Five brilliant TED talks for freelancers

Last year we published a post detailing five fantastic TED talks for translators, which was very well received. As such, Tomedes has been keeping a note of some of the most inspiring and engaging TED talks that we’ve come across since then. A number of them relate to freelancing, so we thought it would be useful to share them. 

If you provide professional translation services on a freelance basis, these five brilliant TED talks are well worth a watch. 

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Most freelancers have days when they feel less motivated than they would like. With no colleagues around to inspire you and provide a sense of all being in it together, sometimes it can be tough to keep working at an efficient and productive pace. If you’re having one of those days, what this great talk from professor Angela Lee Duckworth. Her focus on the importance of ‘grit’ in achieving success should provide plenty of inspiration and motivation to keep you going. 

How I Became an Entrepreneur at 66

You’re never too old to follow your dreams. Many freelancers have already established more traditional careers before moving into freelancing. With enough entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for finding the right career and work/life balance, it doesn’t matter what age you are – you can achieve freelance success with the right approach. This inspiring speech from Paul Tasner serves as a reminder that you can reinvent yourself at any age and indulge your entrepreneurial instincts. 

How to Make Work-Life Balance Work

Work/life balance is something that many freelancers struggle with, particularly when deadlines are looming. However, it’s also one of the key advantages of working freelance. Given that holiday pay, sick pay and other benefits are just a dream for most freelancers, it’s essential that we make the better aspects of freelancing work as well as possible. In that spirit, this TED talk from Nigel Marsh should help you to refocus on achieving the perfect balance between your work and the rest of your life. 

The Happy Secret to Better Work

When you work freelance, the more productive you are, the better. Working productively and efficiently means you can get more out of your day. Whether you choose to spend that extra time on more client work, exercising, reading a book or anything else is up to you – the important part is being as productive as you can. This TED talk by Shawn Achor focuses on the link between happiness and hard work, showing how being happier can lead us to be more productive freelancers. 

10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation

Many elements of freelancing focus on how we interact with others. Freelancers have to do their own marketing and provide superb customer service in order to maintain their client base. Their future income depends on doing so. As such, interacting as positively and effectively with others is imperative to freelance success. This insightful talk by Celeste Headlee provides practical, useful rules on something we do every day – conversing with others. We usually talk without thinking about the way we talk, but taking time out to look at how we converse can make a surprising amount of difference to how people engage with us. And what freelancer wouldn’t benefit from holding more productive conversations with clients and potential clients?

Final thoughts

It can be easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day grind of freelance life and neglect things like professional development. However, with so many superb TED talks available to inspire and motivate, there’s really no excuse! Let us know in the comments what you think of these TED talks, along with recommendations for others that have helped you with your freelance career.