Working on the weekend is never a lot of fun. Sure, this is a great way to make some extra money and advance your career, but you definitely need time off if you are going to achieve long term success. When I started out as a freelance writer I always worked on the weekends, as well as every other day. But soon enough I was feeling burnt out, and realized that this was not the best idea.
If you are tired of working on the weekends, follow these three tips:
1. Work harder on Fridays. I know many freelance writers who put in extra work on Fridays so they do not have to do anything on the weekends, or even early the next week. Do you have the time and energy to get more work done at the end of the week? If so, this will benefit you on the weekends and maybe even into Monday.
2. Have a to-do list. When you have a to-do list you will stay on track Monday through Friday. This makes it much easier to get all of your work completed during the week. There is nothing worse than forgetting about a project, and realizing that you have to work on a weekend to complete it. With a to-do list this will never happen.
3. Don’t take on tight deadlines. When accepting a new project you need to be aware of the deadline, how much available time you have, and whether or not this could force you into weekend work. If you are not comfortable with a deadline you can always negotiate this.
These three tips should help you to avoid weekend work. Even though there are times when I work on Saturday and/or Sunday, I try to avoid this for the most part. The tips above allow me to do just that most of the time!
No matter what type of job you have, you should always be having fun. If you aren’t, it is time to follow a new career path. Everyday as a freelance writer is a good day. Sure, there are times when I get down on myself but this is going to happen with all careers. For the most part, my freelance writing career is full of fun and I expect things to stay this way for many years to come.
Here are three reasons why I find freelance writing to be a fun profession:
1. I get to make new friends. Over my years as a freelance writer I have met many people, and there are quite a few who I now consider friends. This is one of the most exciting parts of working as a freelance writer. Since I have many clients I am always making new friends. The same cannot be said for many other careers.
2. Making money is always fun. While you don’t want to become a freelance writer for the money alone, because it can be difficult to make a good living, this is definitely something that will keep you motivated and excited. It is fun to make money, to set income goals, and to see how much success you can achieve. If you are not motivated by the money you can make as a freelance writer something is wrong.
3. Expanding and growing. I always have a good time when I am learning new things, expanding my business, and growing as a person. As a freelance writer I have the chance to grow, day in and day out.
Are you having fun as a freelance writer? I know it can be difficult to keep a smile on your face when you are not earning as much as you would like. But if you attempt to have fun and stay positive, the money will come along with a good time.
Clients set deadlines. Freelance writers agree to meet these deadlines. As a freelance writer you need to turn your work in on time. There is no way around this if you want to be seen as a professional who is worth working with time after time. There are some freelance writers who always miss deadlines. They are the ones who do not stick around very long.
Does this mean that you will never miss a deadline? Probably not. Even if you strive to meet every deadline, no matter how tight it is, something may come up that prevents you from doing so. In this case you need to make the right moves to ensure that the client gets what he wants, while also learning how to avoid the same problem in the future.
As soon as you know that you are going to miss a deadline you have to tell your client. It is better to do so before the deadline than afterwards. This at least gives the client a chance to adjust their schedule. Hopefully you will not put the client in too bad of a position by sending the work at a later date.
Admit that you are wrong, and explain your situation. This is one of the most important things to remember if you miss a deadline as a freelance writer. Your client does not want you to put the blame on them when this is clearly not the case. While making excuses is never a good idea, you should explain your situation so the client can at least see where you are coming from. For instance, a serious illness or death in the family is almost always a good reason to miss a deadline. But of course, you need to let the client know in advance, if possible, that you are dealing with extenuating circumstances.
Make it one of your main goals to never miss a deadline. If this does happen, do your best to resolve the situation and stay in the good graces of your client.Â
