by Leanne Boyd

Freelancing is a hard way to go. If you’ve done any amount of freelance work, you know that is an understatement! The benefits of freelancing as compared to a 9-to-5 J.O.B. are exactly why we’ve chosen the consulting route, and mostly… we are very happy we did. However, sometimes it is difficult to keep all the parts and pieces of our business together in a cohesive way, fit for daily life. And when you stumble upon a real GUIDE, you snatch it up immediately and add it to your arsenal!

This article is a brief review of one such tool I just found today. The Guide to Becoming a Happy Freelancer on the Spoonfed Design web site is a collection of advice that… well, that perhaps we already KNOW much of it, but have not taken it to heart. The chaos of today’s work world is calling us all back to basics and good sense. If we continue to ignore these basics, it will take its toll on our health and our business.

This guide needs to read in its entirety so I will not spoil things. Matt, over at Spoonfed, has a blog full of similar excellent articles, so click over there and add things that will advance your way in the freelancing world!

Some Excerpts…

Stay Healthy. Very good tips on exercise and getting enough sleep. Also, a discussion of “Coffee Vs. Tea.” Although I don’t entirely agree with banning coffee… and many of the comments agreed with me… many of us just do NOT handle high amounts of caffeine very well. This guide may give you pause to ponder on your personal situation. As an adult with ADHD/ADD, the entire scope of caffeine effects are turned backwards. Caffeine actually acts as a sedative of sorts rather than an energy boost. Coffee is a pretty good choice for me, whereas tea “tannins” upset my digestive system. The debate goes on but the primary thing is to focus on what you take into your body, and the effects that food and drink have on you.
 

Step Away from the Computer, Get Outside. The article has very good advice for putting spaces in your work day. I am a person with disability and it’s so essential for me to plan spots in my day where I actually leave my home and get OUT. I am a member of the “mobile society,” and I don’t mean telephone! My home and my workspace are the RV lifestyle. It’s important to expand your movement space as well as visual space, and just get the heck out. Take a walk or putter in your garden. Meet with friends for an hour over … oh no! … a cup of coffee and great conversation. I take my dog to the local park at the river front, at least once per week. Fresh air is so needed to clear all those plans and projects out of your head for even a little while. As freelancers working from home, it’s too easy to get caught up in 20-hour workathons that leave us drained.
 

Don’t Overbook Yourself. This, along with the discussion on Procrastination were very good advice for me. Be KIND to you; you are the only you you have. Uh… if you followed that. I find that these two items are forever intertwined. Procrastination leads to a frenzy once you realize how far behind you are, and thus the tendency to overbook projects. This, for me, can easily lead to a vicious circle. Just STOP. Use this article, go Google advice on time management. Once you get ahold of the cycle of putting things off, all the rest of it can be managed.

Take care of yourself is the base message of Matt’s writing. Believe it or not, as a freelancer, you are the envy of many around you! Lots of people would give anything to be in your position, but haven’t reached a place where they are comfortable making the decision to go out on their own. So YOU are a model to them. Using advice like the Spoonfed Design Guide, you can carefully polish your life and career style.

Tweet This Post

Tags: Build Relationships, Build Reputation, career and job search, Consulting, Contract Job, Entrepreneur, Find Writing Jobs Online, Freelance, freelance copywriting, Freelancing, home based business, Networking, RV Living, start a business of your own, Tough Economy, work from home, Write for Us

Posted by 1WebDiva Freelancing, Global Economy, Your Own Business  Subscribe to RSS feed