- Freelance Mindset Shifts
- “Three Mindset Traps I Let Go — and What Replaced Them”
- “Guilt, Grace, and the Double Shift”
- “Redefining Success—On My Own Terms”
Freelance Mindset Shifts
“What Helped Me Stop Apologizing and Start Growing”
→ How motherhood made me better at freelancing, not worse.
If I had a yen for every time I said “sorry” in my first year as a freelancer…
I could probably buy myself a MacBook.
Seriously.
- “Sorry, I’m still new to this.”
- “Sorry, I had to reschedule—my kid’s daycare called.”
- “Sorry, I’m not sure if this is what you meant…”
- “Sorry, it’s not very professional—I’m working from the kitchen table.”
Apologizing became my default setting.
Why? Because deep down, I felt like I didn’t belong.
Like I was just a mom trying to play at being a professional.
But over time, something shifted.
I started noticing that the very things I was apologizing for… were the same things that made me better at my work.
And once I stopped shrinking and started owning those parts of myself, the way I worked—and the way clients responded—totally changed.
👶 Motherhood Isn’t a Weakness. It’s My Superpower.
No, I don’t mean I magically have more hours in the day. (Spoiler: I don’t.)
But I do have:
- Next-level time management (because nap windows are no joke)
- Empathy and emotional intelligence (because toddlers are tiny chaos machines)
- Creative problem-solving (because every plan goes sideways at least once a day)
- Fierce boundaries (because I literally can’t say yes to everything)
These aren’t “mom skills.”
They’re business skills. And I earned them the hard way.
💬 The Shift: From “Sorry I’m a Mom” to “This is Why You Want to Work With Me”
I remember one client call where I casually said,
“Sorry if there’s background noise—my kid’s home sick today.”
The client, another working parent, replied:
“Oh, I get it! No worries at all—I’m juggling the same over here.”
That moment changed something for me.
I realized: I don’t have to hide this part of my life.
I just have to be honest, present, and professional in my own way.
🧭 What This Post Will Cover (Coming Up Next):
In this volume, I’ll walk you through:
- The 3 mindset traps I had to let go of (and what replaced them)
- Why “mom guilt” and “client guilt” feel the same—and how I manage both
- How I redefined what “professionalism” means for me
- Why I now see flexibility, not availability, as my superpower
It won’t be about “doing it all.”
It’ll be about doing what matters, and doing it well—on my own terms.
“Three Mindset Traps I Let Go — and What Replaced Them”
Because success starts in your head, not your inbox.
🚫 Trap #1: “I’m Not Professional Enough Because I’m a Mom”
I used to think I had to hide the fact that I was a mom.
My emails were extra formal.
I blurred out my child’s noise in the background like I was doing something wrong.
I even avoided video calls unless the house was spotless (spoiler: it never was).
But then I started noticing something interesting:
The real professionals I admired weren’t perfect. They were honest.
I began replacing perfection with presence.
🔄 New Mindset:
Professionalism is about clarity, reliability, and kindness—not about a spotless desk.
Now, when I send deliverables, I make sure they’re:
- On time
- Clear and easy to follow
- Thoughtfully done (even if they’re written in my pajamas)
And I give clients the same grace I hope they’d give me.
🚫 Trap #2: “Clients Will Leave If I Set Boundaries”
When I first started freelancing, I thought availability = value.
So I:
- Replied to emails at 10:30 PM
- Said yes to every timeline, even if it crushed me
- Skipped family time just to “look committed”
But I soon learned: overextending myself led to lower quality, more stress, and ironically, less client trust.
What changed everything was one moment when I told a client:
“I’m available on Wednesdays and Fridays this week for edits. Let me know what works!”
They simply replied:
“Great, thanks for the heads up!”
I realized: setting boundaries isn’t rude. It’s responsible.
🔄 New Mindset:
Clear boundaries build trust, not walls.
Now I:
- Block “no client time” into my calendar
- Turn off notifications after 6 PM
- Politely but firmly communicate my availability
And guess what?
I’ve kept every single one of those clients.
🚫 Trap #3: “I Need to Be Good at Everything to Be Taken Seriously”
When I started freelancing, I tried to:
- Design my own logo
- Learn SEO
- Master copywriting and UX and email marketing
- Be on every platform just to “seem legit”
It was exhausting.
And honestly, it made me average at many things and excellent at none.
I began focusing on what I loved and what I was best at: bilingual writing and translation for small business owners.
And the shift? Huge.
Clients respected the clarity. I stopped competing on noise and started standing out on quality.
🔄 New Mindset:
Niche isn’t limiting. It’s liberating.
Now, I’m known for:
- Clean, natural English-Japanese translations
- Gentle, helpful tone
- Working well with other moms and heart-driven brands
It feels like me—not a version of me trying to “keep up.”
🌱 Mindset Work Is Quiet—but Powerful
None of these shifts happened overnight.
They came from:
- Frustration
- Trying things that didn’t work
- Talking to other moms who were also figuring it out
- Journaling. A lot of journaling.
But once these new beliefs settled in, my freelance life stopped feeling like a house of cards.
Now it feels like a small, steady home I’ve built.
It’s not fancy, but it’s mine—and it’s strong.
