Articles in the Organization and Time Category

Freelance writers quickly create a massive to-do list for themselves when growing their writing business. After all, there is so much to do! Promoting our writing, sending queries, marketing, and networking on Twitter, let alone actually writing. Add in household chores and real life matters and it all becomes completely overwhelming.

How to Put the First Thing First

Where do you begin to tackle your to-do list? How do you really know what matters most, and what can be left by the wayside? Does it really matter what order you put things in, as long as you get things done?

When I find myself wondering what to do first, I try to step outside of my current circumstances. I have literally become swamped with all of my goals, projects, and dreams, and cannot wade through the mire on my own.

Become Your Own Adviser

Imagine that a good friend of yours came to you for advice. She has so many projects, to-do’s, and deadlines, that she doesn’t know where to begin. The longer it takes her to make a decision, the more difficult it will be to meet all her business needs.

What advice would you give her? If you’re anything like me, you might suggest that she pair up her deadlines with all the actions necessary to meet those deadlines, and schedule them throughout the upcoming days to get the job done.

Put that loving, friendly advice to work on your own stifling schedule. Look over all of your tasks with a caring, yet objective eye. Pretend that you were making up such a schedule for a friend, not for yourself.

How to Objectively Prioritize Your Writing

If you were writing a to-do list for a friend, you wouldn’t pile up forty tasks in one afternoon, would you? Yet we effectively do it to ourselves all the time. We put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed, that we smother ourselves and our creativity in the process.

Actual writing time should always have a writer’s highest priority. It may be scheduled first in the day, or during the writer’s peak working times. Writing for clients can be organized by deadline, including false deadlines if you think you are going to encounter roadblocks.

Personal projects also go high on the list, and ought to have their own deadlines so you don’t fall too far behind. Writing what you love is critical for a healthy and happy writer! Also, many personal writing projects can pay off monetarily in the long run, such as books or websites.

Queries, marketing, promotions, and the like can be done in the off hours, when our writing streak has begun to wind down. You can make vital connections while relaxing and Twittering away. Of course, you may want to write those queries when you can still string two words together, and give yourself some leeway time so you can proofread it before hitting send.

Real life tasks are a different breed altogether. You have to deal with others’ hours of operation, your availability, and coordinating with your family. Often, your best writing time has to be shoved aside to get your son to soccer practice on time. As long as you are aware of when these tasks have to be done, you can make concessions in the rest of your schedule.

Review Your Objective Writing Priorities

Before you commit to any of the above tasks, look at the schedule you have set for yourself. Is this a realistic to-do list, one you are able to keep? Would you expect a friend or colleague to work this hard on a daily basis?

If not, rework your priorities yet again. Make sure there are adequate breaks for meals, relaxation, and the inevitable interruptions. Once you find a workable schedule for your writing projects, life will flow a lot more smoothly.

Can you look at your writing priorities with an objective eye? Do you need the outside influence of a friend or mentor to set your business straight? Share your prioritization methods!

Photo Credit: Redvers

by Melissa Hart

Ten years ago, when I began writing short humorous essays in earnest, I received a phone call from an editor at Woman’s Day. I’d sent her an 800-word piece about how my great-aunts purchased the front of a crazy-quilt at a thrift store, sewed a velvet backing on it and proceeded to exhibit it at county fairs, winning blue ribbons and cash prizes for a handicraft they’d contributed to only marginally. The New York editor struck me as elegantly brusque. “We’d like to publish your essay,” she said. “Will two thousand be acceptable?”

“Words?” I asked, already considering how to lengthen the piece.

She sighed with the world-weary patience of Manhattan confronting a country-mouse. “Dollars,” she said.

Thus I realized that an essay–penned in an hour over a mocha at my favorite coffeehouse and then revised in another hour a week later–could earn me a month’s income. Since then, I’ve sold short humorous essays to The Washington Post, The Advocate, The Chronicle of Higher Education, High Country News, and numerous other publications in a process that requires a quick burst of focused energy, a dedication to equally swift and relentless revision, and an understanding of the numerous magazines and newspapers that publish this genre.

But a few years ago, when my husband and I decided to adopt a toddler, I believed my writing career was over. I didn’t know how I could possibly concentrate while learning to care for a child. Finances mandated my continued work as a journalism teacher at the University of Oregon and a memoir teacher for U.C. Berkeley’s online extension program. Deeply in love with my husband, I wanted to remain devoted to hiking and traveling with him and our new daughter.

