Freelancing as a parent

Well, as you can see, I haven’t posted to this blog lately. Pregnancy really took a lot out of me. Two weeks ago I had my beautiful baby boy, and motherhood takes a lot out of me as well.

But I am looking to balance my life and start blogging again as well as ease back into working. I am slated to take six to eight weeks off of my freelance writing, which will be a good amount of time to learn how to manage taking care of a baby as well as do all the other things I need and want to do (like shower, eat, sleep…you know, the basics.)

In eight weeks, I’ll be a pro at caring for my boy (I hope!) and will be able to manage my writing load again. I will also be able to say that I’m a work at home parent.

But until then, I’ve decided to work on my own writing. I mostly want to experiment with passive income and learn some ways to increase my earnings each month. Writer Gig shares her residual income results each month, and she definitely inspires me to increase my earnings. She earned over $600 this past month in residual income. I would be more than thrilled to be earning that much.

My goal is to be earning $100 a month in passive income by the time I am done with maternity leave. Can it happen? I don’t know, but I’m going to give it my best shot. I signed up for eHow a couple of months ago and haven’t done much with it. I think I’ll get going on that and see how it goes. I’m also going to look into writing an ebook, promoting my blogs better, and getting involved in affiliate programs.

I’ll update here with more information as I get it.

How to Avoid Getting Stuck in a Rut

“The drudgery of being a professional writer comes in trying to make good days out of bad days and in squeezing out the words when they won’t just flow.”
-Benjamin Cavell

There are so many benefits to being a freelance writer – the ability to set your own hours, working at your own pace, working wherever you want, all with no boss looking over your shoulder. Sounds like a dream job to me! But sometimes the very things that make freelance writing such a wonderful life also makes it difficult. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut.

Some of the problems I’ve encountered while working as a freelance writer:

• Loss of motivation. With no boss to keep me in line, it can sometimes be difficult to stay focused on the task at hand.

• Writer’s block. Some people say this phenomenon doesn’t exist, but to them, I say “ha!” It’s not fun to feel stuck.

• Lonely. I sometimes feel left out from the rest of the human race (I escaped a cubicle for a reason, but still. A little human interaction once in a while would be nice.)

• In a rut. Working from home can make me feel stir-crazy and stuck in a routine.

These are just a few of the pitfalls I’ve encountered that make me feel that I’m stuck in a rut that I can’t get out of. However, there are some things that can help. I’ve tried a few of these (and need to try a few others) in order for my work to stay fresh and for me to feel energized instead of burned out by the end of the day.

• Create a schedule. If you set up your schedule in advance, it’s much easier to get up and get to work. You know what your hours are, so you stick to them. I’m guilty of getting up in the morning and planning to work “whenever.” You can imagine how well that works. Set a schedule and stick to it.

• Don’t overwork. It’s easy to be lazy when you work from home, but it’s also easy to have the opposite problem. When working from home it can sometimes be hard to separate work time from leisure time. Set a stopping time each day and try to stick to it.

• Define your work space. Are you working at home on the couch in front of the TV? That’s one perk of being a freelance writer, but it can also be counterproductive. Many experts suggest that you set aside a room or a desk just for work. I have not yet been able to bring myself to do this, but I can definitely see why I should.

• Write your top ‘to-dos’. I find it very helpful to write a daily to-do list. That way, I know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. Zen Habits suggests you limit yourself to your top 3 important tasks, but my list always varies.

• Plan for the kids. If you have children at home, your freelance writing business is even more tricky. Do you send your children to daycare, have in-home child care, or do you work around their schedules (working when they sleep, etc.)? I don’t yet deal with this issue (I will someday soon), but I know it is important. Make a plan for your child’s care.

• Alternate work sites. If you work at home every day, the scenery can get old really fast. You eat, sleep, relax AND work in one space. If you can, try writing somewhere new – the library, a coffee shop, your back porch, a park bench, etc. This change of scenery can help with productivity, boredom, and can even spark creativity.

• Leave the house daily. I can’t believe I have to write this one, but for my sake I do! I can be a hermit at times. Without a specific reason, I sometimes don’t even go outside at all during the day. Make yourself leave, even if it’s just for a walk around the block.

• Connect with others. Make it a priority to occasionally meet friends or colleagues for lunch. The use of time and money is well worth it. You get to feel like a regular member of the human race again!

• Join a professional organization. An organization can help you connect to others who are in your same situation. You can also network and get all kinds of business help, too.

• Find support online. An online group can be very helpful, especially if there are no local organizations in your area. You can find fellow writers in forums, networking sites (like Linkedin), and blogs. Though these places can become a time-waster if you let them, there are many benefits to networking online. Need to justify it to yourself? Ok, you can find friends, keep your sanity, learn new things, gain a network of contacts, and even find clients. It’s worth it! Just don’t go overboard.

There you have it. My top tips for staying happy and healthy as a freelance writer. What do you do to keep yourself from falling into a rut?