Thursday, April 2, 2009

Goals and Schedules

So I'm sipping away on a grande latte (one of those mornings let me tell ya) and I've been reading a lot of other freelance writers' ideas about schedules and what your schedule needs to look like in order to meet your goals.
Finding a schedule as a freelancer can be tough. It is especially challenging when you add in a mix of kids, household duties, and plain old procrastination.
My goals are going to look a lot different than a full-time freelancer. I have full time committments outside of the house. But on school breaks things move at a rapid pace because I feel like I'm making up for lost time. Not only do I need to write but I also have to make meaningful contacts with other writers, network within the field, and search for new clients and work.
My schedule is a blend of housework and organization this Spring Break week. I want to find some well-paying jobs that I can continue into the rest of the school-year and summer. I want to get our home organized and functional. And (always an and...at the beginning of a sentence no less) I need to spend some time making memories with the kids and partner. Whew!
Yep, WAHMs do it all, my friends.
Here is a little restructuring of my schedule and goals for the year:

1. Keep up with writing online. Write at least an article per day, before or after work, for myself (as passive income) or for content sites (like Demand Studios) or private clients. Write a blog post per week here that offers up some good information to visitors.

2. Search for private clients on a daily basis. You never know who will be looking for writers. I found a job posting that was written for me yesterday (please keep your fingers crossed!) and it isn't a large load of work but it pays well. It is something that I could continue to do well into the remainder of the school year.

3. Build up my residual income. I am currently studying how to write more effective articles and content that will turn up search results. I just have such a hard time writing for passive income because it's so up-in-the-air. I love the security of upfront payment, really I do so much. However, it's better to build up this residual income now while I have a full time job that meets all of our bills. I don't *really* need the upfront payment at the moment.

Okay, so what are somethings you're working on? What is the hardest thing for you to focus on as a WAHM? I don't care if you are a freelancing mom, a crafty mom, a store-owning mama, or anything else. I just want to know what you do to meet your own goals! (and participate in our poll over there <-------, too!)
Enjoy!

2 comments:

Emily Retherford said...

Jessica-

These are some great goals! I need to find time in my schedule to work on more passive income that's for sure!

Emily
Am I Really a Writer?

Jessica said...

Thanks! I feel like my writing really needs more of my attention than I give it when I have a full time job...so that's what is driving my goals right now.