“There’s just no time to write!”

I wailed this to our long-suffering counselor at Eugene’s Artists’ Counseling Service. Peggy merely laughed and took out her giant pad of paper and a purple pen. “We’re going to break down each day into chunks,” she told my husband and me, pre-adoption. “You’ll see that Melissa gets several blocks of time each week to write, and Jonathan gets the same amount to devote to his photography.”

In theory, she was right. We looked at her seven-column grid and saw how we might structure each day so that we could spend time with our daughter, time with each other, write and/or photograph for a reasonable number of hours, and retain our day jobs. In actuality, once our daughter came home, I cringed at the thought of leaving her, even for two hours, to engage in something as indulgent as writing essays.

“Love, it’s your work.” My husband handed me my notebook. “Go get a mocha. All you have to do is produce a rough draft.”

I knew he was right. Reluctantly, I walked down to my favorite coffeehouse and sat there for an hour, staring dismally at the blank pages. I returned home an hour early. “Performance anxiety,” I explained.

After several false starts, I did begin to find my rhythm as a writer and mother, thanks to my practice in writing short essays. Now, I can whip out a rough draft between university classes. If I wake early, I sit up in bed and reach for my notebook and pen. If my daughter’s at preschool and I find myself inspired by a current event or trend or family memory, I sit down at the computer even if I have a stack of papers to grade, bills to pay, and the kitchen floor to mop.

I’m learning to view the chapters of my memoir-in-progress in the same manner as I approach short essays; I just have to remember that the chapters, longer and sometimes more literary, require multiple revisions.

These days, I receive enough editorial acceptance to keep up my confidence. But money earned from my essays and memoir represents a secondary reward. My husband is right–writing is my work, and I love the process of crafting essays and books almost as much as I adore my family.

It’s difficult to juggle my roles as wife and mother, teacher and writer. Sometimes, I collapse in exhaustion. I tell myself during those down-times that I could let the writing go . . . but then what would I be teaching my daughter?

Early Sunday mornings, she pads out to the living room to find me bent over my computer, much as my mother used to bend over the short stories composed on an electric typewriter. I hope that the sight of me writing–even if the dishes sit unwashed and the windows need scrubbing–will inspire my daughter to dedicate herself to a passion that, along with beloved family members and friends, makes life worth living.

Melissa Hart is a journalism teacher at the University of Oregon, and a memoir writing teacher for U.C. Berkeley’s online extension program. Her new memoir, Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood (Seal Press, 2009), is a coming-of-age story about growing up white, heterosexual and boring in multicultural Los Angeles with a lesbian mom, a brother with Down syndrome, and a deep desire to be a Latina.

The Oregonian notes, “Hart, who teaches writing at the University of Oregon, has crafted a well-balanced tale that forgoes blame in favor of poignancy.”

Booklist says, ” “LGBT families and immigrant kids will want it for the honesty, humor, and love. Every lively chapter ends with a detailed recipe that mixes food and feelings.”

Kirkus Reviews says of Gringa, “”The book is filled with detailed conversations and particulars of dress, mannerisms and facial expressions that give it the feeling of a novel. A quirky narrative of artfully reconstructed memories.”

In my post “Breaking Up (With Clients) Doesn’t Have To Be Hard” I talked about ways to end a client relationship on good terms. But how do you know when it’s time to say good-bye?

Often, as I alluded to in that post, we let fear keep us in relationships – professional and otherwise – that we’d be better off without.

First, know this: To get the writing jobs you truly desire, you must “make room” for them. This means letting go of jobs that no longer benefit you in some way or another.

Trust Your Gut

Esther and Jerry Hicks, in their book The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham cite an Emotional Guidance System every human being possesses. If we can get in touch with our emotions, they will guide us to the right decision. We can get in better touch with our emotions through:

• meditation
• journalling
• prayer
• quiet contemplation
• music…
• or whatever method works best for you

When a writing job is not in line with our greater purpose and goals, our Emotional Guidance System sends out warning signs. If a writing job doesn’t “feel” right, it is probably not a good fit anymore. Ask yourself the following questions to decide:

1. Do I look forward to working on this project?
2. Do I push it to the bottom of my to-do list so it doesn’t get done until deadline time?
3. How do emails and phone calls from the editor or client make me feel: filled with dread, or oozing excitement and anticipation?

