How to Send Proposals When You Don’t Feel Motivated
If you want to make money as a freelance writer then you’re going to have to get very comfortable sending proposals and looking for new work.
Sending proposals is one of the best ways to find high-paying clients and generate a steady stream of new freelance writing work.
But let’s be honest, sending proposals can feel tedious and time-consuming and some days, you just will not feel motivated to do it. This is especially true if you’re brand-new and not really sure what you’re doing yet.
Inevitably, a lot of your proposals will go unanswered or you’ll receive outright rejections. When this happens, it’s easy to feel like sending proposals is a waste of time and give up.
So the question is, how do you motivate yourself to look for work and send proposals, even when you just aren’t feeling it? That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about.
Why You May Not Feel Motivated to Send Proposals
A few months ago, I started offering free, 30-minute calls for freelancers who wanted more personalized advice.
(If you haven’t taken advantage of this, feel free to schedule your Next Step coaching call.)
I get on Zoom with a new freelancer, and they tell me about their goals and challenges.
Then I offer feedback and suggestions based on what they tell me.
I’ve talked to dozens of new freelancers on these calls, and over time, I noticed the same thing would happen again and again.
I would recommend that they start sending three proposals a day, and most of the time, that person wouldn’t do it.
And when I tried to get at the root of why they weren’t sending proposals, it all came down to some version of, “I just don’t feel motivated to do it.”
Here are some of the most common reasons why you may be lacking motivation:
You’re not sure where to look for work: Many people just don’t know where to look for work. They aren’t sure what the “best” job boards are, and they’re confused by conflicting advice they hear from other freelancers.
You don’t know what to say: Let’s be honest, it’s hard to know what to write in those first few proposals. You could use a template, but inevitably, there are some people who will tell you to never use templates.
You’re afraid of rejection and failure: I think this really gets to the root of why most people do not send proposals or look for freelance writing work. Deep down they’re worried that they won’t be successful so they use this as a reason not to start.
7 Steps to Send Proposals When You Don’t Feel Motivated
If you can relate to any of the reasons I listed above, then I really empathize with you. It’s hard to try something new, especially when it involves putting yourself out there and asking people to hire you.
Here are seven ways you can show up for yourself and send those proposals when motivation is lacking.
1. Know your “why”
If you’re struggling to take action, then I’m guessing you don’t have a very strong “why.” What is it that you’re trying to accomplish?
Do you want to quit your job and be able to focus on writing full-time? Do you want to feel more creatively fulfilled and have better work-life balance?
Identify your goals and your main “why” and write them down. Print them off and hang it somewhere that you can see it often and read them every single morning.
Start focusing on your goals so much that you don’t have any space in your brain for the negative voices telling you why they can’t happen.
2. Familiarize yourself with popular job boards
One of the reasons why I recommend using Upwork and other job boards is because for most people, it’s the path of least resistance.
It’s hard to cold email someone who hasn’t expressed any interest in what you’re offering. On the other hand, it’s much easier to send a proposal to someone who is already interested in hiring a freelancer.
That’s why I recommend taking some time to familiarize yourself with the different job boards that are out there. Try a bunch and figure out which you like using the most.
If you’re not sure what job boards are out there, then this blog post can help:
20 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs as a Beginner
3. Use a template
If you don’t know what to say in your proposals, then use a template. I provide two in my Freelance Writer’s Starter Guide, so why not start there?
I know that some freelancers will tell you that you should never use a template, that every proposal should be 100% original and written with that client in mind, etc.
Look, I’m not saying you should sound like a robot in your proposals. I recommend starting with a template, and then tweaking it to make it sound like YOU.
This is the strategy I’ve used for three and a half years, and I’d say it’s worked out pretty well for me.
4. Ditch the perfectionism
Hold onto your hats because I have A LOT to say about this point.
I’ve noticed that a lot of people hold themselves back from ever getting started because they’re stuck in perfectionism.
For instance, one time I was talking to someone about looking for jobs on Upwork and she proceeded to list out for me all the reasons why she didn’t like Upwork.
The interesting thing is that this person had never created an Upwork account. Someone just told her something about Upwork and she decided it wouldn’t work for her.
I’ve noticed that people will do this with potential freelance writing jobs as well. They’ll start looking on job boards and begin seeing what’s out there.
But then they immediately come up with a mental list of why all of those jobs are wrong for them.
Guys, there is zero downside to sending proposals and looking for work. The worst thing that’s going to happen is that someone’s going to turn you down or ignore you.
And even if that happens, at least you learn something and can adjust your strategy. But if you spend all your time mentally debating the merits of every job board or potential job you come across then you will never make any progress.
So my advice is to be open-minded and apply for everything you find. If someone offers you a job and you realize it isn’t a good fit then turn it down. At least you’ll be making progress on your freelancing goals.
5. Set small goals for yourself
I think that a lot of people don’t take action because they set one big goal and then feel overwhelmed because they didn’t see a way to achieve it.
That’s why you need to break these big goals down into smaller goals.
When I first started freelancing, my goal was to earn over $100,000 a year. And believe me, I had absolutely no strategy for how to make this happen.
That’s why my first goal was simply to earn $1,000 a month as a freelance writer. Once I accomplished that, I set a goal of earning $3,000 per month, then $5,000 per month, etc.
Now I regularly earn between $10,000 and $12,000 per month. But the only reason that happened is because I set small goals for myself along the way.
6. Realize that the only way you can “fail” is by giving up
Many people put off looking for freelance writing work because they’re afraid of failure.
They’re afraid that they don’t have what it takes to succeed, and so they struggle to take action on their goals.
If this is where you’re at then I want you to know I completely understand and you don’t need to judge yourself for this.
But just know that by not taking action, you’re choosing to fail ahead of time.
The only way you can “fail” as a freelance writer is by giving up. And who knows, maybe that is the right choice for you.
I certainly don’t think everyone is cut out for freelance writing. But don’t tell yourself that “it just didn’t work” -- acknowledge that you’re choosing not to try.
7. Find a mentor who can help
And finally, if you’re struggling to find the motivation to send proposals then you should consider finding a mentor who can help.
One of the reasons why I’ve made progress so quickly is because I was always ready to invest in a mentor who could help me achieve my goals quicker.
I have literally paid thousands of dollars for courses and one-on-one coaching over the years. This is how I was able to go from earning $8 an hour at Starbucks to earning between $10,000 and $12,000 a month.
The right mentorship saves you so much time and frustration in the long run. And that's exactly why I created my course Zero to $1K as a Freelance Writer.
This course takes the guesswork out of earning your first $1,000 as a freelance writer. It gives you a repeatable system that you can use to find clients, build your portfolio, and continue to grow your income every single month.
If you’re a new freelance writer, this is the best way for you to find the strategy and tools you need to get started.
Bottom Line About Motivation
If there’s one thing I want you to take from this blog post, it’s that you do not have to feel motivated to consistently send proposals.
Motivation comes as a result of taking action -- it’s not the thing that’s going to move you into action.
I want you to learn how to get in the habit of taking consistent action, even -- and especially -- when you aren’t feeling it.
If you’ve been struggling with motivation then I want to invite you to hop on a free call with me.
This is an opportunity for you to sit down with a six-figure freelancer who’s been exactly where you are and found a way to move through it.
I only do three of these a week and they fill up fast so be sure to grab your spot here: