Hi gang! To get you pumped up to start 2013 the right way, please watch this short video (6 minutes) and begin thinking about where you see yourself in 12 months as far as freelance design income is concerned.

Before we go farther in our journey to monetize your freelance design skills, we need to start from this destination, and then work our way back to today. This will provide us with both a roadmap, as well as the focal points we need, to ensure your long term financial success along the way.

Three Most Important Takeaways To Reach Your Long Term Financial Goals 

1. Set your net financial goal for the year.
   Your net financial goal includes all the things that you know you need or want to purchase, including technology, housing, food, entertainment, medical, insurance, family or relationship expenses, etc.
2. Divide this net goal by 12 in order to clarify your monthly goal.
3. Filter this monthly goal by 3 factors:
   1. The type of client,
   2. The geography of your client,
   3. Services vs. Products.

Be careful what you wish for.

By starting with a visualization of your destination, you can more easily align your financial goals with your personality and desired lifestyle.

Remember, there is no “right” way to create a freelance design business that supports your livelihood – reaching your long term financial goals…only “your” way.

There is nothing worse then working to get to a destination only to realize that you didn’t really know why you wanted to be there in the first place! ;-)

I have truly enjoyed all the positive feedback and comments from the first video in this series, as well as your personal stories.

Please continue to share your thoughts and personal stories in the comments below, as well as inviting any interested friends or colleagues to join our community.

To your success in 2013 and beyond!