Procrastination could also be a result of fear that you won’t do a good job or the feeling that you’re “out of your league” with a project. Listen to your emotions and make sure this isn’t the case.

If you’ve been doing a job with proficiency for a long time, chances are you’re burnt out and it’s time to let go. On the other hand, if it’s a new project, larger or more high-profile than anything you’ve done before, your emotions probably stem from fear of doing the job correctly.

Physical Symptoms of “Burn Out”

I’m using the phrase “trust your gut” literally. Negative emotions can manifest in physical symptoms, including:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• “Butterflies in the tummy”
• Exhaustion
• An overall sense of dread
• Mild depression

“But I Need the Money”

As business people, we must weigh the practical aspects against our feelings. I would never recommend giving up a $1/word column that pays the better part of your bills each month with no way to replace your income.

Instead, continue the work and set aside part of the day to look for other assignments you’ll enjoy. Consider subcontracting parts of your current assignment so you can collect partial income and keep the door open to come back if you choose.

Of course, sometimes a situation becomes untenable and you have to jump ship and expect a life boat to be waiting. I’ve left magazine editing jobs under those circumstances. Leaving yourself with “No Plan B” can work, if you have absolute faith that you will succeed. Because if you believe you will – you will.

If you stick around in situations where you simply can’t stand it anymore, the harder it will be to leave on good terms. Your work will suffer and the client will see it. The client may even make the decision for you, and since freelancers don’t get unemployment, this strategy isn’t the best. Instead, get out while the getting is good.

Your emotional guidance system is the most effective way to determine if a freelance writing job is still a good fit for you. But there are other ways, too. Writers, what signs tell you that you’ve outgrown a writing gig?

Freelance writers rely on their computers almost exclusively, and with good reason. With blogging, clients from around the world, and amazing computer programs, writing on the computer is streamlined and effortless. Nothing could go wrong, no?

Danger, Writer, Danger!

Today, I had to do a complete wipe of my computer. I’ll spare you the details, but the problem ate up 24 hours of my time and all my favorite programs, saved passwords, and documents. Everything was gone.

Now, I did have some of my files saved to disk, but I hadn’t made an effort to backup my computer regularly. I’m not even sure what was saved and what wasn’t. Programs are easy enough to find and download again, but it is incredibly time consuming. Passwords aren’t too much trouble for me, but I know I’ll have to search through my email archive to find a few!

Make a Writer’s Emergency Preparedness Plan

Although no one plans on having their computer crash on them, it does happen. So do dead laptop batteries, failed disc drives, and overloaded website servers. To make the most of an incredibly frustrating situation, you need an emergency plan that can cover most of your tracks while you offline.

Here are a few of the things I wish I had done:

• Schedule computer maintenance regularly. Defragmenting your hard drive is certainly not the most glorious part of being a freelancer. Yet a properly functioning computer can avoid many common pitfalls. Most computers allow you to schedule computer maintenance tasks, so it can be running in your sleep if you prefer. There are also programs available to help you through the process.
• Backup your files. Anything that you want to see again needs to be backed up in some fashion. You can burn CDs regularly for personal files, or use an online backup utility that can work in the background. Your personal work is something you cannot get back, so just do it! You could even create a disc that holds all of your program install files, so you don’t have to search the whole internet to find them again.
• Create an emergency writing schedule. While your computer is being troubleshooted by your local neighborhood tech guy, you can still be writing. Have an idea of what needs to be done, and just write away in a notebook. Mark where you need to fact check online, and just go right on past it. You may have a lot of editing ahead of you, but you are still making progress!
• Have an alternate way to get online. Your local library, wi-fi connection, or even your cell phone can send messages to clients if needed. You can also connect with your writing friends, to see if they are available to help you out.

You Could Be Next – Knock on Wood!

No one expects this to happen to them, until it does. To preserve all of your hard work, create a plan to keep your files backed up and available for use at any place, any time.

Do you have a computer horror story? What emergency preparations have you made as a writer? Let’s put our heads together to prevent this from happening to anyone else!

Photo Credit: Dumbledad

So many writers find themselves pushing too hard and getting nowhere. After all, many of us began freelancing to escape office politics and spend more time with our families. So why work yourself harder than any employer would?

