I Took A Weekend Off And The World Didn’t End

As freelance writers, especially when we’re starting out, we often find ourselves working even longer hours than when we had a 9 to 5 job. I know I did — and still do sometimes. It’s a far cry from the dream of setting your own hours. I found myself working during the day, in the evenings and on weekends for quite a long time.

On the plus side, I was able to do phenomenal amounts of work and I boosted my freelance writing income considerably. On the minus side, I didn’t spend much time with my family and I was always tired. Something had to give — and I didn’t plan for that something to be me.

I decided to do something about it. After all, if I plan correctly, then I shouldn’t need to work every evening and weekend. So I worked out how much I wanted to write in a day and I took jobs that would average out to that level.

It’s amazing what a difference it has made. In most cases, I complete my work while my daughter’s at school, leaving plenty of time for supervising homework and playing. And although I usually do a late night email check (mainly because I have some UK clients), I no longer spend all night at the computer. Instead, I catch a movie, chat with my family and relax.

At the weekend, I go to the beach or the coffee shop, and only work for a couple of hours. And guess what? It makes me a much more effective freelance writer. I’m not as tired and I have more balance in my life. And the world didn’t end. How have you changed your working practices since you first started writing?