6 Ways to Use Down Time to Elevate Your Writing Career!

Though there are no scientific studies to support my theory, or quantitative statistics from which to draw, I’d bet that if many of us could recover the collective time we’ve spent waiting in a “hold” pattern for something or someone before we could move to the next stage, we could add years on to our lives.

Whether it’s the time we spend on hold waiting for a customer service rep to help us with a problem over the phone, the time in between meeting a guy who takes our phone number and promises to call, the lapse between our “appointment” time and when we actually “see” the doctor, or the seemingly eternal wait from when we submit a creative piece and hear the status from an editor. It can play out like dog years.

There’s no doubt about it: down time can get you down! For some it’s seen as unproductive and unsettling.

But, when it comes to a creative career, you can’t afford to let “the wait” wreak havoc with your productivity, play mind games with you, or cause you to question your ability and shake your confidence.

Why? Because time is money. And how you spend it will determine how profitable you will ultimately become.

I admit, that in the infancy of my career, I didn’t always know this. I’d use down-time for pity parties, second guessing my goals, and being detoured on the road to success.

And though there is a grain of truth to the expression, “Good things come to those who wait”, it’s important to know how to wait productively for optimal results.

Here are a few fruitful lessons I‘ve learned along the way:

1. Set long term and short term goals.
This way, you’re always working towards something and are able to recognize that some projects may not pan out right away. The proper mindset will keep you motivated to go the distance.

2. Refuse to be beat.
Use your waiting experience to pen a creative poem, column, or personal essay. And get paid by default. What did you learn about yourself? How would you improve or streamline the process? Discuss whether or not you believe that “patience is a virtue.” Don’t forget to include relevant anecdotes and “ah-ha” moments.

3. Quit checking your Emails a hundred times a day.
Use that time to do research, read a good book to inspire you, or to declutter your work space.

4. Follow-up.
That’s right; put the ball in your court. Sometimes you can be waiting for an answer on a submission that was never received! I’ve actually had it happen a few times where I was waiting for weeks to hear from editors, who due to “cyberspace mishaps”, or crowded “spam folders,” I discovered the work was never viewed or received. Always be sure to be pleasant, professional, and “non-stalkish” in your follow-up interaction. Be prepared to resend.

5. Work on your blog.
Time spent on improving your blog, or connecting with your blog “community”, or honing your craft is never wasted. Not to mention, it can be relaxing and rewarding.

6. Be strategic.
To get more out of your efforts, consider doing simultaneous submissions. By doing so, you increase your publication odds, and decrease the time spent waiting to get the green light to move forward and to get paid.

In the famous words of Elvis Prseley, “Only fools rush in.” Give your creative efforts and your career the needed time it takes to grow and flourish. For each artist the timeframe differs.

As long as you are continuously making progress, and making sound decisions, rest assured that you’re on the “write” track and the money will follow.

How do you deal with down time? Does it get you down?

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7 Ways to Make More Time to Make More Money

One of the biggest challenges for today’s successful writer is time management.
Let’s face it: in a tough economy, many of us are expected to do more with fewer resources.

Add to this, the never-ending juggling of family obligations, projects around the house, marketing for new clients, and “socializing” via the ever-present social media scene. Hello!

Still, the savvy scribe recognizes that there is great truth to the adage, “time is money”, and acts accordingly.

So, today, let’s look at some ways to make the most of your time, to make the most profit, and move forward in your freelance career.

1. Learn that there is a difference between being “busy” and being “productive“. Surfing the Net for hours is being busy, researching on the Net to write a feature piece, or to gather statistics for an interview is being productive.

2. Control your daily distractions. What’s your guilty pleasure? Some are FaceBook fanatics. Others let computer games get in the way. I personally dig music videos on You Tube. It’s okay to indulge in moderation; it can break up the monotony. But give it a limit. Time, like money, should be budgeted wisely for the best results.

3. Work smarter, not harder. Instead of spending endless hours drafting and crafting queries, expend that energy into polishing pieces for editors that don’t require queries in order for you to get paid and published. Go even further. Once you’ve sold those pieces, don’t stop there; sell them as reprints (if your retain the rights, of course).

