Earlier this week, I started a new project that was a bit of a stretch for me stylistically. For a few moments, I even wondered if I could pull it off.
As freelancers, our confidence is essential. If we don't believe in our abilities, then why should anyone else? Still, I know that many of us struggle with this from time to time, especially when we're tackling something new.
Here are five ways to handle a crisis of confidence.
1. Reread testimonials. Keep an email folder with praise from clients, editors, or readers, and refer back to it when you need a boost. You can also do this with the testimonials on your website or recommendations on LinkedIn.
2. Read for inspiration. I keep a stash of magazines and marketing materials for when I'm feeling low on inspiration. Sometimes reading great copy helps wake up my own muse!
3. Phone a friend. Ideally, you'd talk to a fellow freelancer who can attest to the fact that confidence issues are completely normal. But even if you call or email someone who doesn't know how freelancing works, at least they can remind you of your successes and what a kick-@$$ person you are.
4. Get some distance. Sometimes if you're really stuck, the best thing to do is step away (assuming your deadline allows for that). Last night I took a break from copywriting to make dinner and as soon as my food was in the oven, I sat down to pound out more copy. It totally worked!
5. Power through. If you're on deadline, then you may not have the luxury of calling a friend or reading other work for inspiration. If that's the case, then set a mini goal for yourself (say, two paragraphs or 400 words) and keep plugging along until you reach that goal. Then set another goal until you've worked through the entire document.
Oh, and that project I mentioned above? The client just approved the first round of copy this morning, so now I'm on to the next assignment.
What about you? Have you ever suffered a crisis of confidence? How did you handle it?
Flickr photo courtesy of Phoney Nickle