door decisions quickly. Waiting often doesn’t produce better decisions, but it does kill momentum and block opportunities. 2. Make more smaller bets. A lack of confidence often has its root in a lack of information. If you're not sure of what you want or you're worried about what might happen, reduce the surface area of what you’re trying. Shrink the experiment to get more information while minimizing your exposure to risk. 3. Make minimum viable progress. Whatever big thing you’re trying to move is an aggregate of smaller things. You can always find a way to break off one of the pebbles and accomplish that task in 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Schedule tiny sprints. More increments of less progress adds up to more progress. 4. Go there in your mind. Be pessimistic for a moment. Turn toward your anxiety. Let yourself imagine the worst that can happen if you make the wrong decision. Really go there. You’ll discover that the ominous future, once examined, is something you can live with, and half the time, things will go much better than expected. 5. Ask for help often, sooner. Whenever we’re trying to accomplish something, our default question is “How?” The better question is often “Who?” Who already knows how? Who has done it before? Who might be willing to give help or advice? We can grow faster as freelancers by asking for help faster. It's not mistakes themselves that get in the way of the life we want. It's worrying about making them, doing nothing, and denying the education and improvement that the learning-through-doing process brings. P.S. If you know you need more of this type of thinking, sign up for my weekly Freelance Cake newsletter. The signup is one of the featured links on my profile.