4 Simple Guidelines to Becoming More Social While Maintaining Your Success
from Freelance Switch

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 06:52 PM CDT
Most of us have heard the cliché about the single freelancer who works around the clock from their home, devoid of any social life and consequently a sense of real purpose and meaning. The nature of freelancing lends itself to late nights and long hours, and we tend to shut out the world around us. We focus all of our energy on clients and deadlines, but we lose focus on one of the essential pieces in the pie of life: social interaction.

I was that cliché freelancer. All I was concerned with was becoming successful in my freelance career. My time and energy was completely consumed by my projects. When I finished one project, my focus quickly moved on to the next. I felt empty. I had everything I could have asked for from a freelance career, but in the process I had left my social life in the dust. It came to a point that I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a meaningful conversation with someone who wasn’t paying me!

I wanted to keep my success, but I knew changes had to be made to live a more social lifestyle. One night I sat down in my office and came up with 4 simple guidelines that would improve my social life, while also maintaining my freelance success.

1. Sleep at night, work during the day.

This seems like a no-brainer, right? Wrong. For the single freelancer, a normal sleep schedule can be very tough to maintain. I was stuck in a late night/early morning work routine for a very long time. I would usually sleep from noon to 8:00 p.m. It’s tempting to work long hours late into the night, but you can’t maintain a social life if everyone you know is sleeping while you’re awake!

Make a concerted effort to work during the day and be in bed by midnight every night. You’ll be more available for your friends and clients, and you will inevitably be much happier socially.

2. Get out of the house at all costs.

What good are your dashing good looks and charming personality if you spend all of your time confined within your home? I made a list of the cafés in my area with free wi-fi. Every week I spend a couple of hours working from each of them. I’ve found that I’m more productive when I vary my working areas, and I’m meeting people who do what I do. Just last week I met a freelance writer who was working from the café for much the same reason I was.

You can take this guideline ultra-literally too. On nice days I work in my front yard! I have a high-tech office setup that consists of a lawn chair and a patio table. You wouldn’t believe the interesting conversations I’ve had with neighbors and passersby!

3. Take classes or attend conferences related to your work.

There’s no better way to meet people that have similar interests to you. Sign up for one or two classes per week. Attend a local conference related to your field. Not only will you meet and talk to many interesting people, but you will also pick up valuable skills to help you differentiate yourself from the average freelancer. There is much to learn from people more skilled than you. Even better, speak at a conference on a topic of your expertise. You will find that people will want to talk and learn from you after the show is over.

4. Make your clients your friends.

Why not have fun with the people that you’re forced to interact with anyway? This idea can be somewhat controversial among freelancers, but I’ve had no problems with my client relationships. Often, instead of a boring meeting or a series of emails, I will invite my client to some kind of social event to discuss their project.

You can try the basics like coffee or lunch, or you can invite your client to a round of golf or a sporting event. I have one client that I know will give me more work in the future, solely because I spent some extra time getting to know him and his project on the golf course!

At first it was a constant struggle to implement these guidelines into my life. I had to get away from the unhealthy habits that had become painfully comfortable. Now, these guidelines are second nature to me. I’ve learned to get my work done without burying my social life. I couldn’t live any other way, and I’m happier, healthier, and more productive for it!

John is a freelance web designer based in Troy, Michigan. He enjoys writing about true life experiences in the freelance world.

4 Simple Guidelines to Becoming More Social While Maintaining Your Success
from Freelance Switch

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 06:52 PM CDT
Most of us have heard the cliché about the single freelancer who works around the clock from their home, devoid of any social life and consequently a sense of real purpose and meaning. The nature of freelancing lends itself to late nights and long hours, and we tend to shut out the world around us. We focus all of our energy on clients and deadlines, but we lose focus on one of the essential pieces in the pie of life: social interaction.

I was that cliché freelancer. All I was concerned with was becoming successful in my freelance career. My time and energy was completely consumed by my projects. When I finished one project, my focus quickly moved on to the next. I felt empty. I had everything I could have asked for from a freelance career, but in the process I had left my social life in the dust. It came to a point that I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a meaningful conversation with someone who wasn’t paying me!

