This post was most recently updated on September 19th, 2022

[A collaboration post – all thoughts are my own.]

To Be More Confident As A Freelancer

I’ve worked with international clients and completed some long-term translation documents. There will be a client who compares your work with other (previous) translators. I’m not saying this is a bad practice, but every translator has their own unique way when translating expressions or sentences. And clients need to be aware of that.

This year I got accepted to translate a book from English to my native language. Then after a month, I realized that I don’t translate the book in order of chapters. The client sends it randomly; books with different titles and different chapters. This method makes me confused because there are several translators translating one book.

Most translators have their own terminologies or dictionary they use to deliver the meaning from the source language to the target language. If more than 10 translators translate the book, it will make the readers confused. That’s why when translators accepted a project, they will ask the clients for the guide or terms used for the project (usually the clients will directly send everything in email), otherwise, the translator will use their own guide to work on the project – per agreement of both parties.

After working for a month, they decided not to continue their partnership with me and I heard the same from other translators as well. Actually, I don’t feel very bad about that because I know I already did my best to follow their guide (and that’s enough) even with the method they use. But at the end of the day, I question whether I lack skills, I make mistakes (typo or misplacement of punctuation), or just because the client feels that I’m not good enough.

After three years of working remotely, I am still learning to be more confident as a freelancer. There are times when I lack confidence in one specific area or struggle to feel confident about anything. This self-confidence also play role in the motivation to pursue my goals and affects how I present myself to others.

Love Yourself

Loving yourself involves treating yourself with kindness when you make a mistake or have a bad day because of your job. It’s important to be kind to yourself to help become more emotional and recognize that being imperfect is a part of being human. It allows you to navigate your bad experiences with compassion toward yourself.

Practice Positive Self-Talk

Well, as a human, of course, you can’t avoid negative thoughts. Even I had it almost every night and I’m aware that it lessens my self-confidence. That’s why I practice positive self-talk whenever I have these negative thoughts start to invade my mind. Positive self-talk that is optimistic can help overcome self-doubt and take on new challenges.

You can reframe your thoughts into a more positive way of thinking. For example, “I can’t do this” become “I have to try doing this,”; “I can’t finish all the task for today” becomes “At least I complete my priorities for today.” And so on. The next time you begin to think that you can’t do anything, remind yourself that your thoughts aren’t always accurate.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

I think I’ve mentioned before how being surrounded by positive people can bring happiness to our life. The people you spend time with can influence your thoughts and feeling, perhaps more than you realize. Take a moment and think about how your friends or relatives make you feel. Do they bring you down? Are they constantly judging you behind your back or do they accept you for who you are?

If you feel bad about yourself after hanging out with a particular person, it may be time to say goodbye. So, pay attention to how others make you feel. Seek out others who are positive and can help you build your confidence.

Stop Comparing Yourself

In real life, I personally don’t really care about others’ life or business so I don’t like hearing someone gossiping about others. But somehow there is always one person in my life who likes to compare me with others and that eventually makes me wonder if, am I not good enough for them?

I grow up reading and watching a lot of stuff that makes me learn more about life and open up my mind more about people. And this habit makes me learn not to care too much about other’s life and feel envious of their achievements. Because the more envy you had, the worse you felt about yourself.

Then how do you build confidence as a freelancer?

First, remember that comparing yourself isn’t helpful, especially for your mental health. Everyone is unique in their way and life isn’t about competition. Each of us is born with unique traits and characteristics that make us matters. If you’re feeling envious of someone’s achievements, remind yourself of your own accomplishments, strengths, and successes.