This month we’re sitting down with Jenn Mattern, a Pro Business Writer and the owner of All Freelance Writing. Jenn answered some questions about managing your writing business and making a profit. Her answers were so thorough, in fact, that we’re spreading them out over the month of August in a column called “Ask Jenn.” Read the first one if you missed it.
How to Avoid Writing Burnout When Freelancing
Corey: You’ve been doing this for a -long- time. How do you avoid burnout?
Jenn: I take time off whenever I need it. If I want vacation time, I take it. If I want a personal day to recharge, I take it (assuming there are no deadlines that day). If I’m sick, I take downtime to feel better because I’m no good to clients in that state. It’s in everyone’s interest that you avoid burning out, and the only way to do that is to find the right balance for you.
In my case, I only work four days per week. Weekends never felt long enough. By the time I was able to unwind, Monday was coming around again. So I said enough was enough. I now take off every Friday. I also set my general work schedule around times when I’m most productive. I don’t follow this schedule every day, but I try to. It involves getting up at 4am, and starting work at 5am. I work until noon.
I’ve found that I get more done and earn more money working 28 hours a week than I ever did when I was working 40, 60, or even more. People waste a lot of time during the week, and they don’t often realize how much until they pare it down and have to prioritize better. It forces you to streamline things and find ways to work more efficiently. Once you learn how to do that, the “work smarter, not harder” principle kicks in. You can earn more while working less. And nothing beats burnout better than that.
Jenn’s #1 Freelancing Tip
Market yourself every day, even when you’re busy. It can be as little as commenting on others’ blogs or as big as overhauling your marketing plan. Work to build and maintain your visibility. Stay in touch with past and current clients to land new gigs from them. And be an active member of your professional network to increase the number of referrals you get. Every little bit counts and when you’re good at marketing your freelance services, you can largely avoid the up / down cycle so commonly associated with freelancing.
How Do You Avoid BurnOut?
What’s your number one tip for avoiding freelancing burn-out?
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