I wanted to keep my success, but I knew changes had to be made to live a more social lifestyle. One night I sat down in my office and came up with 4 simple guidelines that would improve my social life, while also maintaining my freelance success.

1. Sleep at night, work during the day.

This seems like a no-brainer, right? Wrong. For the single freelancer, a normal sleep schedule can be very tough to maintain. I was stuck in a late night/early morning work routine for a very long time. I would usually sleep from noon to 8:00 p.m. It’s tempting to work long hours late into the night, but you can’t maintain a social life if everyone you know is sleeping while you’re awake!

Make a concerted effort to work during the day and be in bed by midnight every night. You’ll be more available for your friends and clients, and you will inevitably be much happier socially.

2. Get out of the house at all costs.

What good are your dashing good looks and charming personality if you spend all of your time confined within your home? I made a list of the cafés in my area with free wi-fi. Every week I spend a couple of hours working from each of them. I’ve found that I’m more productive when I vary my working areas, and I’m meeting people who do what I do. Just last week I met a freelance writer who was working from the café for much the same reason I was.

You can take this guideline ultra-literally too. On nice days I work in my front yard! I have a high-tech office setup that consists of a lawn chair and a patio table. You wouldn’t believe the interesting conversations I’ve had with neighbors and passersby!

3. Take classes or attend conferences related to your work.

There’s no better way to meet people that have similar interests to you. Sign up for one or two classes per week. Attend a local conference related to your field. Not only will you meet and talk to many interesting people, but you will also pick up valuable skills to help you differentiate yourself from the average freelancer. There is much to learn from people more skilled than you. Even better, speak at a conference on a topic of your expertise. You will find that people will want to talk and learn from you after the show is over.

4. Make your clients your friends.

Why not have fun with the people that you’re forced to interact with anyway? This idea can be somewhat controversial among freelancers, but I’ve had no problems with my client relationships. Often, instead of a boring meeting or a series of emails, I will invite my client to some kind of social event to discuss their project.

You can try the basics like coffee or lunch, or you can invite your client to a round of golf or a sporting event. I have one client that I know will give me more work in the future, solely because I spent some extra time getting to know him and his project on the golf course!

At first it was a constant struggle to implement these guidelines into my life. I had to get away from the unhealthy habits that had become painfully comfortable. Now, these guidelines are second nature to me. I’ve learned to get my work done without burying my social life. I couldn’t live any other way, and I’m happier, healthier, and more productive for it!

John is a freelance web designer based in Troy, Michigan. He enjoys writing about true life experiences in the freelance world.

Make More Time for Yourself
Here’s how to tame your schedule — and claim carefree minutes for yourself
from real simple.com

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1734800-1815371,00.html?xid=weeklynews

Time can be on your side — if you re-shape your schedule. With the help of a dozen psychologists, researchers, and coaches, Real Simple came up with a three-part plan to reseize the day.

Step 1: Step Back (for a Second)
Figure out why you want more free time. “You can’t win a game you haven’t defined,” says David Allen, a productivity expert and the author of the best seller Getting Things Done (Penguin Books, $15, www.amazon.com). You’ll be more motivated to change if you have a specific goal.

Make a wish list. Write down all the activities that you long to do more of — whether they’re things that make you happy, relaxed, sane(r), or all three. For example: going for a swim, sleeping until you’re no longer tired, volunteering on a project you care about, or getting an hour all to yourself. Rank the items in order of importance to you, then pick one or two to focus on first. (Once you get the hang of this system, you can address the rest.)

Now write down how you really spend your time. If it’s all one makelunchcarpoolrunlikeachickenwithitsheadcutoff blur, keep a detailed diary for a few days. (Want some encouragement — and comfort that someone’s life is as crazy as yours? Check out the diaries of three Real Simple readers.) “You might be surprised by how little time you spend doing things you love most,” says Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a father of three young children who transformed a diagnosis of fatal pancreatic cancer into a crusade to urge others to live every moment. The Last Lecture (Hyperion, $22, www.amazon.com), a book he coauthored, is a New York Times best seller. Says Pausch, “The key question to keep asking is, Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have.”