freelance advice – Page 2 – The Freelance Blueprint

The Freelance Blueprint

How to price yourself as a freelancer
One big thing most freelancers are struggling with is how to price themselves. And most of the time people tend to undersell themselves and don’t charge enough 🫠

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

But I also understand that, especially when you get started, your main focus will be to land a client. And often, your main selling point will be that you’re more affordable than others. At least if you don’t have much leverage on why they should hire you compared to another freelancer offering the same service.

And there’s nothing wrong with this approach, especially in today’s market. As long as you don’t forget to increase your prices over time.

Once you have more clients and experience under your belt, your leverage will no longer have to be that you’re the most affordable, but maybe you’re having a fast turnover, or really good quality or worked for brands that give you a lot of leverage.

But also, you don’t want to be the cheapest option. When you’re in a restaurant, nobody orders the cheapest wine, people order the 2nd cheapest – at least that’s what my friends and I do who have no idea about wine 😅

Your pricing will affect how people perceive you. So only use the “pick me because I’m affordable”-approach if you have no experience in the services you offer.

How much should I charge?

There’s so many things to consider when it comes to pricing yourself:
1. Your experience
2. The value your client will get
3. Your investment (how much does it cost you to be able to deliver the service?)
4. Supply vs demand
5. Your competition
6. Probably a bunch of other things I forgot to list.
And on top of that, there’s so many different ways on how you can charge your clients for your freelance services.
1. Project based
2. Retainer fees
3. Daily & hourly rates
4. Value based (this one is amazing if you get it right, but it’s tricky to explain to your client how you came up with the rate, so we’ll leave this one for another time)
In this blog article we’ll talk about how you can price yourself based on a daily & hourly rate. This is the easiest to understand for most clients.

And also, what is the minimum you need to charge to sustain yourself.

Remember: Don’t just charge for your time

You’re not just charging the client for the time you spent executing whatever service they hire you for. You also charge them for the time it took you to gain those skills. AND you have to cover your own costs: Your software, your laptop, your electricity bill, material costs. Those don’t pay for themselves.

For example: If you’re a UX Designer, you’ll have to cover your costs for Figma, your website hosting or any other running costs.

But you don’t have to do much maths to figure out how much to charge. I’ve created an easy-to-use calculator so you can define how much you need to charge. Of course, you can always charge more than that, but this will be the minimum to cover your costs.

How to use the calculator template
1. Create a copy of the google sheets document
2. Adjust the values in the yellow cells to match your minimum (or ideal) income.
3. Adjust the tax rate if it’s more than 20%, based on wherever you are a tax resident.
Note: Those prices are rough estimates. Make sure your buffer covers any costs you accrue for your services.

Get access to the calculator

Brownie points

Have a look at what your competition is charging. See what the industry standard is. Just as an example: As a freelance UX Designer in the UK, it’s pretty normal to charge £350/day. That was the initial day rate I had with only 2 years experience as a UX Designer back in 2019.

So I always recommend people not to charge less than that. But of course, it’s for you to decide what the minimum is you want to earn.

And if you’re a junior and you want to get more experience, it’s okay to charge less to get a foot in the door. Just remember to increase your rates in the future 🤫

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

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

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 9, 2026
Why you need testimonials and how to get them
Photo by Karola G on Pexels.com

Where would you rather eat out? A restaurant that…
1. looks nice but has no reviews
2. has 4.8 Stars on Google
3. your best friend told you you’d love
Most of us will likely choose option 3.

Why? Because we trust that our best friend knows what we like.

That’s the power of recommendations and testimonials. Getting freelance gigs through recommendations from others is the best way to find clients.

But until then, remember that reviews are powerful too.

Most people who are starting their freelance journey are like restaurant 1. Today, we’re trying to get to the same conversion rate as restaurant 2 and 3 💪 So today’s task might be a little bit out of your comfort zone, but it’ll be worth it.

Sidenote

This blog article is one of the exercises of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them through freelancing. Get the guide for free.

Get a review

Have you recently worked with someone who you know enjoyed working with you? Send them a message and ask them for a review via whatsapp or when you next see them.

Has it been a while since you have been in touch? Use the template below 👇

Steal this template

Hi {Name},

Hope you’re enjoying the holiday season.

I’m planning to start my freelance career as a {UX Designer/Web Developer – insert your service from this task}. One reason for going freelance is to find projects I enjoy working on and am proud of. And thinking back to the time I enjoyed work was while working together with you on {insert project}.

