Popular Reviews

 

Learn the profitable craft of direct response copywriting...with Michael Masterson's Accelerated program for Six-Figure Copywriting

 

Know how much to charge for every type of copywriting job...The 2005 Freelance Copywriter Fee & Compensation Survey

 

Make money writing about health and fitness...with Secrets of Writing for the Health Market

 

Travel the world and make money...with The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course

 

Make money writing resumes...with Start your own Resume Writing Business

 

Create powerful letters in just minutes with Yanik Silver's Instant Sales Letters

 


 

 

Slow Down and Prosper

by Nick Usborne

 

My advice in this article bucks the trend a bit.

 

Early each year we see a flurry of activity from various gurus who want to teach you how to optimize your time.

 

They sell books, seminars and systems that show you how best to organize each day, maximize your productivity and achieve your goals faster.

 

On the face of it, there is nothing wrong with that.

 

It’s a good thing to be well organized.

 

And if you want to make more money as a freelancer this year, you would do well to become more productive.

 

That way you’ll get each job done faster and be able to take on more work.

 

So where’s the problem?

 

Don’t organize yourself out of having a life...

 

I think there comes a point where you can get yourself a little too hyped up.

 

If you reinvent yourself as a productivity machine, it makes some significant changes in your life.

 

You start measuring each day in fifteen minute increments. Even during your lunch break you become overly aware of how time is passing. You cease to enjoy your break, because there’s a clock ticking in your head.

 

Fixating on productivity alone can also blind your creative side

 

When you break your day down into blocks of time for particular tasks, and move from one to the next in record time, you’ll end up having a very productive day.

 

You’ll get lots done, but you’ll lose something too.

 

When you discipline, regiment and control your thinking beyond a certain point, you start to lose the ability to think freely, to make creative associations, to free your intuition and explore new insights and ideas.

 

In short, if you organize your day too much, you run the risk of being less creative.

 

Not science, but it feels right...

 

I have no evidence to support these views. But I know that what I describe is true at least for myself.

 

I can work both ways. I can work in a super-optimized way and be incredibly productive. And I can sit back a little, maybe get less done...but allow myself more time for free thinking and discovery.

 

Concluding thoughts...

 

It’s about finding a balance.

 

You need to be organized enough to be productive, get the work done and make good money.

 

But you also need to give yourself the freedom to “float” a little, and benefit from the more creative insights that can follow.

 

And here’s one more thought. There have been times in my career when I have maintained a super-productive mode for weeks and months on end. I was a real work machine.

 

And you know what? I was miserable. I made good money, but burned out and didn’t enjoy my life very much.

 

Like I said, it’s a matter of finding the right balance.

 

 

Related learning materials:

 

Nick Usborne's Million Dollar Secrets to Online Copywriting

The demand for print and direct mail copywriters is static, to say the least. The real demand right now is for copywriters who have the skills to write effective copy for the web. This is a professional-grade course that will make you a specialist in online copywriting. This is where the future for copywriters lies! More about this online copywriting course...

 

 

Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

Improve your copywriting skills and enter the very lucrative market for direct marketing copywriters. This is a comprehensive course and my #1 recommendation for anyone who wants to learn how to write copy that drives results. Read my in-depth review

 

 

Writing for the Web

Get this 35-page Guide FREE when you sign up for the Excess Voice Newsletter.

 

Get your copy of Writing For the Web #1 - 7 Challenges every Writer and Copywriter faces when writing for the Web.

 

PLEASE NOTE: This is my new newsletter, for my site at nickusborne.com, and replaces the old Freelance Writing Success Newsletter. However, the focus is still on writing for the web and freelancing. So don’t be confused when you find links to my nickusborne.com site in each issue! : )

 

Sign up NOW and I'll send you the link where you can download this 35-page guide...

 

Sign Up for my Excess Voice Newsletter...

(Your email address will be used only for the purpose of sending you this newsletter, and you'll be free to unsubscribe at any time.)

 

 

Copyright FreelanceWritingSuccess.com. All Rights Reserved.