3 Ways to Be More Proactive in Your Freelance Business (and Why It Matters!)

I was speaking to a new client yesterday and she shared that her overwhelming wish for her business this year was to approach it with more intention.  

Can you relate?

I know I can! Being a creative freelancer or business owner often feels like reacting to things in the moment and doing the best you can. It reminds me of a “fun” game my kids played for a while. It involved them tossing something to me unexpectedly (like an egg!) and triumphantly shouting “too slow” when I didn't react and catch it in time. 

Basically, 2025 was like an eight-year-old boy tossing an egg and expecting you to catch it!

Reactivity is an easy habit to fall into and an especially hard one to break because the more reactive we become, the less we plan, and so the need for reactivity increases. I don’t know about you, but that’s not a cycle I want to be stuck in.

What if being more intentional (and therefore less reactive) was something you could master in your freelance career or creative business? How would it positively impact your emotional, mental, physical, and financial health?

If the answer is “a lot!” keep reading. We’re going to break down what intentionality means, how it’s different from goal setting, and three actionable ways to bring more intentionality into your creative business or career and life.

1) Make a plan (your way)

In my experience as a business coach and business owner myself, having some kind of plan leads to better results than winging it (big surprise!). Why? Because a plan, no matter how loosely formulated, provides us with something clear to focus on. And what you focus on grows.

How you plan is entirely up to you. As a neurotypical Virgo-rising, I love checking things off a list. Also, as a certified ADHD coach and parent of a kid with ADHD, I understand that planning and executing looks different for a neurodivergent brain. Choose your own adventure, it just has to work for you.

Suggested action:
Brain dump all the things you’d like to be, do, or have in 2026. I love using the mindmapping technique for this because it’s visual and works for many neurocognitive presentations.

Simply take a piece of paper and write your goal, e.g. Your Business Name, at the center.  As thoughts come to mind, draw branches from the central point and write them down (in as few words as possible).  You can create sub-branches for additional thoughts/action items.

Your first draft will probably be all over the place, so review, refine and consolidate your ideas. Feel free to keep this analog or use one of the many tools on-line like Miro or Canva.

2) Get guidance where you need it

One of the common traits I’ve observed in successful entrepreneurs is their curiosity, hunger for knowledge, and willingness to have a beginner's mind. They are always learning. As a business owner since 2006, I can directly track my higher revenue business years to the years I hired a coach, invested in a mastermind, or attended a business retreat with a high-level leader. Interestingly, the years I invested in attending conferences did not have any impact on my bottom line. Your observations may be different, so play around and see what works for you..

Whenever I want to grow my business (which is always!) I look for someone who is an expert in that area to guide me. For example, in 2024, I invested in an operations coach to help me level up my operations, systems, and tools game. In 2023, I invested in a high-ticket business retreat in Bend Oregon where I got to spend 5 days with high-level business leaders and owners. From 2020-2023, I was in a group coaching program. You get the picture. If you want to move your business forward in the most effective, joyful, and confident way, getting the right guidance is key.

Suggested action:

Review the different areas of your business — from positioning, branding, and messaging, marketing, to operations and finances — and see where the most pressing gap in your knowledge or expertise is. Do you need a financial coach to help you whip your money mindset, habits, and strategy into shape? Maybe you need to re-brand and are looking for a copywriter, branding expert, or website designer. Or maybe you realize you need to focus on new business development and need a business coach to help you (psst, I can help!). Here’s a checklist to help you figure out what YOU need.

• Identify the type of support you need
• Research vendors, ask friends who they’ve worked with etc.
• Schedule an introductory call to find out how they work
• Set a target date you’d like to get started
• Review your finances and figure out how you’ll make the investment.  List the things you can do to make it happen (most folks don’t have 5, 10, or 20K just sitting around, you’re going to have to call it in and take inspired action)

3) Seek peer support 

One of the big themes I’m predicting for 2026 is an even-greater need for community. We’re dealing with a lot right now and, in my experience, things are much more manageable and a lot less scary when you have like-minded people who are as committed to communal support as you are.

Suggested action:

Review your social connections — both personally and professionally. How can you bring more intentionality to those connections, both online and IRL? For example, I have regular walk and talk dates with my friends, joined a local IRL business networking group, and set myself reminders to check in with folks by text to see how they’re doing. None of these things are monumental actions, but all of them provide outsize benefits for my emotional and social wellbeing.

• List your people
• Set an intention to reach out and check in. When will you do that? 
• Research communities, clubs, or programs you’d like to join. 
• Set the intention to join one group

Now, I know I covered a lot in this post, so choose ONE thing you’ll take action on in the next 48 hours. You got this!

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