Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

This is the final Friday Freelance Tips newsletter of the year (and what a year it's been!). I'm taking a full two weeks away from my desk over the festive break and it's VERY much needed.

I hope you manage to take some time to rest, relax, and reflect on the past year. Or, you know, just stuff yourself full of mince pies and wine (that's what I'll be doing!).

P.S. This week on Instagram, I shared another day in the life video that shows what I get up to as a freelance writer. Watch it here.

Here's what I've been up to this week work-wise:

👉 I wrote 3 pieces for clients (including Klaviyo, Salsify, and a workforce management tool)

👉 I wrote 2x LinkedIn posts for a new client

👉 I worked on the landing page for Workflow Wizard 2.0 👀

⏱ Approx hours spent on client work this week: ~18

⏱ Approx hours spent on non-client work: ~1

💰 Total revenue this week: £2,900

​
Check out my three practical courses that have helped 500+ people get more clients, earn more money, and create better content.

Friday Freelance Tip​​ ✨ ​

Today's "tip" isn't really a tip.

It's more of a permission slip to give yourself a bloody big pat on the back because you made it through one of the trickiest years EVER as a freelancer.

I've been through a LOT of ups and downs over the past 11 years in the freelancing industry. I've navigated black hat SEO tactics, economic crises, a global pandemic, and the introduction of AI.

And lemme tell you, I don't think any year has been as much of a struggle as 2024. Well, maybe 2023, but they're probably pretty equal at this point.

I know a lot of you are feeling it too.

So, instead of touting how you can "end the year strong" or "prep for 2025", I'm going to tell you to take some time to sit back and reflect.

At the end of the year, I like to take a moment to:

• Tot up how many clients I worked with
• Go back through the scope of projects I worked on
• Add up my yearly earnings
• Pinpoint some of my year's highlights
  ​

It's easy to get stuck in the weeds of the daily grind, but as freelancers, we don't have anyone to give us a yearly review. There's no manager to tell us we've done a great job (and give us a packed hamper as a thank-you gift).

And so we have to do this for ourselves.

In fact, it's one of my favourite times of the year, because I often forget about all the good things that happened. Obviously, with a year like this one, it's tempting to get bogged down in the negative.

I could ruminate on all the clients who ghosted me. Or dwell on the projects that never quite came to fruition. Or have a pity party about the number of clients who took their workload in-house.

But what good does that do?

Instead, I've been forcing myself to think back on the good bits (I actually went back through my paper diary to spot those highs).

I remind myself of all the talks, workshops, and podcasts I've guested on this year.

I remind myself of the projects that DID work out (and that I loved!).

I remind myself of all the clients who got in touch and chose to work with me of all people.

I remind myself of the positive feedback I've got from my lovely regulars.

And I remind myself of all the heart-warming messages I get from you, dear readers (hello, Bridgerton reference).

And I encourage you to do the same.

What better way to end a shitty year than by shining a light on the good bits.

I encourage you to think back to the clients and projects that DID work out. Think about the feedback you've received and look for the ways you've grown this year (because I guarantee you WILL have grown this year... it's been testing).

I've seen an uptick in the number of fresh enquiries coming in over the past couple of months, so I'm hopeful that 2025 will be better for us all.

Here's hopin'.

Happy Xmas to those of you who celebrate and have a MAGNIFICENT final two weeks of 2024.

We need more Freelance Money Diaries entries! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has contributed so far, it's been a huge success. If you're on the fence, remember that you can share your story anonymously!

As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

Interested in sponsoring Friday Freelance Tips? Get your brand, product, or service in front of 5,800+ freelancers, entrepreneurs, and founders. See sponsorship options here.

Follow me on Instagram and on Linkedin, where you can see the behind-the-scenes of my business.