After beating my head against the proverbial wall for a long time, I finally realized that I couldn’t force myself to write, even if I kept a strict schedule and eliminated all distractions. So I began to treat myself better, with writing rituals that are fun and encourage productivity instead of demanding it.

Tracking My Writing With Stickers

Yes, stickers. Usually found on third grade spelling papers, the simple gold star or thumbs up sticker is a major motivator for me. I reward myself after I’ve completed each writing task of the day, which for me is a list of articles and blog posts.

Here’s my sticker tracking process:

• Ditch the to-do list. Anything time related is scheduled in as an appointment. For my other projects, I check my email and other online “inboxes” to determine what needs to be written that day.
• Grab a notebook. For me, it’s an inexpensive red journal. I write in today’s date and quick abbreviations of the titles I’m working on. I also jot down any notes about my day, whether I’ve woken up with a headache or I have an appointment to remember.
• Turn on the tunes. My MP3 player is the best gift I’ve given myself! Having a stream of my favorite music playing blocks out the rest of the world and gives me additional focus. (One earphone is out if the kids are awake!)
• Light a candle. This provides my visual focus, along with a quick break from staring at the computer screen all day. You could easily substitute a family photo or vision board to inspire you as well.
• Set a timer. A timer provides instant motivation as I race to see how fast I can complete my articles. I use a free program, but a kitchen timer works just as well. I set mine to one hour, and I’m off!
• Track the results. After each article, I check my timer, write down my time, and choose a sticker. I have made progress, even if it’s just one article, and I deserve a mini-reward! (Plus stickers are terribly cute!)

This is my ideal way to progress through my writing day. I can flip through my notebook, and instantly see how productive I was by how many stickers I’ve collected. If a day didn’t go so well, I can read my notes and see what happened.

Benefits of Creating Your Own Writing Rituals

Obviously, my writing ritual may not be right for you. So I encourage you to create your own rituals, to ease into your writing day. You will reap many rewards by treating yourself right, and encouraging the muse to visit from time to time.

• Increased productivity. If you do the same things daily, you will develop good writing habits, and naturally speed up as you write. Your mind will know when it’s time to work, and when you put your accouterments away, your mind will know when to rest.
• Peace of mind. You don’t have a boss standing over your shoulder, expecting you to be productive. You certainly don’t want to become that kind of boss either! You can rest easy knowing that you are still getting things done, in a manner that is customized to your working style and is not stress-inducing in itself.
• Enjoy your writing. Although we all love writing, there are days where the act of writing is not fun. Even when it seems that pulling teeth would be easier than pulling words out of your brain, you can give yourself small rewards to keep yourself going.
• Embrace your competitive nature. Without co-workers, many of us have no measuring stick to compare ourselves to. If you track your progress, you can compete with yourself to get “just one more” article done, or cut down your time by “just five minutes”.

Do you already have writing rituals? Share them here. Planning to make your own rituals? Bring your ideas to the table.

Photo Credit: Love Janine

“Organize your life around your dreams – and watch them come true.” – Anonymous

When I first blogged about a common problem many freelancers suffer from (MJSS), I also told you I’d be sharing various, natural ways to cope with the syndrome.

One of the incredible ways to prevent – or treat – multi-job stress syndrome is to get yourself organized, if you aren’t already. It can make all the difference in the world to wake up each morning knowing that when you make your way to your office or desk in the corner, that your files will be neatly categorized, separated, and within quick reach and that your duties for the day are carefully outlined in a calendar or notebook.

Here’s a few tips to help you get started

1. Designate a room (or even the corner of a room) as your work space. Even if you take your laptop to the coffee shop, park, or out on your deck, you’ll have one main place to keep your files and any other tools you need for your business.
2. Find a filing system that works for you. You can do this by color coding, alphabetizing, or separating your work load via date, company, or category.
3. Use Google calender, Microsoft Office, a notebook, or even a good old desk-size calender to organize your time. If you have a list or calender showing you what you need to do for the day, you’ll have a feeling of stability that can calm your frazzled nerves. But even if you don’t accomplish everything on your list or calender for that day, you’ll at least have a sense of direction.
4. Unsubscribe from any junk mail, newsletters, or other emails you receive. By minimizing the amount of email that you’re not going to read anyway, you’ll feel much less stress about checking and responding to emails.
5. Take advantage of the categories and tags your email account offers. If you work with certain companies, clients, and/or editors, make a category (or file) for each one. And then use tags to make searching for your correspondence with them a snap. Use that same filing system for all of your contacts. Separate them according to family, friends, business, etc. If you read an email and need to keep it for future reference, simply file it accordingly before you move on to something else. This will clean up your inbox and make your life so much easier.

