Freelance life has got its pros and cons. Getting free time can both be a blessing and a curse, especially when you feel uninspired.
I often suffer from decision fatigue. Some many options are offered to me that I feel paralyzed and end up on the couch binge-watching Netflix' latest hit show.
I've been working hard in the past few weeks in preparation for winter, a slower season for my line of business, which can get pretty hard on me.
And here are my tricks for fighting discouragement and finding inspiration.
- Read a book
I just got my copy of Guillaume Wolf's You Are a Circle and read a page a day.
I like to alternate between ebooks and hard copies, whether I buy them or borrow them from the library and from friends.
- Watch a TED talk, any TED talk
I was very moved by this talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I also added the TED app to our Apple TV so I do not immediately fall into the Netflix pit. This makes TV watching more productive.
- Listen to a new podcast #trypod
This week, I'm gonna start listening to How I Built This from NPR.
- Go for a walk
A short walk to my neighborhood coffee shop is sometimes enough, and sometimes I'll drive a little further and go for a hike.
Pairing listening to an ebook or a podcast while walking to run an errand is also a great hack!
- Socialize
In order to make my return to Portland less daunting after a summer of exciting adventures, I scheduled weeks in advance coffee dates with friends and fellow creators and even reached out to people I had been inspired by like Andrea, Annika and Alba. The response was overwhelmingly positive. I should do this more often!
- Learn a new skill
Calligraphy, macramé, natural dyeing, lip balm making, photography, editing, car repairing, the list goes on. My new goal is to improve my public speaking abilities, so, as you know, I'm gonna attend my local Toastmasters meet-ups.
Learning a new skill does not necessary mean attending a class or paying for it. There are many ways to learn something new.
How do you get inspired?