Changing the Way You Think to Become a Better Freelance Writer

by Kristine

I remember a film I’ve watched with my best Polish friends earlier this year. It was called ‘The Secret.’ Upon watching it, we made a promise to ourselves. We said that we’d live with that kind of positive thinking, and we’d believe that we will be together once again in the future after I left Poland.

Several months later, and I find myself applying the same positive thinking with freelance writing. Who would have thought that I would be freelance writing for a living when I come back to the Philippines? Who would have thought that I’d be making as much money as a local call center agent, without even having to leave home?

When I came back home, I know I wanted to keep myself busy – or else, I’d go into depression. I scoured for companies and applied for office positions – to no avail. I was even contemplating whether I’d enter the call center industry just to hit that P20,000 a month mark and save up to study in Europe (although I decided against it.)

I reminded myself about that film we watched, and I started to change the way I think. I started to believe, I started to ask for what I want: a job which would let me do the things I enjoy and would pay well so I can save up, buy things I want, and help my mom pay the bills.

So I started freelance writing.

A couple of months into freelance writing and I think I have really progressed. I feel my personal and ‘career’ growth developing each day as it makes me a better freelance writer.

I got my desired salary per month (more or less). I got to pay the bills. I got to buy things I want. I got a great career without having a daily commuting adventure. I got to sleep whenever I want.

But how exactly did I do it?

When I started accepting projects, I did not look at the low starting rates – I looked at how much I can make if I start writing more. I did not look at how scarce freelance writing jobs are in the Philippines - I looked at the possibilities outside the Philippines. I did not get scared if I got rejected – I used it as a motivation for me to write better cover letters and samples.

And they paid off.

Personally, I think that an optimistic outlook in life will help you in any way, be it freelance writing or any other job. Some people take their jobs grudgingly, or they take them for granted. Most of the time, those people are the ones who never enjoy their work – those are the ones who never get to get themselves promoted.

Once you like something that you do, everything else follows. If you think that what you’re writing is quite dragging and you’re feeling negative about your work, you’d never be able to produce good writings. You are dragging yourself down and your freelance writing career once you think about that. That’s why you need to change how you think.

On the other hand, once you enjoy what you are writing about, words will simply flow. You start to think big, and big projects will indeed come your way. You start to think of freelance opportunities coming into your email inbox, and you’ll wake up to an inbox full of freelance opportunities.

That’s what ‘The Secret’ was all about - when you start to feel positive, think positive, you ‘call’ upon positive things to come your way. Once you shift your thinking to negativity, you’re sure to have a bad day, and opportunities won’t come your way.

I know that you might say it’s only coincidence, but I like to think otherwise. All I know is that, when I think positive things and feel positive about my job as a freelance writer, when I think of my email full of freelance opportunities and offerings, that’s when I start to become a better freelance writer - that’s when I start to have better freelance writing jobs.

And that’s when I start to go away from the $1-$2 per article rate.

What about you? How does your thinking help you become a better freelance writer, or a better worker in general?