Cat Johnson

  • About
  • Lab
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Contact
  • About
  • Lab
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Freelancing
  • To Become a Better Freelancer, Burn the Boats

Freelancing

06 Feb

To Become a Better Freelancer, Burn the Boats

  • In Freelancing, Inspiration
  • 0 comment

Rowboat1

I recently heard commitment described as a removal of all the other options. Whether a relationship, a fitness goal, or a freelance career, once you remove the distraction of considering other options, the energy and focus you have to dedicate to your priority is amplified immensely.

A few days after that, I heard a story with a similar message. It originates with a Spanish explorer who devastated the Aztec Empire, so I won’t spend time on him, but there’s a great lesson in his particular story.

This explorer and his crew faced an unfamiliar land full of immense challenges. But upon arrival, the leader gave orders to burn the boats they had sailed in on. By removing the option of going home, he made the group focus on surviving together.

There’s a nice parallel between becoming a freelancer and burning the boats. To become a freelancer is to go all-in on yourself and your vision for your life.

To start realizing your potential as a freelancer, you banish the idea that you can’t, or won’t, become a freelance pro. You remove all the other options and focus entirely on becoming the successful freelancer you know you can be.

You burn the boats.

Photo: Joshua Zader (CC-BY-20)

Tags:burn the boatsfreelancing
  • Share:
Cat Johnson
I help coworking space operators streamline and level-up their marketing. I'm a writer, content strategist and brand community builder based in Santa Cruz, California. Current projects include: Coworking Convos and the Coworking Content Lab workspace marketing club.

You may also like

workspace-wave

The Workspace Wave is Coming—Are You Ready?

  • January 18, 2021
  • by Cat Johnson
  • in Inspiration
All signs point to an epic workspace return once we move through this mess.
brand-community-diagram
The Heart of Cat Johnson Co
October 7, 2020
coworking-light
How Coworking Shines a Light Through Dark Times
September 15, 2020
best-life-books-aug-20
Best Life Books: Recommended Reads for Purposeful Entrepreneurs
August 11, 2020

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Each week I send content tips, info and curated articles to 2,342 coworking space operators. Want in?
"Cat Johnson is the marketing maven of the coworking world. She delivers content that is real, actionable and on-point. If you want to learn how to ignite your marketing and storytelling, you found the person. Enjoy the journey."
Liz Elam
Executive Producer, GCUC
"Working with Cat is like a breath of fresh air. She knows the coworking industry inside and out, and her understanding of what makes great content is second to none. And if that weren’t enough, she’s organized, thorough, and simply a delight to work with."
Susan Dorsch
Cofounder, Office Nomads
"Cat is the go-to when it comes to content strategy for the shared workspace industry. Not only is she an expert but she is immersed in coworking. She really gets it. Her newsletter is one of the few in my inbox that gets opened every week."
Jamie Russo
Everything Coworking Podcast, GWA
"Cat is a unique and powerful voice in the coworking movement. She’s dedicated to learning about what’s happening from every possible angle, analyzing what she finds, and sharing everything so we can all benefit. Coworking is better because Cat is part of it."
Tony Bacigalupo
Founder, New Work Cities

© Cat Johnson

COWORKING · CONTENT · COMMUNITY

Each week I send content tips, info and curated articles to 2,342 coworking space operators. Want in?