5 Ways to Stay Motivated (and Working!) During a Pandemic

Image Source

Shortly after ringing in the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world as we knew it to a fear-inducing halt, whether you’re already doing freelance work or fully employed.

Many of us reconsidered work (and housing) options. We feared our jobs becoming “non-essential,” we adjusted to working from home full-time

While we await solutions, it can be difficult to stay optimistic. 

Those of us working traditional nine-to-five jobs now contemplate freelance work and the gig economy to make ends meet. Those of us who are already freelancers and entrepreneurs know the anxiety of uncertain times. 

So, how can you stay motivated (and working) during such crazy times? 

Here are 5 ways to combat discouragement and reinvigorate (Or, begin!) your career as a freelancer—even in the midst of a pandemic.

Refresh Your Resume and Freelance Work Portfolio

If it’s been a while since you’ve received any interest in your cold pitches, warm pitches, or flat out pleading for an opportunity, it may be a good time to take a look at your resume/portfolio.

Just because your current resume landed you jobs in the past, doesn’t mean it can’t be tweaked and refreshed.

The longer we go without freelance work, the more desperate and aimless our appeals can tend to be.

Review your cover letter and your elevator pitch too. Make sure you’re saying “Here’s what I have to offer” instead of “Please hire me!”

Take this pandemic-induced down-time to comb over your resume with a fine-toothed comb.

Refresh some of your adjectives. Rephrase your experience. Promote yourself in a way that is fresh and inviting to potential clients. 

In your cover letter, mention the pandemic in a way that demonstrates your perseverance through it.

Don’t be afraid to highlight what you’ve been doing while you’ve been out of work. Be relatable and let your words resonate with your audience. 

You’re human and so is your audience. 

Let them see the person behind the pitch. The changes you make could be the difference between your next bout of frustration and your next opportunity.

Find Virtual Networking Opportunities

As a freelancer or entrepreneur, there is perhaps no more important tool in your arsenal than a strong network.

As they say, “No man is an island unto himself.”

The people in your network, and the resources they have, are like lungs. They’re not your entire body, but you still need them to live. 

Share your business with everyone you meet. Be transparent about how things are going.

You never know who knows someone who could be just the connection you’ve been looking for. 

Image Source.

In line with refreshing your resume, you should also spend some time updating your website and social media profiles.

If you’ve been struggling during the pandemic and felt that you haven’t had anything “worthwhile” to post, it will appear to potential clients and patrons that you’re no longer in business. 

People may assume that the struggles of COVID-19 restrictions brought your business to its end. 

You may feel that way too, but showing an online (or storefront) presence will keep you connected to your network of clients and consumers. 

Social media is a great way to connect with—well, everyone. Remind your network that you can provide value by posting resources that help other people.

Finally, let’s not dismiss the power of a business card or carefully placed flyers. 

The more places you show up in, the more opportunities there are for you to connect with potential clients.

Revisit Your Freelance Work Funnel

Remember when you had so many opportunities, you had to turn some down? 

Those days may appear to be in your rearview and you find yourself stumbling around for ways to pay the rent.

But wait!

This is the PERFECT time to reach out to contacts that you didn’t have the time for previously.  

There may have been some very interesting (and lucrative) projects and freelance work you had to turn down because your plate was full. 

Everyone is experiencing some level of difficulty presented by the pandemic—you’re not alone.

Now is the time to offer your resources to clients. Now is the time to present your services to patrons in a way that serves them where they are currently. 

Likewise, collaboration can help you move ahead in difficult times. Pooling resources is the way forward when resources are scarce. 

Think of innovative ways to reach out to contacts you may not have had the chance to work with in the past. Unlike cold prospects, you already know they have a need for your services. 

Remember, many companies have put a freeze on hiring, but that doesn’t mean they can freeze their needs.

Hiring freelancers and independent contractors helps them reach their goals while they await new full-time hires.

Go ahead, reach out and revisit those missed opportunities! You may be pleasantly surprised at the results it yields.  

Image Source.

Reassess Your Freelance Work Goals

Reassessing your goals can seem counterproductive to progressing in your businesses. However, with or without a global pandemic, re-examining your “why” is important to your success. 

We have to be able to adjust to what’s happening in the world around us. There is no better time than now to do just that. 

Chances are, when you first began doing freelance work or even left someone else’s business to start your own, you had a solid reason. It could be you wanted more autonomy, more money, more freedom. 

You started with a plan and you stuck to it. You had success! Then, BOOM, a life-altering event changes the way you conduct and generate business. 

What do you do now? 

Reassess your goals. 

The economy is ever-changing, and it’s wise to take inventory of what you’re doing and why. Be strategic and realistic, but also, optimistic. 

Change doesn’t have to be arduous at all times—right now it is and that’s OK. However, change can also be refreshing, invigorating and rewarding.

 From your financial situation to the current impact your business is having, it’s all important when reassessing the direction of your business. 

You may also discover more efficient ways to manage your time and find customers. 

Celebrate Your Accomplishments

Accomplishments? Isn’t this article for those of us who feel like we aren’t accomplishing anything? 

Yes, but contrary to what you may think, you have reason to celebrate. 

You may be thinking, “Please, don’t sell me any of that self-help hocus pocus right now”.

Not going to happen. 

Celebrating your accomplishments is about looking at the small pieces that make up the entire puzzle of your business. 

Did you email a potential client today? Great, you just moved your business forward. Celebrate! 

Just as socializing and attending school has been redefined in these COVID-19 times, so has our definition of accomplishment. 

It may be difficult to generate leads and revenue right now, so look at even those seemingly insignificant things and say, “I did it!”. 

Whether it was organizing your file cabinet or cleaning out old products, you should pat yourself on the back for getting it done. 

The word business seems material, but YOU are your business. Your mental, physical and emotional health play a big part in how your business performs.

Spreadsheets, meetings, products, and marketing play their part; but it will all be nothing without you at the helm. 

In times of crisis, we lose focus on everything but surviving. It can be difficult to envision a future beyond our present struggle.

This is why, even during the pandemic, we must find ways to bring joy back to freelance work and entrepreneurship. 

Image source.

Final Thoughts: Five Ways to Stay Motivated and Working During a Pandemic

No matter what’s going on in the world, your business will likely go through many changes. Navigating those changes can be difficult, especially during a pandemic. 

Even if you’ve had to split your time between working for someone else temporarily and your own venture, keep your vision in close proximity to you. 

Continue to nurture your goals and dreams. The world needs what you have to offer.

If you’re looking to refresh (or create) your freelance portfolio website, you can enroll in our Free 5-Day Website Creator course today.

About the Author

Selena Bolton left behind her career as a government contractor to pursue her passion for writing and directing. Selena is a freelance writer living and working in New Orleans, LA. Her love for travel, coupled with her compassion for people fuel her storytelling. She has written for a New Orleans online publication and a Chicago-based travel app. Selena recently wrote and directed her first short film, Below See Level.