One thing that would massively help with my freelance journey are recommendations. If you know anyone who is looking for a {UX Designer/new website or whatever you’re offering} I’d love if you could introduce them to me.

If there’s nobody in your network, another thing that would help me a lot is a recommendation on Linkedin.

I know this time of the year is very busy, so to save you some time I’ve worked on a draft recommendation. Feel free to edit this as much as you like.

{Enter a draft recommendation you’d like from them or ask ChatGPT to write one for you}

If you have any questions let me know. Thanks a lot in advance!

Kind regards/Cheers,

{Your name}

This template works for previous managers as well as colleagues. Send this to as many people as you like. But try to get at least 2-3 reviews for your Linkedin profile.

People like to help

It might sound like a big ask when you send someone an email like this. But people generally like to help. Also, feel free to follow up if you don’t get a reply after a week.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

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

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 8, 2026
How to build and extend your network

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

You’ve probably heard it a thousand times: Your network is your net worth.

It’s not about how many people you know or who you know. It’s about finding the link to the right people!

And it’s about reminding them that you exist! But we get to that later.

This is one of the exercises of my free guide to help you create a work life that works for you. You can get it here to get more quick and easy tasks like this to progress your freelance career.

But remember that working on becoming a freelancer is… well, work.

But the fact that you’re reading this blog article shows you’re keen and are willing to put in the effort.

This task may be an easy one, but it’s also very benenfical.

Collect your network

People always talk about building your network. But to build on something, you need to know what you are building on.

So today, you’re exploring your existing network. And it might be better than you think.

Grab Pen and Paper and let’s go ✍️

Step 1

Think of all the people who you ever worked with. Include the time you were waiting tables as an intern or when you watered your neighbour’s garden or walked a dog.

Include all the colleagues from existing and previous employments. There’s more people than just previous managers ☝️ don’t just look up, but look at all directions of the hierarchy.

Write down the names of every single person that you remember ever having worked with or for.

Step 2

Now think of all the people you know who have a link to companies you’d like to work for. Miriam from the running club who told you that she just got a job at Google. Your friend’s mum who said that her cousin got a job at Spotify. Those people might not be your direct link, but they’re the one connection to the link you need. Write down their names.

Step 3

Look at this list of people. That’s your network. Probably more people than you thought, right?

👉 Save this list. Now we’ve looked at your existing network, we’ll build on your network in a future task.

Brownie points

If you have more time today, put those names into an excel spreadsheet or notion. Add any contact details you might have, emails, phone numbers or the phone number of the connection to that connection.

All these people can be your leads or biggest cheerleaders.

Why does it matter?

The warmest leads come through referrals. It’s when you don’t have to show people proof through your portfolio or CV. They’re already keen on working with you because someone they trust has referred you.

It’s the same when you’re thinking of going to a restaurant because of good reviews on Google vs. a restaurant that your best friend recommends to you personally.

Your network will be your cheerleaders and support. It’s the people who know you who will refer you to others. It’s those people that know your work ethics and even though some of them might not be “beneficial” now, you never know how far their career might take them.

The colleague you had back during your internship might have founded their own startup and needs your services. Or they know other company founders who will hire you.

But remember: People are people. Be nice, don’t ask without giving in return. Help those who ask you for help, even when you don’t think you’ll get anything in return.

You never know who you might know

Hopefully this exercise helped you realise the connections you already have. You can always expand your network from here.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

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

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.

January 7, 2026
How to create a portfolio in less than 5 minutes
Creating a good portfolio takes time and effort. And today, I’m going to ask you to create one in only 5 minutes – yes, it’s possible 🤫

Depending on the service you offer, having a portfolio is crucial. And you probably know, a 5-minute portfolio isn’t going to replace a proper one.

But having a 5-minute portfolio is better than having none. And what I noticed from many people who want to go freelance is either:

1️⃣ They have the skills but no time to create a portfolio

or

2️⃣ They have signed NDAs and can’t showcase the work they’ve done

or

3️⃣ They have private projects but no “real” projects so they don’t know what to put in their portfolio.

Today, I’ll give you a simple solution for each of those cases.

Create a mini-case study

A portfolio is – along with your CV – the most important part to convince potential clients to work with you.

Follow the steps below 👇

How to create a quick portfolio

Alright, as you know, good things take time. But we all have to start somewhere. And one thing I noticed is that people don’t do things unless it’s easy. So I’m trying to make this task as easy as possible for you.

