Want to Be a Successful Freelancer? You Need This Character Trait

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Successful freelancers share many character traits.

I wrote about five of those traits a few years ago. But I realized I had forgotten the most important one!

This trait can make or break your at-home business. It can mean the difference between success or failure as a freelancer.

It’s that important!

Wondering what that trait is?

It’s flexibility. 

Why Flexibility?

As a freelancing mom, you’ve got a ton on your plate. You’re balancing taking care of your house, raising your kids, and growing a business. Plus, all the other stuff like shopping and cooking and cleaning and trying to have friends.

With all that going on, interruptions are a natural part of your life.

You’ll just sit down to work on a blog post, and your baby has a blowout.

Or you’ll wake up early one morning to get a head start on your day, only to have your kids wake up early too.

Things rarely go as planned when you’re a mom. Distractions, interruptions, and unexpected events happen frequently.

If you get all worked up every time things don’t go as planned, you aren’t going to be as effective as you could be. You’ll spend so much time complaining about the things that didn’t go right that you don’t have as much energy to put into making things happen.

Flexibility helps you adapt to the changes each season of life brings. It helps you stay afloat when others around you appear to be sinking.

And it’s an essential skill to teach your kids. Their life won’t always be predictable either, so show them now how to adapt as necessary.

Need a flexible work-from-home gig? I recommend freelance writing!

How to Improve Your Flexibility Through Planning

While being prepared sounds like the opposite of being flexible, it’s really not. The key is in how you are preparing.

If you only have one plan, you won’t be as flexible. Your plan will get off track, and you’ll have to stop and really think about what you need to do. You might be tempted to complain instead of diving into Plan B.

To improve your flexibility, start thinking of a variety of options instead of limiting your thinking to black and white.

For example, if you’re trying to figure out how to get more work done, you might brainstorm four work periods you can have every day. But then, to keep things flexible, only schedule enough work that you can complete it in two work sessions.

That way if you miss one or two because life happens, you still can get your work done. On days that go smoothly, you can use the extra time to do some self-care, or you can use it to get ahead a bit. There’s always more work to be done!

Another strategy is to give yourself padding in your deadlines. This means, that if you think you can get a post done in two days, give yourself three or four. But, still set a personal deadline for yourself of the earlier date.

This buffer helps protect your reputation when the unexpected happens. You may miss YOUR deadline, but you’ll still reach the client’s.

Have a list of things you can do when you are able to focus, and a list of things you can do with only part of your attention. Tasks I can do when the kids are more likely to interrupt include:

• Social media marketing (Pinterest share threads for instance)
• Creating graphics for posts
• Outlining blog posts
• Brainstorming ideas for posts
• Updating plugins on my blog
• Adding new images to old posts
• Drafting posts for my personal use

When I have more time to focus, I like to:

• Write posts for clients
• Research
• Proofread or edit posts

Quick tip: Some tasks take more focus and attention than others, so know what you do well with distractions.

Always Have a Plan B

What happens if you get sick and can’t get as much done as you hoped?

Or your child falls and breaks an arm, and you end up spending all day in the ER?

Being flexible means you have a Plan B in place. You won’t let your business get to the point where one crazy day knocks you flat.

You might need:

• A pinch hitter you can call (and pay) to get some work done for you – my little sister is mine. She’s excellent and pulled me out of many tight schedules.
• To let some of your own work go for the day. Maybe you won’t post as much on social media or publish a post on your blog today. If it can wait until tomorrow, let it slide.
• To seriously examine your commitments and ensure you aren’t regularly overextending and getting overwhelmed. The more you have scheduled, the less flexible you can be.
• A file full of partially written blog post ideas that you can pull out and work on to save time.

Consider what common occurrences happen in your life and think about how you can prepare for them. Then, when they happen, you automatically switch to your backup plan. There’s no need to stress or think, you just move from one plan to the next.

Realizing that many things are out of your control can also help improve your flexibility. No matter how much you plan, you can never account for everything that could go wrong.

That’s where having an attitude of being flexible helps. The more unyielding you are, the more interruptions will bug you or ruin your day.

Instead, take a deep breath and think about different ways to meet your goal.

Flexibility in Meal Plans

I’ve written extensively about how meal planning frees up time. But you can’t let your plan control you.

