Starting September Off in a Spectacular ...

Starting September Off in a Spectacular Way...So Far

Sep 02, 2022

Yesterday was the first day of the month. And sticking true to my goals and aspirations from last week's post, I was on the ball. Well, kind of. I didn't get a few things done that I wanted to do, but a lot of that has more to do with trying to juggle client work on top of everything else.

That's a common theme when you're a successful freelance writer; it doesn't often give you time to pursue everything you want to do. On the other hand, not everyone bites off nearly as much as I do.

In any case, I started the month in a spectacular fashion and will continue the trend to make it my best month in my writing history. Well, aside from last September when I wrote 90 blog posts in 30 days. I'm not counting that month because it was part of a grind experiment.

What has lit a fire under my ass this month? Probably because I want stability in all of my other projects. I'm so tired of living in chaos, and I'd feel guilty if I dumped some of the side projects I have going on because a lot of people rely on them.

Yep, I carved myself out a nice little corner of hell in the past 10 years. I just need to decorate it better, I think.

Pushing Back Kingmaker, Maybe

The hardest thing about having your fingers in so many pies is finding balance. In my case, clients take priority because they are who pay the bills. This means they are above the blogs, YouTube channels, and yes, writing my novel. I currently make far more money above and beyond anything I pull in from all the other projects...at the moment.

So, I changed my goals for Kingmaker to be done writing by the end of October. I wanted it published by then, but again, my bills need to be paid while doing all of this. However, I doubt it will take me two more months to finish the book. I'm a large chunk of the way finished, and I do have plans to work on it throughout the weekends.

Of course, I could always just write Kingmaker every day after client work and be done well before the end of September. That would mean putting the blogs, YouTube channels, Twitch streams, and everything else aside until then. And if there is one thing that can hinder the growth of a blog or YouTube channel, it's a lack of consistent content.

Keeping everything active means finding a balance.

Trying too Many Experiments at Once

One of my biggest issues is the fact that I tend to conduct a lot of different content experiments simultaneously. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of different issues, most of which center around forgetting to do something important for the experiment. I really need to stop doing that.

After all, a lot of studies show how multitasking is actually counterproductive. I can say, unequivocally, that is the case. (nice, I spelled that without the spell checker going off)

Since I do just about everything myself, I need to start slimming down on the experiments and case studies. At least until I can finish one all the way through without interruptions.

It's always a good idea to run certain types of experiments as a content creator. You want to find the best flow for doing things regarding your target audience. But doing too many at once can create a lot of issues, especially if the experiments intersect. It can easily skew the data.

Time Management Is Key

I started the month with a specific goal of keeping on task and getting my "work" done within a reasonable amount of time. Actually, this is one of the biggest things I've been working on since I started writing in 2012. Usually, my life is pretty chaotic. Keeping a specific schedule for various projects is ultimately difficult.

When I was able to sustain my workflow yesterday, I was able to finish a lot of projects. As I said, though, some things got put off slightly because client work went a bit longer than anticipated. Still, everything is coming together better than expected.

Knock on wood.

I've gone over this many times before; working from home as your own boss is more difficult than you might think. You have to stay self-motivated, practice superior time management skills, and have to manage everything from insurance to retirement plans all on your own. There is a great deal of stress involved, especially if you want to live the high life. It's not impossible, but it does wear you down after a while.

After a decade as a freelancer, I've realized I miss in-person social interaction. And this is coming from someone who's lived most of his life as a hermit.

Anyway, the main point here is that time management is key to success. Whether you're working on a single blog or have many, knowing how to slice up your time in an 8-hour window can help you accomplish a lot of things throughout the day without grinding yourself into dust.

How Did You Start Your Month?

I know it's only been a day and change, but how you start the month often demonstrates how the rest of it will go. And if yesterday was any indicator, I'm going to have an epic month, indeed. But anything can happen. The chaos that is my life is still present. It's just going to come down to how I manage that chaos and persevere with my goals and aspirations.

How was the beginning of your September?

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