It is already January 10th! How is your freelance writing coming along in the new year? If you are anything like me, things have been quite busy over the first 10 days of 2011. Fortunately, being busy as a freelance writer is always a good thing.
Although 2011 is already here and moving along, there is still time to get organized for the months to come.
To get started, check out these posts from December:
Over the past couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of speaking with many freelancers who said the advice from the posts above really got them in the right frame of mind for the new year. You may be a little bit behind at this point, but there is still time to catch-up.
I have big plans for ChrisBlogging.com over the next 12 months. In addition to providing content for beginners and advanced writers, I have some new features to introduce within my freelance writing course.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the direction of the blog and what you want me to discuss in 2011. Feel free to contact me today with suggestions, comments, and questions.
In case you haven’t noticed, the new year is just a couple days away. Before you know it, it will be the middle of January and 2011 will be off and running. Now is the time to prepare your freelance writing career for the 12 months to come. If you continue to put this off, part of the year will be gone before you ever get organized.
Here are three ways to prepare for the new year today:
1. Update your business and marketing plan. I have been preaching this for many months, and it is something you must take care of sooner rather than later. This will help shape the months to come, while giving you something to rely on as you move forward.
2. Organize your taxes. Some people wait until April to collect the proper tax documents. Does this sound familiar? This may not appear to be a huge deal, but soon enough you will find that you are spending more time on your taxes than on your writing. In turn, your business is bound to suffer in some way.
3. Stay in touch with current clients to get a better idea of what they need in 2011. In addition to discussing what you have done for them in the past, talk about other services that you offer. This gives you the chance to increase your income without needing to land new clients.
Simple enough, right? These are three things you can do to ready your freelance writing career for the new year.
There is no denying that it can be difficult to find time for work during the busy holiday season. After all, you are going to spend a lot of your time with friends and family. On top of this, there are other “time wasters†such as shopping, sending out Christmas cards, and much more. Even though you may have a lot going on it does not mean you want to totally neglect your work. Instead, you should find a happy medium to ensure that you strike a balance between work and play.
If your regular work schedule does not suit your needs during the holiday season, try to fit in some time at your desk based on the suggestions below:
1. Get up earlier than usual. I know this can be difficult to do, especially if you have kids at home or others that may be disturbed. That being said, if you rise a few hours before everybody else you will be able to get a lot of work done with minimal distractions.
2. Become a night owl. Over the years I have found that working at night is a great way to stay on top of things when my normal schedule gets out of whack. Once everybody is in bed, head for your office. As long as you have enough energy to complete high quality work this is a great idea. Not to mention the fact that working at night often times means you can sleep later in the morning.
3. Set a schedule and make it work. Your career may not be the most important thing to you during the holidays. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can walk away and forget about things until the new year – especially if you are a freelance writer. When time gets tight, set a schedule and then do whatever it takes to stay the course. This may mean changing around some other tasks, but you have to do what you have to do.
The schedule that you work this holiday season is up to you. As long as you get your work done and keep your clients happy you will make it through this busy time of the year unscathed.
