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My freelance income doubled in 6 months after I stopped saying yes to everything
For the first two years, I took every single project that came my way, even the ones that paid $25 for a full day's work. I was scared to say no and my calendar was just a mess of tiny, stressful jobs. Then, around last October, a client offered me a big project but wanted me to drop everything else. I said no to three small regulars to take it, and it was terrifying. That one project paid more than the three small ones combined and took less time. Since then, I've been super picky, only taking jobs that pay my new rate of $75 an hour minimum. My income went from about $2k a month to a steady $4k+, and I work way less. But part of me wonders if I just got lucky and this 'niche down' advice is risky for people just starting out. Has anyone else made a hard shift like this and had it actually work long-term, or did the work dry up?
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christophero656mo ago
My own freelance journey started with me saying yes so much I basically became a human doormat. The shift to being picky felt like a huge gamble, but it forced better clients to find me. It's less about luck and more about making space for the good stuff by stopping the bad.
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ericw936mo ago
Ugh, my doormat phase was epic.
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quinn6066mo ago
My last roommate did this with her dating life too.
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jason_stone594mo ago
@ericw93 same here, I literally said yes to everything for years and it was exhausting.
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