Early in my career I found that the morning hours were a great time to get work done. For many this holds true. For others, this is a joke – these people don’t like to rise early. If you are interested in working more effectively in the morning, follow these three tips:
1. Give yourself time to wakeup. In other words, don’t roll out of bed at 630 and sit down to work at 632. Instead, give yourself a few minutes to get up, move around, and get ready for the day. You don’t want to waste time, but you definitely need to make sure that you are 100 percent energized and ready to go. If your mind is still sleeping it is safe to say that your work is going to suffer.
2. Eat. No matter what, make sure you get something in your stomach. You may be one of those people who don’t like breakfast, but give it a try anyway. I have found that getting something little in my stomach is a great way to wake up. Of course, if you are a coffee drinker this is the time to get your fix.
3. Know what you want to accomplish. As I have said before, at the end of every workday I write down my tasks for the next day. This way when I wake up in the morning I know where to start. Do you have a to-do list staring you in the face when you first sit down at your computer desk? Hopefully your answer is yes.
These three tips will help you work more effectively in the morning hours. Even if you are not used to waking early, give this a try. You may be surprised at how much more work you can get done.Â
If you are like most freelance writers there are some clients you enjoy and others that make your life miserable – this is just the way it goes. While you may get the urge to talk down on or get mad at a “bad†client you need to keep this in mind: treating every client with respect is very important. Even if you are not receiving the same treatment you should keep a smile on your face and do whatever you can to take the high road.
I have been lucky enough to avoid bad clients, for the most part. Sure, somebody comes up from time to time that makes things difficult for one reason or the next, but these situations have been few and far between over the past couple of years.
If a client is annoying you for any reason the first thing you should do is look at their side. Are they all over you because of something you did? You may find that the client is acting a particular way because of something you did or did not do.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some freelance writing clients that are going to treat you poorly no matter. Dealing with these types of people is never easy. The first thing you should do is try to fix the relationship. Don’t stoop down to the client’s level. Instead, stay professional in hopes that this will rub off on them. At some point you may have to decide if continuing your relationship is the right thing to do. If the client refuses to change and you are becoming fed up, it is better to cut all ties than to get into an argument. Only you know if this is necessary.
No matter what, always treat clients with respect. Even if you plan on cutting a client loose, be respectful up to the very last minute. You don’t get anywhere by burning bridges.Â
Are you ready for a full-time freelance writing career? Ah, what a difficult question to answer. This is a huge step in your life. Some people don’t think twice about moving forward full-time, but they are few and far between. Most people think long and hard about this decision.
To decide if you are ready, answer these questions:
1. How did you like working as a part-time freelance writer? If you enjoyed your experience and are earning money, you have a solid base for moving forward and taking on this career full-time. Most people work as a part-timer first to get a better idea of what they are up against.
2. Are you confident in your ability to earn a full-time income? Let’s be honest. You do not want to become a full-time freelance writer unless you can earn the income that goes along with working long hours. How much are you earning part-time? Do you have the ability to increase your income by working more hours? You definitely want to think about how much money you will need from a full-time freelance writing career to feel comfortable.
3. Will you enjoy yourself? The money and freedom are great benefits of being a freelance writer. But when it comes down to it, you must have a good time day after day. Sure, there are going to be rough spots along the way. Even though you are not going to enjoy every minute of your freelance writing career you must be confident that you will be happy the majority of the time.
Upon answering these three questions you should know once and for all if you are ready for full-time freelance writing. Don’t move forward until you are 100 percent confident in your decision.
