One of the biggest hurdles I faced when I first started freelancing was the feeling like there just wasn’t enough.

Enough opportunities. Enough money. Enough time in the day.

In light of this belief, I said yes to everything and clung tightly to every project that came my way.

Even if the client was toxic and demanding. Even if the work was boring, low-paid, or slightly out of my scope of work. Because I was driven by the idea that there were only a few opportunities out there for me, I kept my worldview and my idea of what was possible extremely narrow.

Last year, I kept a client for nearly 10 months although I wasn’t really enthused about the work. They treated me like a full-time employee — for a fraction of the cost. On one hand, I became content with this work and the consistent paychecks. It beats the volatility and uncertainty of trying to find a new anchor client, I thought.

But I realized along the way that I was spending a large chunk of my week, around 20 hours, dedicated to work that I didn’t love. It also kept me from looking for other opportunities instead, ones with a much higher paycheck too.

Looking back, I realize that a scarcity mindset took my agency away from me. And in fact, it kept a larger pool of opportunities out of my sight.

I was so focused on clinging to unideal clients that I missed out on the abundance of other clients I could be working with and exciting projects I could be working on. Fast forward 12 months, and I’m earning double the amount I was making when I clinched so tightly to my first few clients.

Do you struggle with the same kind of thoughts?

If you feel stuck in scarcity rut, you can easily make the shift. Here’s how I broke that pattern — and embraced an abundance mindset.

Recognize the benefits of entrepreneurship

There are many upsides to working for yourself, but here are three key things to remind yourself:

1. You have freedom over your time and projects

2. You have access to endless opportunities

3. Your ability to make income is uncapped

When you believe you have access to endless amounts of opportunity and income, you slowly start to see all of the opportunity that exists right in front of you.

I think a lot of people, the corporate, business-minded person especially, veer away from the term abundance mindset, associating it with “woo-woo manifestation.”

You might say “I want real results” or “I think in terms of reality and logic.”

But what if both things could be true?

I started to remind myself daily that this freedom was a blessing, not a curse. I could make strategic decisions in light of all the opportunities that existed.

What happened? My worldview started to slowly change over time.

What is an abundance mindset?

An abundance mindset is the deep belief that there are endless possibilities to create value and make money.

Instead of viewing the world in terms of limitations — there are only so many hours in the day, only so many potential clients out there — you operate from a perspective of unlimited potential.

This applies to:

• Income potential

• Business growth opportunities

• Chances to help people

• Collaborations

• New offerings you could create

• And more

With an abundance mindset, you believe in the endless amount of opportunity around you. Scarcity closes you off to possibilities.

Why this mindset matters

Viewing the world through a lens of scarcity is limiting. There are only so many jobs, clients, or deals to go around. But with an abundance mindset, you believe in the endless potential for growth and income.

If you are wanting to cultivate this mindset, here are two tips to get started.

1. Focus on serving others

When you provide real value to people, income inevitably follows. Spend more time understanding people’s problems and how you can help.

Over time your worldview becomes less self-obsessed. Instead, you look for ways to connect with other people and find so many ways to do that in your day-to-day life.

By leading with value, whether it’s with coffee chats or social posts, you’re putting yourself in a great position for the favor to be returned.

2. Broaden your definition of opportunity.

Be open to different business models, collaborations, and offerings. Don’t limit yourself.

When I first started, my single goal was to make money. Rather than limit myself because I only wanted to write newsletters, I shape-shifted and found new ways that I could work with people, whether that was ghostwriting, copy editing, social media management, or something else.

But had I set back and waited for my dream client to come by with a six-figure, newsletter contract, it would have never happened. Instead by focusing on all the ways I could earn money through freelancing, I suddenly had a list of 6+ ways I could generate income.

That’s when the lightbulb hit me. To open yourself to possibilities increases the visibility of new ones around the corner.

Adopting an abundance mindset takes some mental rewiring, but it opens up possibilities you can’t yet imagine.

Want to learn more? Here’s my advice on going from freelancer to founder mindset, how to avoid burnout, and more thoughts on entrepreneurship, ambition, careers — and what it looks like to build a life you love.

Want to connect or work together? Here are a few ways:

• I offer weekly office hours for new freelancers. Book a 30-minute call here.

  • P.S. here are my 5 tips for beginning freelancers

• If you want to hire me for a project, reach out here. 

• Follow me on LinkedIn for more thoughts and tips on freelancing, building a business, and more