So the outcome of this is to have at least one mini-case study on your Linkedin profile. You can see how I’ve done mine here:

Screenshot of Elisabeth Mayr’s Linkedin profile, the featured work section

How to create a mini-case study

Step 1 – Brainstorm

Take a piece of paper and write down all the projects you’ve worked on in this last year. It doesn’t matter if it’s a “real” project or old or if it’s still in progress.

The projects I have on Linkedin are almost 3 years old 😅 and I still get messages from recruiters.

Step 2 – Find a visual

Look at the projects you wrote down. Do you have a screenshot for any of those? If you’re a UX Designer, this can be some wireframes you’ve sketched on paper, some flows you created in Miro or even final UI in Figma.

If you’re a developer, is there a snippet of code you can screenshot? Or a screenshot of the live website?

If you’re a translator, use the logo of the brand you’ve worked for.

👉 You only need one image

Step 3 – Describe the project

Include these things in your description:
- Quick intro about the brand/client/project
- What was the problem?
- How did you fix it?
- Why was this the right solution?
If you struggle, use ChatGPT to help you write a 100 word paragraph. Make this task easy. You can use the Hemingway app to simplify it if you’re not happy with the robotic sound of ChatGPT.

Step 4 – Put things together

Now go to your Linkedin profile and add a featured article. Upload the image you picked in step 2 and paste the copy you’ve done in step 3.

Step 5 – Publish it 🚀

Make sure you’re not infringing any copyright if it’s a “student” project. Make sure you got permission from your client/employer to post this.

Congratulations 🥳

You just created a mini case study! Yes, it’s not a full portfolio and yes, it can be better. But it’s done. And done is better than perfect!

It’s enough to let potential clients know of your skills. And a brief introduction to your work can be just what they need to press that ‘Message’ button on Linkedin and contact you to discuss a future project.

Why does it matter?

If you don’t have a big network or a direct contact to your ideal client, you need to show them proof why you are the right person to hire to solve their problem.

A portfolio shows proof that you’re capable of what you’re doing. But a portfolio is one of the most daunting tasks. I strongly suggest that you continue working on your portfolio. But having a mini-case study on your Linkedin will also show you which one attracts the most clients. So play around with it and keep improving 💪

Good things need time

Having one image and some text on your Linkedin is the first step. Continue improving your portfolio from here. You can have a pdf portfolio, or a quick portfolio that sits online.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

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

Get the guide for free.
January 3, 2026
What’s ATS and why should every Freelancer know about it?
How many times did you receive an automated email after you applied for a job? And how many times did you feel like you met all the criteria in the job spec but then still didn’t get that interview? Here’s why 👇

If you’ve followed me for a while, you might have heard me talk about ATS. If you don’t know what ATS are, it’s the reason why you get rejected for a job interview, even though you fit all the criteria.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

What is ATS?

ATS stands for ‘Applicant Tracking system’ and companies use this type of software to filter through the tons of CVs they receive. They’re scanning your CV for specific keywords to see how well it matches the job. You can check out this instagram post for more details.

So today, we’re looking into getting your CV ATS-ready, so it doesn’t get filtered out but instead, highlights your CV as worth looking into for recruiters and potential clients and puts it on top of the pile 💪

Get your CV ATS-ready

If you don’t have a CV already, check out this blog post on how to create a CV in 5 minutes.

Now all you need to do is use one of the free ATS tools listed below and follow their suggestions to improve your CV. You don’t have to run your CV through each of those, just pick whichever you like.

Run your CV through ATS checkers

Yes, they all function slightly differently. I’ve put my same CV through different trackers and got different results. But all of those trackers helped to make improvements.
- Jobscan – Check against specific job specifications
- enhancv – Insightful tips on how to improve CV
- resumeworded – Uses AI to help you reword your CV
- The Ladders – Send you tips on improvement via email
- Skillsyncer – Check against specific job descriptions
Here’s some of the results I got with the different ATS checkers 👇

Why does it matter?

It can be very frustrating when you apply for freelance gigs and you don’t get invited to an interview or even a phone call. Getting your CV ready to be scanned through ATS increases your chances of getting your CV seen by an actual human and therefore increases your chances of getting an interview, which increases your chances of getting a freelance gig 🚀

Good CVs need time

There’s always another way to improve your CV, so don’t worry if you don’t achieve a 100% score on any of those ATS trackers. My CV has gotten me plenty of jobs and some ATS showed a 90+% fit while others measured just over 40%. Take it as guidance.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

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

Get the guide for free.
October 26, 2025
What You need to include in Your CV to land Freelance Gigs
Let’s create a CV – in only 5 minutes 🙌

No matter if you apply for freelance gigs or permanent jobs: your CV will be important to land a gig (outside of your network and previous client testimonials)

Hopefully, you already have a CV. Maybe it’s not the most up to date. Maybe it’s not very nicely designed. But you will have one where you added some work experience, skills and ideally a short summary.