All of these tips can quickly and effectively help reduce your multi-job stress syndrome symptoms.

Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.

Do you find that organization helps keep your stress to a minimum, or is your office space a disaster area with all your creative endeavors (and invoices!) strewn all about? ‘Fess up!

Photo Credit: lusi

There are moments in our lives when what was calm and structured becomes haphazard and crazy. It’s necessary to remember to write. Writing encourages your mind to continue developing metaphors, elaborate and descriptive experiences and keeps grammar fresh. For the typical college student, many hours are spent writing and reading. It’s during that time in our lives we are at our peak of writing know-how.

When twenty minutes is all you can spare, consider these ideas:

• Journal
  • Recording the events of your days is not only healthy for releasing tensions and sorting through problems, it can also give ideas for future articles and events transpiring in larger works, including novels.
• Writing Burst
  • Buddy up with a friend who writes.  Plan to do one writing burst a week and exchange them.  You might be pleasantly surprised at what comes through your mailbox and the inspiration it provides.
• Summarize the days events in 100 words or less
  • Keep it short and simple!  By limiting yourself to a small number of words, you will encourage your mind to pinpoint precise events and encourage learning new words to describe more than one action or event.
• Describe your best experience of the week
  • When life becomes chaotic, often times people will focus on the negative instead of look at the positive.  By focusing on the best experience of your week, you will boost your own mood and help change your perspective and disposition into one that is more positive.
• Carry a notebook and pen
  • By having a thought journal or idea journal that you carry, keeping track of ideas or jotting a few lines of a story will help bring those thoughts back to life when you have time to write.

Even though you may find you have no time to write an actual article or full piece of work, by continuing to write you are encouraging yourself to get right back into full-fledged writing once life settles back into routine.  Where can you find twenty minutes throughout your day?

I really love having an opportunity to share this fantastic interview with Christina Katz. I’ve been a fan of Christina’s for a long time and was fortunate enough to meet her at the Writer’s Digest Writer’s Conference in L.A. last year. She really is as lovely in person as she sounds in her books.

While I was at the conference, I picked up an extra copy of her book, Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, and I’d love to give it away to a lucky Writer’s Round-About reader!

How do you win? It’s easy, just leave a comment here and you go into the draw. It really is as simple as that. Of course, if you tweet the contest you’ll get a second entry into the draw and if you add a comment to Christina’s interview you’ll earn a third. Entries close May 31st, 2009 so act now!

Working from home can be very beneficial, but there are also downfalls that can hinder your success if you don’t know how to handle them. Use the following guide to help you keep on track and make working from home a complete success:

Do: Stay in the land of the living

What does this mean? This means getting dressed instead of staying in your pyjamas all day. You don’t have to dress up, but you need to change your clothes to switch out of bedtime and into the work day. Secondly, open the curtains. Let the natural light in. Don’t stay cooped up in the dark all day long. Natural light will help keep your mood up and keep you alert. If the weather permits let the fresh air in too. You’re a writer, this doesn’t mean you have to hide yourself away and become a complete slob.

Don’t: Take personal calls during work hours

Working from home often makes friends and family think that since you’re home you can take calls at leisure and catch up on your work later. They might call you during their lunch hour at work and expect you to adjust your schedule because this is their only time to talk. Maybe your mother is retired and likes to call you during the day and chat. If you’ve already explained to your loved ones that you can’t take phone calls during your work hours, but they still call, this might be a good time to invest in an answering machine. If you can afford it call display is even better since you might get calls from work that you need to take. Expect that some people will get offended that you don’t answer the phone when they know you’re home. Call them back when your work is done.

Do: Take a lunch hour

Working for 8 straight hours straight and alone might start to drive you a little nutty. Take a break for lunch each day. Get out for a short walk. Eat lunch in the park. Do some personal reading. Do anything but work. You deserve a break. If you can swing it, meet up with someone else who works from home so that you both get out and have human contact. You’ll feel better for it.

