Though there are multiple benefits to freelancing, there are definitely downsides as well. Being your own boss means that you also have to be your own motivator. There’s nobody to hold your hand and badger you to meet deadlines. Some days, you may struggle to get anything done at all. If you want to find success as a freelancer, it’s critical you find your rhythm and know how to motivate yourself. And there’s no better time to figure out how to do this than at the beginning of a new year! Let’s dive into how you can up your motivation in 2022.
How to Stay Productive During the Holidays
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be hard to stay motivated enough to have productive holidays instead of just fun ones. One of the best things about being a freelancer is that you aren’t wedded to a set schedule. You set your own hours and can make special allowances for holiday events. It’s important to make a plan before the holidays get too hectic, though. Without one, it’ll be much harder to stay productive during the holidays. So, how do you do it?
How do you stay productive during the holidays? Click To TweetEmail Management for Freelancers: Best Practices on Keeping a Clean Inbox
Freelancing is a tough job. Your time is literally money. That means that efficient time management is an essential skill. This goes double for the little administrative tasks that no one is going to pay you for.
According to recent statistics, the average professional receives or sends 126 emails a day. Even if each action only takes a minute, that’s potentially two hours a day of emails! Clearly, if you’re self-employed, you need a way to cut that time down to a minimum.
A Freelancer’s Guide to Creating and Organizing a Project Timeline
First things first: what is a project timeline? At its core, it’s all your project “deliverables” laid out in one easy graphic. A deliverable is something that needs to be completed before the next stage can begin, so making sure you hit these deadlines is crucial.
How to Fix Your Body Clock
Just when we thought we already got the hang of working from home, here comes a new test to conquer. Because of the ongoing pandemic, we are all advised to stay indoors and observing social distancing. The idea of not going outside should be easy since we’re almost always at home, hustling virtually. However, new challenges reveal themselves as each day goes by – one of them is how to fix your body clock. [Read more…]
Things You Need to Have a Productive Morning as a Freelance Writer
If you’ve been working at home as a freelance writer for long enough, you know that the key to a productive workday starts with a good morning. Developing routines and getting organized at the beginning of the day creates the opportunity to write compelling content that meets the needs of your target audience and/or clients. To do this, however, there are a few essential things you’ll need to get your day off to the right start. [Read more…]
How to Remain Organised and Motivated as a Freelancer
Working for yourself can seem like the ultimate prize. But it does come with challenges to overcome. Most notably, keeping organised and self-motivated.
For some, this comes naturally. For others, the freedom to plan your own time is fraught with countless temptations to distract you from the matter of work.
Do you have what it takes, or do you need some help to get organised and motivated?
Most of us sit somewhere in the middle. Here’s some tips to consider in your moments of weakness. [Read more…]
Essential Email Management Tips and Tools
How many emails do you send every day? Not only are you using this valuable communication tool to send finished assignments, but you’re probably relying on it to touch base with previous clients and reach out to new ones. You’re using it to correspond with sources and verify facts. And you’re probably also sending emails for personal use too—even freelancers do that.
You might think you’re alone as a freelancer, but you’re not: Most people are in a bind with email. That’s because there are nearly 200 billion emails sent – each and every day. And if you kept track of your time dealing with email, in all likelihood you’d probably be spending nearly one-third of your time dealing with it. In fact, how many of you face email management issues, such as too many notes in your inbox, a difficult email filing system, or even loss of emails because you’re so inundated. [Read more…]
Why You Should NOT Avoid Distractions
Do you ever find yourself browsing the web and checking your social media feed instead of getting your writing tasks done as efficiently as possible?
You’re not alone. Countless freelance writers have been there before you.
You look at a blank page and somehow you just can’t bring yourself to fill it with your writing. This is when your eyes dart to other parts of your screen and you lose yourself in distractions.
Don’t get frustrated with yourself, we’re all prone to getting distracted. [Read more…]
5 Things to Do to Increase Your Freelance Writing Income
Are you unsatisfied with how much you are earning right now? Do you want to increase your freelance writing income?
While there is no exact formula for this, there are certain things you can do to earn more.
1. Optimize your calendar or to-do list.
I live by the calendar. I used to rely on Google Calendar for everything, but recently, I tried out something new. It’s a to-do app called Timely, which basically tracks how long it takes you to finish a task. You can assign an estimated time for each task, and start/end the timer manually.
At the end of the day, you’ll see whether you spent less or more time than you expected. This is helpful because you can see just how much time you actually spend on tasks. You also get to realize how many hours you don’t spend working and make the necessary adjustments.
With Timely, you can also assign a rate per hour, so you can track how much you earn. This can make your billing easier.
Timely doesn’t “tell you” that you have to work on this task from, say, 8:00 to 9:00. Instead, it helps you keep track of the actual time you spend on a task. It is like a calendar because you have your tasks set out, but it gives you flexibility when it comes to when you actually start and complete a task.
While I had my reservations about switching to Timely after years of solely relying on Google Calendar, I have to say that it has increased my productivity – and ability to generate more income – significantly.
Now, I’m not saying you have to use Timely. It may or may not work for you. My point is that, if you want to get more work done and increase your freelance writing income, you might want to change your calendar/to-do list approach.
Another suggestion: Trello. You can use this to identify “main projects” and then assign “tasks” under each main project. This can make huge projects less daunting, and you can reach milestones faster.
2. Create actionable steps in relation to goals.
We all have freelance writing goals. Since we’re talking about how to increase your freelance writing income, let’s look at an example financial goal: $3000 a month.
That’s easy enough to set, isn’t it?
More than setting that goal, you’ll want to link specific actions to reach that goal. Here are some things you can do:
- List down all your existing clients and how much you expect to earn from them this month.
- Calculate how much more you need to reach your goal.
- Think about things you can do to reach $3000. Make them specific. Example: write 5 articles a week and pitch them to paying sites.
By doing this, you take concrete steps to reach your financial goal without being fixated on the amount of money, which can stress you out if you keep thinking about it.
3. Know your priorities.
What do you do for a living? You are a freelance writer. Focus on that. Prioritize writing.
It may be tempting to browse Facebook, look at Twitter, and check emails first thing in the morning, but try this for a change: write first.
It doesn’t matter what you write, what client you write for first. Just write before you do anything else for the day.
You might be surprised at how much more you get done.
4. Separate work from personal life. For real.
I know I sound like a broken record. Freelance writers work at home, but we need to separate work from our personal lives. It’s easier said than done, but it has to be done.
There’s no other way to say it. When it’s work time (whenever that may be for you), then shut out every thing else.
When it’s family time (like dinner or going to the movies), then forget work. Don’t check email on your phone. Don’t think about deadlines.
Having strict boundaries leads to better work quality and better family experiences. This will help your overall well-being, which can only lead to good things.
5. Learn to say no.
It is very tempting to take on every interesting client that comes your way. After all, more work means higher earnings. However, if you already have existing clients that give you recurring work at a good rate, you may want to say no to new clients.
I know it can be hard to turn down a new revenue stream, but think of it this way: Your existing clients give you reliable work and money. The chances are you can get more work from them as long as you continue delivering excellent work on time. If you take on new clients, your work for existing clients may suffer. This can result in losing their trust and, eventually, custom.
Think about that the next time you find it difficult to say no to new clients.
How do these things increase your freelance writing income?
Not all of the ideas above may directly result in more money, but they will definitely give you more focus, which gives both quantitative and qualitative results.
Try them, and see how your income goes up.
Do you have your own tips on how to increase your freelance writing income? Share your thoughts!
