For many freelancers, self-discipline is the number one challenge to overcome. Luckily, there are countless freelancing tips and hacks to help you face the challenge.

As an employee, we are given our work hours, deadlines, and goals and are able to fall into the pattern of external expectations. For freelancers, this premade path no longer exists. We have the freedom to decide when we start and finish work, which projects we accept, and at what point a piece of work is ‘completed’.

On one hand, this is an incredible privilege. I thrive in creative freedom, allowing myself to work based on my energy levels and have a flexible schedule that molds around my life instead of defining it. On the other hand, however, freelancing comes with a unique pressure that if you don’t work, you don’t earn.

Freelancers first starting out can find it challenging to be their own boss and stick to a plan that only they are checking up on. Without outside accountability, there can be a cold realisation that the discipline we thought we had might be nowhere near as strong as we had believed.

Here’s my freelancing advice.

Signs Your Self-Discipline Needs Work

It isn’t often that we take time to critically assess our self-discipline in day-to-day life, and we may not even be aware that it is something that needs work. If you are struggling with life as a freelancer there is a strong possibility that your self-discipline needs strengthening.

Here are the symptoms that you are struggling with Self-Discipline:

• Procrastination: Constant distraction and a feeling of avoidance when it comes to executing tasks.
• Extending Deadlines: Repeated missing of not just client deadlines, but personal deadlines set to keep you on track.
• Low Self-Worth: A feeling of failure or repeatedly letting yourself down. Believing you never quite reach your potential and that you require a ‘win’
• Lack of a Clear Schedule: Instead of working based on a set schedule or plan, you find yourself working by memory or changing your daily tasks on a whim.
• A Messy Work Environment: An untidy desk area or office in desperate need of some organisation.

The Importance of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is not just a buzzword for self-help books or male motivational speakers. It affects every person regardless of career or gender and can have a profound impact on confidence and self-belief. When we fail to reach the expectations set by ourselves for ourselves it can quickly lead to lower self-esteem and self-limitation. Alternatively, being able to set clear goals for oneself and execute them successfully builds trust in ourselves, correlating with our feelings of self-worth.

Furthermore, consistent performance fueled by disciplined habits builds trust with clients and peers, further boosting confidence levels. Self-discipline equips freelancers with the resilience needed to overcome obstacles and setbacks, fostering a sense of capability and self-assurance. Even if a freelancer fails, with a strong sense of self-discipline it becomes easier to bounce back and grow from the experience, you can read more about this in Growth Mindset.

Through continuous learning and growth facilitated by disciplined habits, freelancers experience tangible progress in their professional capabilities, strengthening their belief in their potential for success. This positive feedback loop, where disciplined action leads to success, only works to enhance confidence, driving freelancers to greater heights in their careers.

How to Build Self-Discipline

Building self-discipline does not happen overnight. Before setting out on the journey to improve your self-discipline, it is important to take a moment to congratulate yourself on getting this far. Improving discipline does not require you to be cruel to yourself or beat yourself up over failures. In many cases, the opposite is true: approaching discipline with kindness and curiosity can lead to long-term success and sustainable habits.

Building self-discipline is a gradual process that requires commitment and consistency. Firstly, setting clear and achievable goals provides a roadmap for focused action. Breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks helps prevent overwhelm and maintains momentum. Establishing daily routines and habits cultivates discipline by instilling a sense of structure and accountability. Additionally, practising mindfulness and self-awareness enables individuals to identify and address distractions or obstacles to discipline.

Regular reflection and evaluation of progress are also essential for progress tracking and noting change. Beyond simply noting improvements in your feelings of discipline, I recommend marking a quarterly check-in on your calendar to reflect on areas such as focus, meeting deadlines, and length of work sessions.

The most important factor for improving self-discipline is consistency. You cannot change your willpower overnight, but by creating a routine and turning hobbies into habits, growth will be inevitable.

To help you with this journey, I have created this life of freelancing tips and hacks through five habits that will directly improve your self-discipline.