Don’t: Check your e-mail too often

E-mail can certainly be addictive, fun even, but it can also become very time consuming. Stick to a plan when it comes to your e-mail. If you get a lot of e-mail for work you might want to check it every few hours. If you don’t usually get a lot of work related e-mail each day you can probably stick to checking your e-mail 3 times each day, once in the morning, the afternoon, and at the end of your work day. The important thing to remember is that anyone can wait 12 hours for a reply to an e-mail, so don’t rush yourself or feel anxious to reply right away to e-mail. Personal e-mails can wait longer than work related e-mail. Don’t feel guilty for replying to a friend two days after her e-mail to you. That’s nothing. Another rule of thumb for e-mail is to only open an e-mail when you have time to reply to it. Opening and reading all of your e-mail and then only replying to one is a waste of time.

Do: Have a proper workspace

Placing your workspace in the perfect place can make a lot of difference in how productive you are. If you are in or close to the living room or kitchen you may end up doing things such as dishes, vacuuming, watching a little TV, washing windows, laundry. It always seems to be during the work hours that we “remember” all the chores we need to do. Fight this urge by placing your workspace away from tempting areas. No matter where your workspace is though, remember to keep it your workspace. Do what you can to keep it free of unrelated items (I.e. clothes/toys). Get others into respecting your work area as well. You want this to be the place that you feel good going to every morning.

Don’t: Overwork

If you can manage to work efficiently during your work day, you won’t have to work after hours or on weekends. You can spend that time with family and friends. Getting out of the house during your off hours will also help you to work better at home, because you won’t feel as isolated when you are working inside for 8 hours. Staying home and working 24/7 is enough to make anyone crazy.

by April Aragam

Working from home presents benefits: being closer to family during the day and setting your own hours. But with the good side of working from home also comes some obstacles. Below are four common roadblocks that many writers experience working from home and how you might overcome them.

1. The Roadblock: Feeling Isolated

Even though writing can be a lonely career, it’s important to know where you can turn when you need some human contact. Since most of us write from home the internet is a great place to talk to others. You can choose from forums, chat rooms and e-mail. You might prefer one over the rest or you might like to do a little of each. Sometimes chatting to people in “real time” makes you feel less alone. If you’re someone who needs to get out of the house more you might schedule a weekly afternoon with a friend where you go out for lunch and a walk. And while you’re working at home, make it a habit to open up the curtains.

2. The Roadblock: Phone calls and visits

Yes, it does seem like if you were feeling isolated that getting phone calls and visits from family and friends would be a savior. Unfortunately, it’s not. Often, working from home gives the people in our lives the impression that we’re able to take a break whenever we want because we can “catch up later.” Of course we know that’s not true. We have other responsibilities to take care of. If there is someone in your life who seems to call during your work hours for more than a two minute call or a neighbor who drops by without notice or someone who assumes that you can baby-sit because you’re at home anyway, you need to take control. You need to be able to say “no.” If you do not get calls that are work-related, don’t answer the phone while you’re working at all. If you do get work-related phone calls, invest in caller ID. Though you want to have human contact, you don’t want to be taken advantage of.

3. The Roadblock: Chores and Errands

It is so easy to become distracted by things that have to be done around the home. We sit down to write an article and look over and see a scuff mark on the floor. Better get it right away. Then we pass the kitchen sink where the breakfast dishes sit, practically begging to be done. At least it seems that way when there’s writing to be done. Set aside specific times where you will do house chores. Knowing that you will get them done will take that off of your mind so that you can write. It also helps to have your work area away from these distractions, if at all possible. Like they say, out of site, out of mind.

4. Roadblock: Time Management

Tying in everything discussed above, time management is a must. If you begin your day without a plan, chances are you won’t get as much done as you could. Try to create a to-do list the night before of everything you have to do. This will keep you on track. Instead of writing every little thing that you would like to accomplish (our lists would all be a mile long) write the things that you have to do (writing and non-writing). If it helps you to assign time limits/times for each activity, do that. Whatever helps you to stay on track and get things done is what you should use.

Learn to prioritize your life, the things you do and even the people you spend time with. Unfortunately, we can’t do it all. Simply because someone asks you to do something, doesn’t obligate you to doing it. Set limits and goals for yourself and you’ll surely succeed.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guest post from talented freelancer, April Aragam. What freelancing roadblocks have you come across and how have you overcome them?