Your energy is one of your most precious assets.
When you take excellent care of yourself, you show up to write feeling creative, intellectually engaged, emotionally stable and physically energized. With this foundation of “alive” energy, the sky’s the limit in your writing business: you’re free to dream up new story ideas, discover new income streams and expand your network with confident, happy energy!
But without realizing it, many mid-career professionals and freelancers struggle to stay alert, fresh and alive. They forget to be their own best advocate. They hold themselves back by saying “Yes” to activities and opportunities that don’t serve them.
(If only I had a nickel for each time I’ve had this conversation with my private clients! If you find saying “No” a challenge, trust me — you’re not alone.)
Use this handy checklist and start harnessing your attention, energy, time or focus for your most important writing projects:
1. “Yes, I’ll take it.”
If you’re an established writer, you may be proud of relationships you’ve built with assigning editors and clients who feed you a steady stream of work. It feels great to not have to pitch or query, right?
But to make a change or leap in your career, chances are, you’re going to have to start deciding what assignments serve you and which ones don’t, any more. (No one said growing a career was easy, my friend!)
Start saying “Yes” to just the assignments that serve you, and watch your energy soar.
2. “Yes, I’ll do it.”
If you are active in your community or a parent of school-aged children, no doubt you’ve been asked to promote a cause, run a fundraiser or write a newsletter. As an independently employed professional, some folks see you as an ideal volunteer. (You can write? And you’re available during business hours? How convenient!)
Give yourself 24 hours and check in with a coach or trusted friend before you say “Yes” to new volunteer commitments. Community engagement is a beautiful thing, but you need to be sure your volunteer work doesn’t drain you of the energy, creativity and focus you need to pursue your writing goals.
3. “Okay. I’ll put you (and you, and you, and you) first.”
Freelancers, listen up: that business advice you’ve always heard is wrong. Stop trying to please your clients at the expense of your sanity, health and energy.
Experienced solo professionals know how important it is to set up clear expectations and professional boundaries with clients. We teach people how to treat us. And when you choose to be “always available,” you reinforce the notion that it’s okay.
If you must break this rule, do it smart. Discuss your availability when you first engage a new client. Establish a “Rush Fee” policy, which enables you to enforce it on a case-by-case basis.
You run your business…not vice-versa.
4. “Yes, I’ll finish my book. (Someday.)”
The very fastest way to boost your energy, boost your business and love your life again is to take “someday” out of the equation: get to work finishing your OWN writing projects now.
My clients often don’t believe this one until they try it themselves, but it’s true:
If you’re a smart writer who’s brimming with passion and ideas, you’re not going to be truly energized or truly happy until you put yourself in the equation and start finishing your book.
The benefits are so great with this strategy that I suggest you get started today.
Shift your work schedule and prioritize working on your own writing project first. Try this for 3 days in the coming week and see if you don’t feel happier and more energized.
In 8+ years of coaching, I’ve never seen these energy-harnessing strategies fail. Try them for yourself and see!