Though my meal plan lasts for an entire year, it is very flexible. I have a variety of easy and medium and difficult meals for each dinner theme. I never write those on the calendar but rather allow the challenges and happenings of each week to guide me into what meal to cook.

The supplies for each are in the house – it’s just a matter of pulling the specific ingredients out to cook.

When life happens, I don’t hesitate to go off plan and serve sandwiches and salad for dinner.

I always try to have some “emergency meals” that are either convenient or quick. This helps me be successful in getting food on the table, even when life is crazy.

If I know a day will be crazy, I turn to the crock-pot or Instant Pot to help. This means I have a list of these on hand. I have recipes flagged in my cookbook or saved on my phone for easy reference.

For more information on adapting your meal planning to your business, check out this post:

How to Create a Super Simple Meal Plan

Flexibility for Your Kids’ Playtime

Kids thrive on routine, but they don’t typically enjoy doing the same thing all the time. I know my kids get bored playing with the same toys or doing the same activities.

I like having lists of things they can do during free time. This way, they can pick and choose what they do if they can’t think of something on their own.

Having a list of options helps them learn to control their time. It prepares them to make good choices and to think before they make a decision.

About four times a year, we review this list. We update choices based on skill level, interests, and available time. The season also plays a role. For example, some activities are better suited for hot summer days than when it’s freezing out.

Once our list is ready, the kids can pick from the options when they have time. I try to include various activities so no matter what mood the kids are in, there’s something they can do.

Our current list includes options such as:

• Water play in the yard
• Shaving cream on the table (perfect for writing letters and practicing spelling)
• Pattern Blocks
• My Little Pony toys
• Crafting with construction paper, scissors, and glue (with clear expectations about cleanup and agreed-upon consequences for not cleaning up)
• Organizing a cupboard/drawer
• Making a marble run out of LEGOs
• Printing coloring pages to color and cut out
• Making paper dolls and clothes with wallpaper samples
• Reading a book to a younger sibling

You’ll notice most of these are geared towards older kids. I also have some options specifically for the little guys, such as:

• Building with blocks
• Playing with our Train Station Playset
• Coloring in a coloring book
• Looking at board books
• Tossing a ball into an empty laundry basket
• Looking at pictures of the family

By deciding in advance what activities are okay for the kids, I don’t have to stop and think as much. I allow them to be flexible in what they pick without constantly having to police their choices.

(Here’s a list of 50 screen-free activities your kids might enjoy…)

Teaching Kids to Be Flexible

Some kids are more flexible than others. But, with practice, you can help your kids accept that sometimes things don’t go as planned.

I like rearranging our days occasionally to help the kids learn to be flexible. For instance, instead of doing homeschooling in the morning, we’ll do it in the afternoon some days.

Sometimes, we have family play time before lunch instead of in its usual spot following lunch table chores.

The timing of these doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. But, by changing them up, the kids begin to get used to adapting to change.

I’ve learned talking about change is key for kids. Let them know today will be slightly different to help them mentally prepare. Some of my kids don’t need this step. They’re ready to bounce from one activity to another without thinking about the transition. Others need a little more guidance.

Create a Plan of the Day

This is why a plan of the day is essential. At the beginning of each day, you work with your family to lay out a plan. You give everyone a big-picture view of what’s going to happen.

Making your plans one day at a time, instead of weekly or monthly, really increases your flexibility. It’s rare around here that two days ever look the same.

Some days, our house needs more attention, and we clean a bit more.

On other days, we have an appointment in town or need to go shopping, so our time at home is limited.

Or I realize we haven’t done science in two weeks, and we should get some in. So I add in some extra school.

By planning daily, you can accommodate for many of life’s changes. Of course, things still come up.

Some days, you might need to gather the family and have another meeting. Here, you can talk about things that need to change based on new information or events.

Maybe you forgot about a phone meeting with a client and need to start quiet time an hour earlier than usual. Or you realize that a couple of your kids are sick, and the go-go-go plan for the day won’t cut it.

Keep your kids in the loop – they pick up more than you realize and will be thankful to know what’s happening. By sharing the new plan, you’ll give them the information they need to adapt and be flexible.

Make Time for Your Business

Being flexible is essential as a mompreneur. But, if you aren’t managing your time well, you’ll never make time for your business.

My course, Balancing Diapers and Deadlines, helps you learn key time management strategies. It’s written for busy moms in mind to help you free up brain power, maximize your productivity, and create the life of your dreams. Check it out today!