When people first start their freelance career, they often worry about how to get their first client, how to figure out their finances and if they should get an accountant (yes, you should).

But what they often forget is to design their ideal work life. Why are you thinking of freelancing? Is it because you don't want to commute to an office? Or do you want to work whenever you want instead of a defined 9-5? Maybe you want to travel and work remotely?

Whatever your reasons are, keep those in mind when you start your freelance career.

Define your ideal work life

The ideal work day will look different for everyone. Maybe you're one of the people who would rather not work at all. And who knows, maybe you'll get there one day if you set up the right systems. But we all have to start somewhere. And the best way to start is by defining a foundation. What are your must haves and what are the things you are flexible on?

For me personally, the must haves are that I can work from anywhere. The things I'm flexible on is the time zone I'm working on.

Below are some prompts you can ask yourself to help you create a work life that works for you:

✍️ Quick exercise

Grab a journal or copy paste these prompts into a notion page. And then answer the questions below. At the end of this exercise, you'll get a goal to work towards. You might be close to achieving it, or maybe you're further away than you think. But either way, to achieve your goals, you need to define them first.

1️⃣ Answer these prompts

Get your pen and paper ready, imagine your perfect work day and answer these questions for yourself. Note: Answer these questions in the present, as if this day is already happening.

1. Where am I working from? (Home office, coffee shop, coworking space, office)

2. How much money am I making per year?

3. What am I doing around my workday (Are you going for a surf in the morning? Will you walk your dog during your lunch break?)

4. Am I working in a team or by myself?

5. How many interactions do I have with colleagues?

6. What type of project(s) am I working on?

7. How many hours do I work per day?

Example

For me, this would look something like this:

Where am I working from?
I'm working from a quiet coffeeshop where the barista knows my order. There's a big window which reveals a nice view.

How much money am I making per year?
I'm making several 6-figures a year.

What am I doing around my workday?
I was doing a Yoga class in the morning and will be going for a surf during sunset.

Am I going to work in a team or by myself?
I'm working by myself but I'm surrounded by my friends who also work remotely.

How many interactions do I have with colleagues?
I'm sending a few emails here and there and a few messages on Slack, but they're not urgent.

What type of project am I working on?
I'm working on a project that challenges me but not too much. The product will help many people in their day-to-day or has a positive impact on the environment.

How many hours do I work per day?
I'm working a maximum of 4hours a day.

2️⃣ Compare your current day with your ideal day

Now, this might be a bit of a daunting exercise, but add a scale from 1-10 to each of the statements from task 1 to see how close you are from achieving that goal.

Example 2

For me, this would look something like this:

Where am I working from? > I'm working from a quiet coffeeshop
10 of 10 - I'm already working from coffeeshop most of my work days

How much money am I making per year? > several 6-figures a year
3 of 10 - I've made £120k revenue last year with my business.

What am I doing around my workday? > Yoga in the morning and surfing in the evening
5 of 10 - This depends strongly on where I'm currently based. As a digital nomad, I don't always have access to a surf spot. But there are days when I do.

Am I going to work in a team or by myself? > I'm working by myself but I'm surrounded by my friends who also work remotely
10 of 10 - This is already my reality ☺️

How many interactions do I have with colleagues? > a few emails here and there
7 of 10 - I still have a lot of zoom calls with my client which makes it tricky to work from coffeeshops

What type of project am I working on? > challenging projects that help people or are good for the environment
7 of 10 - One of my current freelance gigs is for a company that helps people track renewable energy.

How many hours do I work per day? > maximum of 4hours a day
6 of 10 - I'm working full days for my clients plus on personal projects (like working on this blog article)

3️⃣ What needs to happen to get you there

Think of everything that needs to happen for you to be able to have your ideal work day. Don't worry if you're far from your goal. Allow yourself to dream big.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars”
- Norman Vincent Peale

Now think of all the things that have to happen for you to achieve your ideal work life. You can start with those where the scale is the lowest. Then list all of those to do's in your journal/notion document.

Example 3

For me, this will look something like this:

• Find new income streams

• Set better boundaries with clients

• Spend more time in places where I can surf

• Find projects with good values

• Find ways to make my day more efficient

Conclusion

Now you have a to do list that you can break down into "SMART" goals.

Keep your ideal work day in mind for each step you take for your freelance career. What can you do to improve it, even if it's just one step on the scale?

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is the first step of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.