“Guilt, Grace, and the Double Shift”
Why I stopped trying to split myself in half—and started embracing my whole self.
If you’re a mom and a freelancer, you know this feeling:
📌 A client email comes in while you’re helping with homework.
📌 Your child wants to play—but you’re finishing a deadline.
📌 You meet the deadline—but feel guilty for letting your kid watch too much YouTube.
📌 You play with your kid—but feel guilty for not checking Slack.
No matter what you choose, you feel like you’re letting someone down.
“I’m not being a good enough mom.”
“I’m not being a good enough freelancer.”
“I’m not being enough.”
I call this the double shift guilt—because we’re doing two jobs at once, and the mental load is always on.
💬 The Problem: I Was Apologizing to Everyone (Even When I Didn’t Need To)
I found myself writing messages like:
- “Sorry for the delay—I had to take my kid to the doctor.”
- “Sorry this is a bit late—I had a sick day at home with my toddler.”
- “Sorry if I seem tired today—rough night with the baby.”
At first, I thought I was being honest and humble.
But what I was really doing… was preemptively defending my value.
Because deep down, I was afraid that being a mother made me look less reliable.
Less “serious.” Less worth hiring.
But then something changed.
🎧 The Shift Came From a Podcast Episode
One day while folding laundry (of course), I was listening to a podcast called The Future Is Freelance.
A guest said something that stopped me cold:
“You are not divided. You are whole. Your roles as a mother and a professional are not at war—they’re parts of the same person.”
I actually paused the podcast and cried a little.
It felt like someone had just handed me a permission slip.
From that day on, I started practicing a new approach.
🌼 What Helped Me Balance the Emotional Load:
1. I Stopped Saying “Sorry” and Started Saying “Thanks”
Instead of:
“Sorry for the delay—my daughter was sick.”
I now say:
“Thanks for your patience—I had a family emergency and I appreciate your understanding.”
That simple shift made me feel less small.
It reminded me that I’m managing a life, not just a schedule.
2. I Created a “Client Grace List”
I made a private list of clients who had ever:
- Reassured me when things ran late
- Mentioned their own parenting struggles
- Treated me like a person, not just a service
These are the people I prioritize.
I don’t just work for money—I work for mutual respect.
3. I Built Tiny Transition Rituals
Switching between “mama mode” and “freelance mode” was jarring.
So now, I build in 5-minute “reset rituals” between roles:
- Light a candle before client work
- Do 5 deep breaths before school pickup
- Write one line in my journal to close each work session
It may sound silly. But those tiny pauses changed everything.
They helped me stop carrying guilt from one world into the other.
💡 What I Realized:
- I don’t owe anyone an apology for being a mother.
- I can be emotionally present in both roles—even if not at the same time.
- Guilt fades when grace grows.
And the best part?
When I show up as my whole self—honest, kind, clear—clients respect me more, not less.
📌 Coming Up Next — (Conclusion)：
- How I now define “success” as a freelance mom
- Why I stopped chasing growth for growth’s sake
- A few personal mantras I say when the guilt comes back
- A message to moms who feel stuck or invisible right now
“Redefining Success—On My Own Terms”
Because growth isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s just quiet confidence.
If you looked at my life on paper, it might seem… small.
I don’t make six figures.
I don’t have a giant online following.
I don’t work with “big-name” brands.
But you know what?
I get to:
- Work with kind, values-driven clients I respect
- Be there for my child’s milestones, even the small ones
- Take naps when I need them
- Say no without guilt
- Choose projects that energize me—not drain me
That’s success.
To me.
Right now.
And that definition is allowed to evolve as I do.
🧘♀️ What Success Looks Like Now (That I’ve Stopped Apologizing)
Success isn’t a number.
It’s a feeling. A way of living.
Here are some signs I’m doing okay—even when I doubt myself:
✅ I no longer feel the need to prove my worth in every email.
✅ I block out time for rest—without asking permission.
✅ I feel proud when I submit good work, not just fast work.
✅ I laugh more. Worry less. Breathe deeper.
There are still hard days. There are still moments when I wonder,
“Am I doing enough?”
But I’ve come to realize that enough is a moving target.
And sometimes, enough is showing up.
Tired. Real. And trying.
✨ Personal Mantras That Help Me Reset
Here are a few phrases I keep in my phone, on sticky notes, and in my planner.
I say them when:
- I’m overwhelmed
- I feel behind
- Or I just need a minute to remember who I am
📌 “I’m allowed to take up space in both my roles.”
📌 “Slow is not the same as stuck.”
📌 “Being a good mom makes me a stronger freelancer.”
📌 “Grace over guilt, always.”
📌 “I don’t have to be perfect to be impactful.”
💌 A Message to You (Yes, You Reading This)
If you’ve ever felt small because you had to pause a Zoom call for a crying baby…
If you’ve ever stayed up late catching up on work and wondered if it’s even worth it…
If you’ve ever felt like you’re “behind” because your path doesn’t look like anyone else’s…
Let me tell you what I wish someone told me earlier:
You’re not behind.
You’re just on a path that’s never been mapped before.
And you’re doing better than you think.
You don’t need a website, a pitch deck, or a perfect routine to start.
You just need one thing:
A belief that who you are is not a liability—it’s your biggest asset.
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