Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton

I recently attended the Speed Money Seminar and had the opportunity to listen to great speakers such as Alex Mandossian, Armand Morin, Michel and Sylvie Fortin, Matt Bacak, Eric Graham, Ray Edwards, Kirt Christensen, and Stu McLaren.

Throughout the weekend I had hundreds of business ideas and blog posts running through my head. The article that I’ve been most excited to share with you, however, is based on Alex Mandossian’s presentation “How to Get MORE Done…Faster, Better and with Less Human Effort.”

If you’re interested in propelling your freelance writing career to the next level, regardless of what level that might be, read on. If not, you should probably spend your time doing something else.

Goal Setting: Before I pass on the tips Alex shared with me, I want you to think of your goals for the next 12 months, 6 months, 3 months, 30 days, one week, and even one day. If you plan ahead, you’re always heading towards your goals (even if you come up short). But without goals, your direction is a big fat “nowhere.”

• How much money do you want to make next year?
• What project do you want to act on the most?
• What is the least amount of work you need to do to get there?

Sometimes we try to get too fancy with our projects and never get them done. Forget fancy, get functional first!

Secret 1: “Identify your daily interruptions that rob you of the income and lifestyle you know you have always deserved!”

What stops you from accomplishing your dreams? Be honest…

It’s easy to list things such as email, voicemail, postal mail, phone calls, television, internet, etc… But how about family members, new ideas, and pets? Do you love those things – OF COURSE! But do they distract you from success?

By choosing a prime time to work and maximizing your efficiency during this time (NO distractions), you’ll actually have more time later on to do the things you enjoy – such as spending time with family.

“Work Hard, Play Hard” is a concept that works for many – but realize that hard work always comes first. By managing your distractions during your prime time you’ll make it so you have much more time to play.

Secret 2: “Write your action list the night before every workday!”

Planning is the key to success. I’ve touched on this idea before, but it needs to be re-emphasized. By making a to-do list every day of things that can actually be measured, you’ll find you get much more done.

Physical actions help you achieve measurable goals.

Good Example: Get 1 Chapter of eBook Complete .
Bad Example: Work on eBook

Secret 3: “Block out your Prime Time hours to help generate revenue consistently day after day, week after week, month after month.”

Sitting at your desk for 3 hours won’t always help you get 3 hours of work done. Find out what time of the day works best for you and block out any distractions for that period of time.

Let’s face it, as freelancers we often work long days with numerous periods of wasted productivity. Twitter, Facebook, MSN…you name it. Instead of staring at the computer and calling it “work” – take a break when you need to. But when you’re actually working – WORK!

For 30 days, block one 50 minute period of “prime time” each day and focus for 100% of this time. No phones, emails, web surfing, or anything! It will dramatically increase your productivity.

What your butt can’t endure, your mind can’t absorb.

Secret 4: “Find your countdown timer to put psychic pressure on you to get more done – faster, better and with less human effort!”

Alex recommends timeleft.info as a tool for your success. Instead of planning your prime time in 50 minute intervals going up, let it count down. The countdown effect puts added pressure on you to perform and often leads to more productivity!

When the time is up, get off your butt and take a break. Rinse and repeat as necessary.

Secret5: “Capture your BIG IDEAS on a recorder or notepad so you can later transcribe them into your Master BIG IDEA File!”

Question: What is more important than action?
Answer: The thought behind it.

Capture your thoughts so you can take hold of your future. Personally, I never go anywhere without my pen and index cards. Neither should you!

I hope these tips prove to be as useful for you as they have been and will continue to be for me. I challenge you to bookmark this post and revisit it in the future. Hold yourself accountable and work your way towards true freelancing freedom.

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