New York Times recently published an article about blogging entitled “In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop.”

“They work long hours, often to exhaustion. Many are paid by the piece — not garments, but blog posts. This is the digital-era sweatshop. You may know it by a different name: home.”

Does this hit home for you? Perhaps you’re not a blogger, but you’re a freelance writer and an independent business owner. You’ve given up on the 9-5 for a career that is much more exhausting…

…but it doesn’t have to be this way.

As a rather new freelance writer with nine months full-time under my belt, I’ve struggled with many of the issues mentioned in the article. I’ve pulled all-nighters so I could meet a deadline, I’ve worked 70 hour weeks so I could stay on top of things, and I’ve spent three days straight without leaving the house.

It’s not healthy and it’s not sustainable…but it’s not the only way. In fact, it’s the wrong way!

Sometimes you’ll be writing away and all the world will escape you. You think you’re being productive when there are much better options right around the corner. You might be typing like mad for $15/hour, but passing up other opportunities for triple the pay without even realizing it. You don’t need to work harder to make it as a freelance writer. You need to work smarter.

The five main reasons why I am a freelance writer are:

• I love writing
• I enjoy being my own boss
• I like setting my own schedule
• I enjoy being at home
• I like the feeling of running my own business

You might have other reasons, but they’ll all be based on the same ideas: doing what you want, when you want, where you want, how you want, and with whoever you want. You can choose your projects, arrange your own schedule, work anywhere, and be extremely selective with your clients…if you want.

The sad thing is, most freelancers end up getting pushed around instead of grabbing hold of the life they’ve been chasing.

If you aren’t getting the exercise you need, spending quality time with family members, or able to do the activities you like doing - then you’re not running your freelance business the right way.

The internet moves 500 miles per hour and there’s no way you can keep up with it, so stop trying! Stop bidding on 50 projects a day, stop reading every blog post in your reader, stop ordering more eBooks than you can handle, stop subscribing to every eZine that appeals to you… YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT ALL!

Instead, take a deep breath and relax. Of course you can learn from others in the business - but it doesn’t mean you have to immerse yourself into everything that’s available.

Instead, figure out the fundamental elements of your business (the things that make you successful) and cut the fat. You could refer back to the 80/20 rule if you want… or you could just take my word for it.

By finding out what you NEED to get done and then looking at everything you’re actually doing, you’ll understand how to cut the waste out of your everyday life.

• Are you working for 12 hours a day but only billing for four? That’s a problem.
• Are you checking email every other hour? That’s a problem.
• Do you get distracted by phone calls, internet surfing, and other off-topic tasks? That’s a problem.

By cutting out your problems and un-gluing yourself from the never ending buzz of the internet you’ll realize that you don’t have to work so hard, you don’t need to be so stressed… you just need to focus and be more efficient.

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