If you haven’t, don’t fret.

We’re the lucky one’s living in a time where there’s ChatGPT and free software. So let’s work on a CV.

How to create a CV from scratch

When trying to find a way to do a CV in 5 minutes for my advent calendar challenge last year, I came across Zety. No, this isn’t sponsored, it’s just a tool i came across that impressed me on how quickly it is to create a decent looking CV. But for transparency: after i found it I did check for an affiliate link 🤫

Of course, a tool that saves you hours on trying to make your CV pixel perfect isn’t free. But I was surprised how cheap it is. You can get access to the full tool to create unlimited CVs and cover letters for 14 days for USD 2.70 🤯 – make sure to cancel after those 14 days if you don’t want a surprise subscription

☝️Hard truth

If you’re not willing to spend the money you’d spend on a take away coffee for a tool that will safe you hours of your own time, you probably don’t have the right mindset to become a freelancer.

BUT if you already have a CV you’re happy with, just use the time to improve it by 10%. Check for spelling mistakes. Is there some information you can cut out or add that’s more beneficial for freelancing?

How to get Brownie points

Make sure your CV makes it clear that you’re a freelancer. And if you have your business structure defined, make sure that’s visible too. You can see on my CV below that I list my Ltd, which will help recruiters know that I’m ready and set up for future gigs.

If you don’t know what a business structure is, check out this article.

Here’s the CV that I’ve created on Zety

Create your CV with Zety

Why does it matter?

This one is quite obvious: If you don’t have an existing client base, people want to know why you’re able to do what you claim to offer for them. Why should they hire you? What’s the proof that you can get the job done? Well, your CV is one way to give them proof and reassurance. The other one is your portfolio, which we’ll get to in this blog article (yes, there’s also an easy way to create a portfolio – and that one is for free 🤫 )

Good things need time

Of course, spending 5 minutes on a CV will not guarantee you work. But it’s better than having no CV. So if you already have a CV, set aside some time to improve it.

Create a free CV in 5 minutes

What should your CV include?
1. Your CV should make it clear wether you’re a freelancer or are looking for a permanent job. If you are a freelancer: What company structure do you work under?
2. Testimonials: Add a testimonial from a previous client. This will add additional proof
3. Work history: Show the type of work you’ve done already
4. Summary: What makes you stand out from all the other people who are applying for the same job?
👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for future freelancers.

Get the guide for free.
October 25, 2025
How to Define Your Ideal Client

Who are you going to help with your freelance services? The more specific you are, the easier it will be to find those people who will hire you.

Think of a person, not a demographic

If you’re a UX Designer, you probably heard of personas. If you don’t know what a persona is, it’s basically a summary of a crowd or your target audience in shape of one person.

Why does it matter?

It’s much easier to target a person than to target a crowd. When I’m writing these emails, I’m thinking of the person who is reading this, not the demographic behind it. This makes it much easier for me to talk to you and I hope you feel like I’m talking to you directly, and not to a crowd of the however-many people who are reading my blog.

The clearer you are with your persona – aka who you’re going to help – the easier it will be for you to find them.

How to define your client

Where do they work? What does their day to day look like? What platforms do they use? What are their pain points?

But also, what values do they have? If for example, you want to work with start ups, do you want to work with someone who will ask you to work on weekends? Or do you value work-life balance? Do you want to work for a start up that makes a positive impact or just wants to increase their earnings?

Here’s what i’ve put together for my ideal client persona

This persona is based on one of my previous clients. I really enjoyed working with her and hope to work with more clients like her in the future. Mainly because she’d CC me into emails where she’d message the finance team to pay my invoices on time so they don’t risk losing me as a freelancer 🥹 That’s the type of clients I love working with 🙌

✍️ Your turn

Now it’s time to define your ideal client. You don’t have to design your persona in a digital way, just using pen and paper and drawing a stick man does the job as well 💪

But if you want to, I’ve used this template to create Julia’s persona above in only 5 minutes.

When you’re done, put your ideal client persona somewhere visible. Print it out and pin it to your desk. Or put it as a desktop background 😅 Just make sure you keep reminding yourself of who you’re helping. It’ll be much easier to target them and finding that ideal client.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

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

Get the guide for free.

