Freelancers come pre-installed with a certain measure of talent. But the reality is, as the legendary 1980 Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks put it in Miracle: “You think you can win on talent alone? You don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone.”

Unlike a hockey player, you don’t have to suffer through gut-busting conditioning drills—but you do have to channel your discipline and motivation in order to bring your talent to bear. If you’re a new freelancer who wants to succeed, or a veteran who needs to deliver some extra oomph, there’s work involved. [Read more…]