Yo Work Fun Nation, 

Hope you’re having a great Sunday. 

I’ve been looking at the responses from you guys again (from the first email you got from me) and there is a lot of people saying that they don’t know where to find the time dahil sa sobrang pagod. 

Here's the most recent one:

“Motivation to work and pursue freelancing as a stay-at-home mom. Ubos na energy sa chores and pag-alaga mg hyperactive 1 yr old. Sinusulat at binabasa ko naman araw-araw yung mga Whys ko pero natatalo ng physical tiredness kaya nadelay na nang nadelay ang freelance work ko.”

I’ve been able to think about this a lot, and sa dami na din who asked the same question, I’ve been able to keep refining my ongoing experiments sa sarili ko and I’m able to share it here. 

ACT. FIRST. 

Yes. That’s counter-intuitive lalo na if you’re someone who constantly feels inadequate and can’t seem to give yourself credit for any positive thoughts. 

It’s not your fault.

Many if not most of us here (at least from the data I have) are from the 80s, 90s, and earlier. We were trained and educated to be components in a machine, from an outdated industrial age thinking pa. 

It’s easy to feel inadequate kung alam mong you’re easily replaceable, and you’re forced to fit it or else be taken out. 

I hear you. I come from that generation too. 

But here’s the deal: leading with positivity and motivation alone won’t be enough.

If you use positivity to power through, the conditioning we’ve had through the years will just eat at it agad.

If you use motivation naman, you get some for a while from your favorite sources (could be from podcasts, books, videos, etc) and you get pumped up for a short time lang before the energy starts to fade. Dagdag mo pa yung normal pressures of life, and wala na agad motivation natin. 

So, let’s start with action instead. 

Keep it simple lang.

Ask yourself this: What would make you look back on a week and say: “Shet you did it! I’m proud of you, !” 

Having pride in your name, your performance, and how you show up for others needs to be more of a thing. We have to start being proud of who we are and what we do and do it in a public way. 

But here’s the thing—you gotta do something worth being proud of.

Stop breaking promises to yourself. 

When you say you’ll wake up at 7 a.m., don’t hit that snooze button. That’s one win na agad for the day. 

Start with the tiniest step imaginable, then build from there. 

Want to be a legit Freelancer? commit to prospecting to one person on LinkedIn per day for the next four weeks. That’s 20 people in a month. That’s progress right there.

Want to be a video editor? commit to practicing how to edit even your own clips at least 30 minutes a day for the next 30 days.

Want to learn another language? commit to learning (I'm using Duolingo) kahit 10 minutes a day lang.

Action has to come first, especially if you’re chronically lacking confidence. 

Make small promises to yourself that you absolutely cannot break. 

To put it in a different perspective, if you had a friend who always showed up late or bailed on your plans, you’d stop trusting them, right? We all have that friend na palagi na lang OTW kahit hindi naman. 

Well, IKAW yung friend na yun if you keep breaking your word. You end up trusting yourself less and less over time.

I get it—life is convenient, and it’s tempting to bail on promises we set for ourselves. 

So, to get started and build momentum. Pick promises muna that you can’t break, yung mga super low risk na kaya mong gawin. 

Think about video games. Remember Candy Crush? The levels are designed to keep you motivated without overwhelming you or boring you to tears. Di mo alam you're addicted na pala and so deep into the game na.

Apply the same principle to your life.

Don’t set yourself up for failure by choosing an impossible first step. We want long-term success here, not a fleeting win.

Saka na yung mga crazy ambitious goals when you’re more confident na. 

Drink 1 glass of water a day. (It’s impossible to drink just one after finishing the first glass)

Don’t bring your phone to bed at night for 30 Days. (This is sooooooo powerful and can literally change your life)

Sunlight instead of screen light for 30 Days. (When you wake up, don’t have your phone as an alarm, go out and do a short walk and get some sun)

Look back in a month and go, “Holy crap, I did it!”

Little steps can compound into something epic. 

So, no matter how tough the setback, whether you’re a shift worker, freelancer juggling several clients, or a parent to a hyper-active 1-year-old, make promises to yourself that are small enough to conquer even with that challenge staring you down.

You got this!

Shoden “98 days before 2024” San

💡 Need guidance and clarity on your own reinvention? I’m opening a few paid slots after several of you messaged me about getting some extra coaching outside of TFMT. Limited lang ito, and first come first served basis. I'm starting with clarity calls muna with a 90-day action plan. More Info here.

🎉 Pst. Don't Keep Me A Secret. refer this newsletter to your freelancer friends and earn rewards worth $$! (kung naisahan ka dun sa prank and gusto mo ng kadamay, share mo to hehe)

🔥 Send Freelancing Questions. I'm planning to show up more on Reels and TikTok. Help me out naman guys with your freelancing-related questions. I need to make a lot of videos.

☠️ Too many emails from me? I totally understand the need to declutter your inbox. Haha ako nga nagsabi na mag-declutter ka e. I hope my tips have helped you work smarter as a freelancer. No hard feelings. Just click below (may maliit na link dyan na kulay grey hehe).