Five Habits to Improve Self-Discipline

1. Running: If you told me one year ago that I would be running multiple times a week and loving it, I would never believe you. In October of last year, I decided I wanted to set myself a new fitness challenge out of curiosity about my mental and physical capabilities. I ran short distances at first and, over time, have built up my stamina to longer and harder distances. Regardless of the run length, setting myself a distance goal and reaching it has proved the biggest factor in my personal self-discipline journey. When running, I must physically overcome my want to stop or take a break to achieve my distance goals. Without expecting it, this mental resilience has since transferred to my work. When I am mentally tired or distracted and might have previously taken a break, I now employ the exact same techniques to push through the block as I would with running; refocusing my mind and not allowing myself to see stopping as an option until my goal is reached.
2. Morning Study: One of the most common tips for building self-discipline is to create a rock-solid morning routine. Whilst this is true, I find it more useful to tactically create that morning routine using habit-stacking. Every morning, I will start my work day with 30 minutes of Language Study. This helps me with discipline as I learn a new skill, but also eases me into the workday instead of diving into larger tasks or client messages. Without that short study time, my work mornings are often slow and fatigued as I don’t yet feel ready to dive into work. I noticed this pattern and decided to subvert my morning focus to something both achievable and productive. Language Study in particular helps to open my mind and access a critical thinking mindset. You may choose to start your day with work toward an accreditation course, self-improvement workbook, or even with a creative practice of drawing or writing.
3. To–Do Lists: This may not be a new concept, however, by employing the perfect technique, to-do lists can transform a freelancer’s self-discipline. I colour-code my lists based on the day I want each item completed by (not the client’s deadline) and ensure I tick off each and every achieved task. The action may seem small, but it provides a sense of accomplishment and progress, boosting self-esteem and motivation. Each tick represents a step closer to achieving goals, serving as positive reinforcement for completing tasks. It also offers closure and reduces anxiety associated with unfinished tasks, promoting a sense of control and satisfaction.
4. Daily Journalling: The practice of journalling or self-reflection promotes a connection between your daily actions and your emotional response. Often we can go months or even years without acknowledging our true feelings around a subject such as work leading to repression and stress. A lack of self-discipline and the resulting sense of shame can easily be ignored, allowing our self-esteem to slowly drop lower and lower. Alternatively, by embracing a daily journalling practice, we are building a habit that forces us to become aware of the areas of our lives that we wish to improve. Completing a daily practice also teaches us to repeat the same action regardless of whether or not we want to.
5. Consistent Sleep Routines: It is easy to judge ourselves as not good enough or failing when we miss deadlines or goals. What we fail to acknowledge is that the majority of adults are not getting adequate sleep. Even just 1-2 hours less of sleep can severly impact cognitive function, mood stability, and overall productivity. Adequate sleep ensures mental clarity, enabling better decision-making and focus throughout the day. Moreover, a structured sleep schedule also works to establish a sense of routine and discipline, helping us to adhere to set timelines for work and other responsibilities.

The Results of Good Self-Discipline

I can personally attest to the transformative potential of actively improving your self-discipline. Over the past 6 months, I have adopted all 5 of the above habits, as well as consistent self-reflection. The results? Improved confidence, efficient work sessions, and more freedom than ever. By finishing work as scheduled, I have freer evenings and weekends, I feel accomplished at the end of each day, and I don’t think about work on my time off. I trust in my ability to hit deadlines, and that confidence is transferred to my clients. I no longer undervalue my work and I feel comfortable when listing prices to clients because I truly believe in my worth as a freelancer.

What I didn’t tell you? You don’t have to go on this journey alone. Whilst ultimately, you must be the one to drive your self-discipline improvement, external support can be an important and valuable tool along the way. Surrounding yourself with a supportive environment and seeking guidance or accountability from mentors or a coach can provide invaluable encouragement and motivation on the journey to building self-discipline.

As a Creative Coach, client self-esteem and confidence are some of the most important challenges that I face. I guide clients through the discomfort of shame and feelings of failure, create reinforced accountability, and celebrate achievements alongside them.

If working with a Coach sounds like the right step for you and your Personal Development journey, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

Do you have any freelancing advice to share? Drop it in a comment below.