How to Use the ‘Chill Pill’ to Become a Successful Consultant
Chill pill: (noun) an imaginary medicinal pill with a calming, relaxing effect. That’s the Collins Dictionary definition of the term ‘chill pill’.
A chill pill isn’t a physical substance, but rather a state of mind. It’s the ability to relax and see the positive aspects of any situation.
2020 has taught us to take a chill pill and stop trying to control things that are beyond us. Whether it’s career or relationships, the people who stayed calm and contained had a relatively easier time than those who didn’t.
And this applies to the consulting industry as well. In this article, we’ll discuss how a chill pill can help you become a successful consultant.
You probably know this already even if you don’t have a degree in psychology. It’s common sense. Memory and imagination are two great powers that humans have, but we don’t always use it the right way.
If you’re not too happy with your consulting career, it’s probably because you’re thinking about the unsatisfying consulting projects that you worked on in the past (memory), or you’re worried about what is going to happen to your career in the future (imagination).
Instead of focusing on the past or the future, you should concentrate on what you can do in the present moment. Successful consultants always have something going on in their career. For example, if you’re not working on a project, you could invest some energy into content marketing and write articles or create videos about consulting that your audience will find useful. You could also upskill yourself, read case studies from other consultants, or get in touch with previous clients to ask how they are doing.
It’s far better than thinking what a difficult client told you months ago or being anxious about how the economy will recover.
Let’s face it, consulting in one of those industries that can be very competitive, especially if you’re working in a big consulting firm. Getting more responsibility for top consulting projects might take a while because of the strong hierarchy. Not to mention the ‘up or out’ culture in corporations that you might have to go through to even reach a level in the hierarchy where you can truly maximize your potential. Even though some consultants might not like this bureaucracy, big firms have to use these structures to maintain quality of their output.
But that doesn’t mean you cannot become a successful consultant without becoming a partner at a giant consulting corporation. In fact, many consultants who have worked for big consultancies in the past are going freelance now. There are several reasons behind this. First, top consultants want exciting consulting projects early on in their career. This isn’t always possible if one is an ‘employee’ consultant and not a freelancer. Being a freelance consultant also offers flexibility when it comes to choosing work hours and location. Fortunately, the growing consulting marketplace has made it possible for consultants to find freelance projects.
Taking a chill pill might be really hard in a highly competitive environment where your hands could be tied by bureaucracy. But going freelance is highly likely to give you job satisfaction because you’ll have more freedom and autonomy.
The online consulting marketplace has made it very convenient for consultants and companies to find each other. If you are a consultant who’s looking for new interesting consulting projects, you should send your profile to an online consulting platform, like Consultport.
These platforms will conduct initial interviews with you, and if you qualify, they’ll add you to their talent pool. After that, just take a chill pill and relax because they will find top clients for you.
Good consulting projects could be difficult to find, but not if you sign up with a top consulting platform in the freelance consulting marketplace. In fact, if you’re taking your freelance consulting career seriously, you should definitely have a presence in the consulting marketplace. Sure, you could use other methods to find new consulting projects, too, but since we’re talking about ‘taking it easy’ in this article, we should only focus on the easiest method, right?
There’s a difference between working hard and working smart. In this age of social media, you’ll find a lot of entrepreneurs who post motivational videos and push you to work for 80 hours a week. Some might even shame you for taking some time off and recharging. Well, you probably shouldn’t listen to them and do what’s best for you.
So, if you’re getting your desired results by working 30 hours a week, go for it. And if you’re still energized and can go for another 30 hours, do it. But remember, your physical and mental health is your most important asset - make it a priority to guard it no matter what.
After all, all that matters is how productive you are. It’s not about how many hours you work, it’s about how effective you are in the hours you work.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, all you have to do to reach your goals is to stay level-headed and calm in difficult situations. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but not impossible.
Instead of regretting past events or imagining future problems which probably won’t even occur, you should focus on how you can increase your productivity in the present moment - and you don’t have to be a psychologist to know this.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is also a key factor in having a great career as a consultant. This aspect of your career is easier to control if you work on freelance projects and choose your own clients and work hours yourself. Thanks to freelance consultant platforms, it’s easier to find high-paying freelance projects these days.
So, next time when you feel overwhelmed in your consulting career, just take a chill pill and relax. You will get another opportunity if you stay in the game.
