Freelance writing is a long game. You’ll need to treat each new project with the long-term outcome in mind. When you’re working for yourself, accountability falls on you to organize your work in a productive manner. I have adopted five practices from my experience in the commuter workforce that help me as a freelance writer. In PART ONE of this topic, we covered:
- Meditative Mornings and Active Afternoons
- Chunking Non-billable Items
In this post, I’ll discuss:
- Get Your Team on Board
- No-Work Zones
- Keep at it
Get Your Team on Board
Whether your household members like it or not, they’ve been signed-up as your co-workers by proxy now that you’re freelancing from home. You will need to be pro-active about communicating with your team in terms of boundaries and limitations.
Two specific incidents from my teaching days spring to mind. In one instance, I had a secondary school student inform me that she spent the previous afternoon (after 4pm) searching the (empty) school for me because she wanted to ask questions about an assignment (due the next day, naturally). In another scenario, I arrived to unlock my classroom door at an adult-education centre with a student expressing despair and frustration that he had been waiting in the hallway, “since 7 A.M.” when the city bus dropped him off. Class was a consistent 9 a.m. start time.
In both instances, I had to explain in a matter-of-fact tone the obvious (but not obvious to them) point that I didn’t actually live at the school. I never expected that stating this fact would be necessary, but it was—twice. Communication is therefore important. If a student needs to arrange a meeting time outside of class, then it must be discussed ahead of time. You can’t just show up and expect that I’m available for you on a whim.
In the above cases, the physical boundary of the school setting and the limitation of class time was apparent. What about when your workplace is within your home and you set your own hours? You do work and live in the same place, and your personal life overlaps with it. Your working hours may not automatically be apparent to others. Just like my example, you will have to clearly communicate time limits with your household. You will also need to secure a physical boundary of some sort, even if that means setting a particular room as off-limits for a portion of the day. Obviously, this will require some negotiation and tact. You have to get your team on board with it. You may need to explain in a matter-of-fact tone that your freelancing is actually work and not just time spent at home.
No-Work Zones
Just as you need to carve-out time and space for work, you also need to balance that with a personal life. But let’s return to our good friend human nature for a moment. In my experience working a multitude of jobs—administration, education, fitness, and retail—I have concluded that no person (NO ONE!) wants to work on a Friday. Especially not Friday afternoon. It’s not gonna happen. Even the gym tends to be vacant save for a few regulars pumping-up before they hit the nightclub.
You are probably not an exception to this, either. Don’t schedule yourself to begin a new project at the end of the week. Do not plan to hold intense writing sessions, serious meetings, or training workshops on a Friday. No one will want to play with you. It will be a strain. Take this one from me: Friday is a temporal no-work zone.
What about physical no-work zones? Think of it this way: a guaranteed way to make everyone at the office groan is to approach the lunch table and ask about projections and stats. Ew. It’s break time, dude. We’re in the lunchroom. Eating. Talk about the weekend or something. Keep your stats to yourself.
So, then, as a freelance writer think about how you might sabotage your time off with endless thinking and mind chatter. Set some physical zones that are like the office lunchroom. No work allowed in those spaces. Put a sticky note up if you must. Consider what I said about getting your team on board. Your household members can assist you in putting the breaks on your work when and where it becomes necessary.
Keep at it
As I’ve said before, I worked a variety of commuter jobs. Some were project-based while others were highly repetitive. Some of those jobs were longer-term than others. All were stressful in some way, and each position began with a honeymoon phase that faded into utter despair. This, I’m sorry to tell you, also happens with freelancing. It’s part of human nature to be enthralled with something new, particularly when it’s exciting and packs an adrenaline rush. Working for yourself is wonderful, but it is also scary. You may find yourself in financial peril at some point. Your confidence may wane. Your motivation will falter. Other job prospects may begin to look attractive.
Just like any career path, you need to outline a plan with specific segmented outcomes that lead to an upward trajectory. Freelance writing is project-based work. Get your projects lined-up, work to finish them, and keep at it. I understand this sounds impossible, but you need to know what it is that you’re doing each day. And it cannot be arbitrary.
The reality of having to roll out of bed, sit upright at your keyboard, and “do writing,” sets in pretty hard when your bank account is wheezing and the only communication you’ve received from prospective publishers this past quarter is a series of rejection letters. Ask yourself, “What am I working on today?” Then, follow that up with, “What do I need to do tomorrow?” Keep at it.
I’ve worked a variety of jobs before freelancing as a writer. Start the discussion by telling me about some of your commuter jobs in the comments below. Stay tuned for my next blog post. Wanna get it in your email inbox? Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more.
Cover Image: Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com
Pauline Shen 