Who Needs Sleep?

The past few weeks, I've just kind of stopped sleeping. Whenever I start something, I try and do it all.
I can learn this! I can study this! I can edit and write and yes, of course I can get up super early in the morning and why certainly, I'll do that, it'll be fun to figure it out. And while I'm at it, look how clean the house is getting, and look how much interest I'm regaining in hanging out with friends, and how back in shape I'm getting, and ...

Next thing you know, I'm so deep into crazy land that I'm pondering how much the poppy seeds from my bagel look like bugs when I move my plate back and forth really fast.

That's the thing, though, everyone's work suffers when there's not enough sleep. This is not a secret, everyone knows it. Why is it so hard to sleep?

Well, for the same reason it's so hard to choose between social obligations and work obligations. Going to have to try reigning it in if I'm going to get anything done!

But then, that's self employment. You work harder for yourself than anyone else is allowed to ask you to work.


How do you find balance? Have there been some tough decisions that you've had to make in order to make everything work?

How To: Get Started as a Freelance Writer (or Programmer or Marketing Person)

One of the hardest things about freelancing is finding clients, right? I mean... what do you even look for? Just... work?

If you know exactly what you want to do with your career, then this post probably won't help much. You're probably already prepared with a list of places you want to work and what you want to do for them.

But if you're like me, you're armed with nothing more than a hobby, some good AP exam and SAT scores, and the hope that you're somehow going to make enough money to eat this year.

So what's a good solution here? Freelancing sites! They match up clients and freelancers for a cut of the profits. It's a fantastic way to gets started. I can't vouch for many sites, so be wary of scams. I can however, vouch for the website that got me started:


ELance

It's a fantastic resource for beginning freelancers. They give you a profile, a spot to upload portfolio, and a bunch of other stuff. You get a certain number of credits, which you use to bid on jobs posted by clients. It will help you get a feel for what kinds of work are out there, and what you want to do in particular. Check it out!

Keep Your Home and Work Life Separate

Protip: when you clock out of work, really clock out of work and leave the area. Don't do the online equivalent to standing around the break room shouting about your shower, and how you're just now starting to get halfway decent at time management skills. Does this even really need to be said? Yep.


 
Learn from my mistake. I'm just glad I was off the clock.