One of the things so many freelance writers love about their jobs is that they have complete and total freedom to adjust their schedule and control their work hours. Many freelance writers find that this gives them a higher quality of life as they don’t constantly have to be running out to a 9-to-5 job and otherwise being a part of the “rat race.” Yet with this freedom comes the complication that involves finding that perfect amount of work that will pay your bills and help you support a certain lifestyle without being burdensome in any way. Here are some tips to help you manage your workload so you can live the ideal life you want to enjoy:
Look at Your Income. First and foremost, you need to have a dollar amount in mind that you want to shoot for each week or each month. For some, this will be a minimum amount they need to pay their bills and make ends meet. For others, it will be an ideal income that will help you to lead a comfortable lifestyle. Before you can begin to schedule your work hours, you have to have your own magic figure in the back of your mind so you have a number to shoot for. This will tell you if you are working more hours than you need to be working or not enough.
Look At Your Personal Life. Some people truly enjoy living the life of a freelance writer because it allows them to head to the gym in the middle of the afternoon, go for a leisurely coffee with friends in between projects, run errands during non-peak times, and more. Others enjoy freelance writing because it gives them the ability to care for sick family members, stay home with the kids, and more. Your work load will be dictated not just by how much money you need or want to make but also by what you have going on in your life, too. Hopefully, these two factors will come together perfectly for you.
Stay Busy. Now that you have a very realistic idea of how much you can work and how much you want or need to work, your next goal is to find enough work as well as the right work so that you can stay busy each and every day. Most freelance writers enjoy the stability that comes with working with regular clients on an on-going basis, but it can take some time to find the right mix of clients so that you are not working too much or too little for your needs and lifestyle.
Planning Ahead. As a freelance writer, you will always want to have an eye to the future with regards to your schedule. If your work is truly stable, you may not need to prepare a daily work schedule. Many freelance writers, however, do work on different projects each day, and so you do need to create a work schedule at least a few days in advance. This way, you can anticipate when your workload will be slowing down, and you can make an effort to take on new projects to keep your workload stable and your income level even.
While freelance writing does come with some incredible benefits that many of your friends working in 9-to-5 jobs are probably green with envy about, it does take some effort on your part to stay busy and to keep funds flowing into your bank account on a regular basis. You will find that these tips can help you develop a work schedule and manage your workload so that you you do achieve this ideal level of income.