4. Rise early. There’s great truth to the adage, “The early bird gets the worm.” Believe it or not, there is so much more productivity for those that get up and get going early in the a.m. And I should know--I’m one of them! I can tell you that lines at the grocery stores are usually shorter and faster, there are fewer phone calls to answer, traffic is lighter, and
there’s a greater climate of calm, (which facilitates creativity), before the hustle and bustle of the day really sets in.

5. Be wise and prioritize. With only 24 hours afforded each day, it’s virtually impossible to cross everything off those pesky to-do lists. A better game plan is to get the most important stuff out of the way. Why? Missed deadlines for clients, or missed due dates for bills can cause stress and unwanted penalties. Stress can impact creativity. No output means no income. Get my drift?

6. Set Goals. Goals are like a compass that guides direction. This ensures that you spend less time being lost on the road to success. For example, every year I set short and long term goals that govern how I spend my time and where I want to be in my career. Consequently, everything I do either supports my goals, or takes away from them. This mindset keeps me on track. It will for you too.

7. Make multi-tasking a daily practice. Though there are different schools of thought on this one, I can attest that it helps me to get more out of my days. Of course, it should be noted, that not all tasks can successfully be done simultaneously. Like, I wouldn‘t advise texting while driving. Or cooking while shampooing your hair. Use proper discernment.


Follow these seven tips and you’ll have more money and more time to spend it.

IMAGE John Kasawa

Guest Post***The Roar Series**Marla Beck Coaches Writers to Peak Performance

The Time-Management Trap that Keeps Women from their Writing

As a professional life coach for writers, I've peeked into the lives of many talented freelancers, academics and aspiring women writers who really want to finish a novel, book proposal or other writing project. Trouble is, they just can't seem to find the time they need to write!

If this sounds like you, read on to discover the biggest time-management trap that keeps women from their writing. With a simple shift in your perspective, you may be surprised to find how easy it is to begin writing again.

The Trap: "I've just gotta' catch up before I can sit down to write."

Are you the kind of writer who needs to empty the dishwasher, finish your paid writing assignments, return every phone call and fold the laundry before you give yourself permission to sit down and work on your own writing?

Got news for you, sister. You'll never be caught up with day-to-day tasks. Waiting until you're "all caught up" is your mind's brilliant tactic to keep you "busy," keep you safe...and keep you from your own writing. (Ask me how I know!)

The Solution: Pay Yourself First

It may seem paradoxical, but "paying yourself first" is the key to moving your writing forward and working more productively during the rest of your day.

Try using this strategy for one week. Get up half-hour earlier if you have to. Ignore your to-do list and turn off your phone. Let yourself write for just thirty to sixty minutes a day.

As you pay yourself first, you may notice your mind pipes up with a host of seemingly convincing reasons why you actually shouldn't be writing. The trick here is to observe, but not buy into, your resistance. Common scripts to watch out for include thoughts that tell you shouldn't be writing because:

• your writing "stinks,"
• you need to be working on paid writing assignments instead, or
• you aren't yet a good enough writer and don't "deserve" to take yourself seriously.

It's natural for your mind to try and derail you, so don't think that if you have these thoughts, you're doing something wrong. As you learn to pay yourself first, your job is simply to notice these scripts for what they are (derailing thoughts) and to persist in showing up for your writing anyways.

Try It!

"Pay yourself first" for one week and watch your word count add up (and your overall sense of happiness grow). If you're like many of my coaching clients, you'll find that this simple practice will energize you, help you experience a new sense of integrity, and create a solid foundation for creating even more time to write.

BIO
Professional Life Coach for Writers, Marla Beck, MFA, CTACC, helps seasoned freelancers and other writers to balance their lives and reach their writing goals. For more time management tips for writers, subscribe to The Relaxed Writer, a free monthly e-zine, at www.CoachMarla.com. Read more articles on productivity, creativity and life balance for writers at Coach Marla's blog, www.TheRelaxedWriter.com.

Pen and Prosper welcomes your comments on this post. What are your typical time management traps and how do you handle them? Do you have a system for approaching and completing your writing projects?