I am always looking for ways to become a more productive freelance writer. Over the years I have found it very important to start my day off on the right foot. This may sound easy enough, but there are some things that get me into a lot of trouble time after time. Of course, I try to avoid these issues at all costs to ensure that my day goes smoothly from start to finish.
To start your day off right, get up on time. If I sleep through my alarm it throws my day into disarray. Not only will I feel bad physically, but my to-do list will be more difficult to follow. Yes, it can be hard to wake up on time but it is something you have to do if you want your day to start right.
What about breakfast? This is something I strongly believe in. That being said, I know many people who just don’t like eating in the morning – and there is nothing wrong with that. For me, eating breakfast is a very big deal. Even if I don’t do this right away, I try to get something in my stomach within a couple hours of waking up. This energizes me while giving a boost that helps me work through the morning without missing a beat.
Everybody is different so you will probably have to develop your own plan. Just because I get up before the sun does not mean it will work for you. As long as you know how to start your day off right, and follow through with this everyday, there is nothing that will stand in your way.
There are some jobs when working sick is not that difficult. For instance, when I was in sales and had my own office, I could easily work sick. Sure, my day would go by slow and I would have to take more breaks than usual. But for the most part it was easy to make calls and set appointments even if I was under the weather. Unfortunately, doing so as a freelance writer is not the same.
Over the years I have found that to work effectively as a freelance writer I need to be on top of my game. It is better to take some time off when sick than to stick with things and hope that you get through the day. If you do this there is a good chance that your work is going to suffer. You are doing more than making phone calls. If your work suffers you are going to be able to see it in the words you write. To go along with this, clients will recognize the poor quality as well. Is that something you want?
Where do I draw the line? There are obviously different levels of sickness. Working with a cold is much different than sitting at your desk with the flu. You have to know when to forge ahead, as well as when to pack things in and call it quits for the day.
My advice is simple: if your work is going to suffer you are best off staying away from your computer for the time being. On the other hand, if you can do your job without compromising quality you may want to give it a go. Simply put, working sick as a freelance writer is more of a judgment call than anything else.
Freelance writers take on a variety of projects. I am pretty much open to any and every type of project as long as I understand what is being asked of me and enjoy the topic. You may be a bit different – that is your choice. At some point you need to decide what type of freelance writing projects you enjoy. This way you can concentrate in these areas, while avoiding jobs that do not fit well.
First things first, remember this: there is more to freelance writing than web projects. Sure, there are millions of people out there looking for SEO articles. While these jobs can be fun and profitable, you want to keep in mind that the internet is not the end all.
You should consider other types of freelance writing projects such as magazine features, corporate content, sales letters, etc. If you can write it you can work it into your career. Don’t let anybody tell you differently.
Should I only accept jobs that I enjoy? This is a tough question to answer. Early in my career I did not know which types of projects I liked the most. For this reason I was willing to try everything. While I still feel the same way to a certain extent, I try to be a bit more selective about who I work with.
If you do not know what type of freelance writing you enjoy you should continue to work hard day after day until you formulate an answer. It may take a couple of years to really find your niche. When you finally realize what works for you, your future becomes much clearer and the path to success opens up.Â
