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7 Hidden Productivity Killers for Freelance Writers

  • November 6 2014
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Have you ever gotten to the very end of your day only to realize that you haven’t done anything useful with your freelance career? This is quite common, as it’s quite easy to do in the freelance writing field. However, if you want to make a decent paycheck as a writer and not end up spending a 100 plus hours a week writing then it’s crucial that you utilize your time wisely and productively. This means learning to turn down the activities that aren’t moving your freelance writing career in the direction you want it to go. Instead, you need to spend the majority of your time on the things that really matter and not on the things that don’t. Here are seven productivity killers that you need to avoid as a freelance writer.

 

Social Media

You can spend your entire day on YouTube or Facebook or another popular social media outlet, however this is just wasting your valuable time. Letting off steam every once in a while to watch a funny clip or change your status is okay, but if you find yourself doing it multiple times an hour then this is a major productivity killer. In order to avoid this try to write on your desktop instead of in the cloud, and turn all of your browsers off.

 

Over Thinking

Many people who are new to freelance writing end up not being able to move forward in their writing due to too much over thinking and worrying, which become huge productivity killers and time wasters. For instance, if you’re too worried that you’ll make a career misstep and ruin your chances of a successful freelance career or that you’ll come off as a novice then you can end up scaring yourself into doing nothing at all. To avoid this it’s important to keep in mind that everything that you write will build your career, as it continuously adds to your experience dealing with clients and writing.

 

Waiting

For whatever reason, writers love to wait for events to happen to them. Too many times writers will wait for a response or a certain event in order to kick start their career. However, in order to have a successful career you must be a writer, and not a waiter. Never ever just wait and see what happens, as this is a complete waste of your time, time that you could be using more wisely.

 

Not Moving Forward

It can be easy to get pumped for a new client and then end up spending a lot of time with them even when it’s not the best career move. Even when they under pay you or treat you unfairly it can be tricky to move on from your first client. Although it’s easier to stick with what you know instead of facing the unknown, you are wasting your precious time if you aren’t with the right clients and making the right amount of money for your experience and expertise in writing.

 

Ignorance

In some cases you really just don’t have the knowledge you require in order to pursue some type of freelance writing. For instance if you want to become a direct response copywriter or some sort of technical writing for a company, but you don’t have any samples then you need to up your game before you start playing that particular field. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help if you feel in over your head. Whether that’s heading online or finding a mentor to help guide you in the right direction, sometimes that’s all you need to become a successful writer in a particular area.

 

Interruptions

One of the most important job attributes is to have a large chunk of time that you can work without any interruption. Whether it’s the dog asking to be let out or a phone call, when your interrupted from working it takes a significant amount of time to get back into concentrating on your work. To fix this try to minimize as many distractions as possible. Let your family know that you’re working and so are not to be interrupted unless there’s an emergency. Also turn off any technology that will distract you.

 

Air Quality

While the quality of the air may not be very noticeable, it can actually be quite the productivity killer. It is estimated that poor air quality accounts for over $60 billion in health care expenses and lowered productivity every year. Make sure that your workspace is properly ventilated, whether through air conditioning or an open window. It is also quite beneficial to take a breather outside every once in a while, as the fresh air can give you a boost in energy and keep you working hard. Also make sure to keep the room temperature down; as if it gets too hot it can lead to grogginess and lowered attention span.

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Cameron Mackey

Cameron is the Content Manager for the Vorongo Blog. He has spent three years in various content marketing roles. When he is not working with Vorongo he enjoys photography and hiking.

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