I originally gave up my full time job in September 2009 for five months
to write a book. I didn't know it was going to be for five months, but
I'd given myself a six month deadline, not knowing how I would cope
working in a completely different environment without people around me.
The book was something I'd been working on for ten years and I was
desperate to put it to bed so I could move on with other writing
projects. I'm happy to say I achieved it. Five months later I went back
into full time employment, found an agent, found a publisher and the
book was finally out there.
Thinking
I'd like to give being my own boss another go and explore more of the
new publishing model, I started my freelancing journey at the beginning
of 2012, but I quickly realised I was trying to cover too much ground. I
was in the midst of a giant project (my 30 Things to do before I'm 30)
and couldn't stop myself hurtling along. I'd already started two months
later than planned and was cramming in lots of travel and so many
activities. The plan did change as I moved through the months, and while
I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, I ended up branching
even further out into the unknown. Looking back at it now, that year was
more about having fun than concentrating on my writing, but I blurred
the line. I wasn't clear on what I was trying to achieve. The original
plan was to clear the decks whilst having fun, but I flipped
that idea on myself. I even took up a part time job two thirds of the
way into the year - and that definitely hadn't been part of the plan!
So here's a few things from the second installment of my being my own boss I'd like to share with you:
It sounds obvious but be clear on your objective. What is the ultimate goal here? First time around, I knew exactly what I wanted to accomplish and I did it. Second time, it was very confusing. And
I caused that confusion on myself. Yes I had a fabulous year, but it
was a completely different ending to what I'd originally intended. By
the time I turned 30, I still had a mass of unfinished projects.
Don't start freelancing in multiple projects unless you are extremely disciplined.
I know I need very strict deadlines. I'm more effective when I work on
one thing, see it through to completion and then move onto the next.
It's also better for my frame of mind. Putting this to the test, in only
four weeks (last month) I completed a couple of guides for freelancing
and publishing and a poetry anthology. To put how amazing this is for me
into perspective, these are projects I've been thinking about for a few
years!
Be ahead of the game,
not continually running behind. In January 2012 I had a three week
holiday in Canada and I was very relaxed and focused. Even coming in two
months behind schedule appeared to be ok in my mind and I started out with the very best of intentions, but as soon as I got home, things spiralled. 30 Things plans completely overran any initial freelancing plans.
Finally, depending on how you work best and your circumstances, if you feel yourself drifting away from the main goal, have the discipline to pull yourself back in the game.
For me, in this particular case, until my 30 Things was over, there was
no point in trying to do any serious freelance work. I had so many
exciting things going on, it was impossible to focus. And I didn't feel
so bad about this because 1) it was self induced and actually I was
supposed to be going a little crazy and having fun and 2) I could see an
end. Once I hit 30, it was crack down time.
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