I’ve been holding back on you. There really is a secret to success on oDesk, your life, and anything else. Countless people have approached me and said, “I want to do what you’re doing. You seem to be having a ton of fun and making money at it.” So, I tell them about how freelance writing/programming/art/etc works in general, and then I tell them about oDesk. Invariably, that leads to the clinger-on syndrome which I’ve grumbled incoherently about in previous posts. In reality, it’s all my fault that they’re clinging to me. They know that I know the one thing you have to do to find success, and they want to draw it out of me.

Well, here it goes. Like chum to the hungry sharks you are, I offer up that one thing which will turn you from an aspiring freelancer into a competent professional.

Are you ready?

Determination.

lol wut?

It’s becoming a throw-away word anymore, its meaning lost in a sea of motivational posters depicting various animals in precarious situations. However, true determination is the key to being successful in any pursuit.

I’ve said it many ways, but it still doesn’t seem to sink in. I’m asked to babysit people while they apply for jobs or let them look over my shoulder while I work. I don’t have time for that.

Here’s what I do

I follow the advice in this blog, I sharpen my skills every day by reading and practicing, and I apply to jobs. The only difference between me and someone who doesn’t get work is that I do it ten times more. I firebomb the market with my resume, inquiries, and everything else I think may help me find work. I do it for hours on end.

A lot of people think they should succeed because they really WANT to succeed. However, it doesn’t work that way. Just because you really want something doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. You can actively work towards your goal and still not reach it. Many beginning fiction writers give up because they wrote a story they think is awesome yet never is published. They don’t edit that story, they don’t read omnivorously to improve their skills, and they don’t write new stories. To be a successful fiction writer, you have to work. It’s not a hobby.

The way to guarantee success is to work harder than everyone else on every application on oDesk and make sacrifices. Instead of going out with your friends, work on your oDesk profile and portfolio samples. Instead of watching another movie, spend two hours working on your career. Instead of (insert mindless activity here), work on finding work.

You don’t have to drive yourself insane by becoming a workaholic. However, you should definitely “feel the burn” when you’re flexing your freelancer muscle. Otherwise, it’s just a casual hobby, and buyers will treat you like a hobbyist.

That’s the one thing you need to find success. It’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the factor that changes everything.

P.S. Feel free (and please do) throw out any topics you’re interested in us covering by posting a comment here or on any post. We’ll be glad to give our opinion, and we’d love to hear yours on whatever topic.

ShareThis

• You Say Tomato
• About
• Payments, Rates, and Freelance Sites
• Using Discipline and Determination
• More Flubs