October 24, 2025
How to Define Your Freelance Services
As a freelancer, it’s important to define what service you offer. Are you a copywriter? Are you a UX Designer? A Web Developer? Or are you a jack of all trades and offer a full package, like a fully developed website with the copy and graphics provided by you?

The clearer you are with the services you offer, the easier it will be for your client to figure out if you’re the right freelancer for them.

Note: The great thing about freelancing is that you’re in control of your tasks. Don’t just pick a service or offer because there’s demand. But ask yourself if you enjoy doing those tasks. Can you see yourself writing copy or developing websites for the next few years?

You can always change your mind, but you might lose out on the reputation you build for yourself, so the longer you stick with a craft the better.

But most importantly: Try to find something that you genuinely enjoy. In the end, it’s your business. And the reason we go freelance is so we can do things our way 😉

What problem are you solving for your client?

Think of the pain points your future clients have. Why do they need to hire someone to do this? Be clear on what you offer, but also what you don’t offer.

Examples

If you’re a UX Designer, you might offer wireframes, user research, audits of existing software but you might decide that you don’t want to create prototypes.

If you’re a Copywriter, you might offer copy for websites and emails, but you might not want to write copy for billboards.

Why does it matter?

You need to be clear on what you offer so you can easily explain it to someone. It also helps to niche down on something. It’s called “T-shaped skills” and can look like this:

Have you heard of Ikigai?

Maybe you’ve come across some of the posts about ikigai. It’s a Japanese concept that translates into “the reason to live”.

Even though there are many people saying that the way it’s being used now for business isn’t what it was intended for, it’s still a good framework. It’s to help you discover what truly matters to you. It combines 4 areas:
- What you love
- What you’re good at
- What the world needs
- What you can get paid for
You can find more about this on google. But ideally, your service will tick all the boxes. But don’t worry if not, even if you tick 2-3 of those, you’re winning.

Conclusion

Be clear on what you want to offer. Make it easy for your clients to decide if you’re the right freelancer for them.
October 23, 2025
Why every Freelancer needs a Professional Email Address

First impressions are important. Sometimes you meet potential clients in real life, sometimes they find you on Linkedin or your personal website. And other times you meet them because someone refers you (this is the best way to meet potential clients).

Photo by Torsten Dettlaff on Pexels.com

But when someone refers you, they usually see your email address before they see your portfolio. So it’s important that it looks professional.

Let’s play a game

If you don’t think an email can make much of an impression, let’s do a quick test: Which email looks more professional to you?

agencyname@gmail.com or contact@agencyname.com

We all have a gmail account, we all know that gmail is free. Seeing an agency using a gmail address make them come across as cheap. If they don’t even invest in a proper email address, are they going to invest into their clients?

Alright, next test: Would you pay a receipt if it came from this email?

receipts.amazon@gmail.com

You might think it’s a spam email. What if you got the exact same email with the same content but from receipts@amazon.com? You’re more likely going to trust it, right?

You only get one first impression

First impressions count. So pick an email address that sounds professional. Setting up a proper email address makes your business more tangible as well.

How do I get a professional email address?

Getting a professional email address is normally quite cheap. Some providers even offer it for free if you buy a domain or hosting. For now, you can start with just an email. If you’re planning to have a full-fletched website, buying a package which includes a domain name AND email might be the best option.

The eMail provider I’m using

I’m using ionos for hosting my email address and personal website. So far, I’ve not had any issues. The customer service is also great (used them a few times when I couldn’t figure something out on my website, eg. how to set up my 404 error page)

If you’re looking for a reliable provider, you can sign up with ionos here.

Disclaimer: I’m not getting paid to promote them, I’ve just done some research on finding the best provider when I started freelancing 4 years ago and they were the cheapest option. I’ve been happy with the service ever since. But it’s been a few years since I’ve done my research, so there might be better options out there. For transparency: it’s an affiliate link 🤫

Benefits to a professional email

With a professional email address, you don’t just come across as a proper freelancer, you will also have a separate inbox. This will help you separate your work and life admin and allow you to manage your tasks better.

Which email did you choose?

If you’re torn between different email options (eg. info@designagency.com vs hi@yourname.com), I recommend using your name.

This way, even if you change your mind about the services you offer or if you outgrow your company, you don’t lose your personal brand.

This can be tricky if your name is John Smith, because chances are your name is taken. But it’s possible. My name in Austria is more or less like John Smith in the UK 🙈. I even went to school with another Elisabeth Mayr 😅 which must have been a pain for the teachers. But I still managed to get a domain with my name 💪

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

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October 22, 2025
How to create a work life that works for you
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.
October 21, 2025