Anger is the greatest motivator

Recently, my husband did something that, let’s just say, pissed me off big time. 

In that flash of anger, I did something I had been delaying for months. That long-overdue task, the one that kept lurking in my mind like a guilty ghost — suddenly, it was done.

Just like that.

And when it happened again, with a smaller but no less infuriating provocation, it got me thinking: do we really need to get upset to move the mountains in our lives?

Apparently, yes.

Here’s the science behind it: anger activates the sympathetic nervous system. Heart rate rises, adrenaline floods in, focus sharpens.

Suddenly, the task that felt impossible becomes urgent and achievable. Anger pushes the brain into goal-oriented overdrive, turning procrastination into action.

That “enough, I’m doing this RIGHT NOW” moment? It’s pure neurological firepower.

Of course, I’m not advocating for a life fuelled by fury. But I can’t ignore the truth: anger, when channelled, is an accelerant. It transforms latent willpower into immediate action. Sometimes, the mountain doesn’t move until you get mad enough to climb it.

So yes, my husband, in his unwitting way, reminded me of something profound: productivity doesn’t always come from calm planning.

Sometimes, it comes from a good, righteous flare of anger — and a little push from the universe (or your partner, ha-ha).

Anger made me restart the Freelance Business Community from scratch, when I broke up with a business partner many years ago.

A very big anger made me reconsider what the Community should be and who should it be for, resulting in an entire revamp and pivot.

So next time you feel anger, use that energy and direct it toward something you’ve been avoiding for a long time.

Turn the emotion into action.

Frustrated by a customer?

Maybe it’s a sign to look again at who your ideal customer should be.

Annoyed that invoices are still not paid?

Use that frustration to improve your payment process, so your business doesn’t depend on one delayed invoice.

Feeling bad that you haven’t done any marketing?

Let that feeling push you to finally make a simple marketing plan.

I often hear freelancers complain about being dragged into endless conversations about “potential collaboration.” Sometimes these talks last for months and create a lot of frustration.

If this is happening to you, use that frustration to create your own vetting system. Decide what is acceptable for your business and what is not.

Is three months of back-and-forth OK? Maybe.

Is six to twelve months OK? It depends.

If you are negotiating a multi-million deal, the wait makes sense.

But if you are discussing a project for a normal daily rate, and it has been dragging on for months (Zoom calls, discussions, almost working already, but the contract never arrives) please just drop it. That is not a negotiation; that is a waste of your time.

If you already have a system for deciding who is worth your time, I’d love to hear about it.

Regards,
Elina