Best resolutions for freelancers

by Leo Wiles
08 January 2016

Scrambling for resolutions? While I can’t help you lose weight, quit smoking or have a better relationship with your in-laws, I can tell you how to use this notoriously quiet season – a time when most editors and clients are still in holiday mode – to improve your business.

Think resolutions are for suckers? Turn away now, but remember Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again and yet somehow expecting different results.

So if you’re in a rut why not take the time to mull over the following points.

Ignore your mother and talk to strangers. Deliver your elevator speech and who knows? He or she may become your next client. If you don’t want to leave the house, reach out via the journo’s bridge club – Twitter. Strike up an online conversation and put your name and your abilities out there.

Shake hands and meet interviewees for a face-to-face sit down. Like an old fashioned snail mail letter, you’ll make a far long lasting impression than a quick phoner. It’ll also allow you to go on location and bring more colour to your piece.

Turn your writing into a flexible downward dog. If you always write about health, wealth or lifestyle, it may be time to improve your flexibility and get out of your comfort zone by picking an unfamiliar genre to get acquainted with. Not only will it open up a whole new world of possibilities, it’ll stop your writing feeling stale and stave off boredom.

Stop beating yourself up over last year’s failures and make a list. A column of successes, areas to do better in, things to avoid repeating and of course ultimate goals (such as landing centre court press passes). Plus, taking stock will show you where your strengths are, and give you time to reflect on ways to land more work i.e. contact a minimum of five new leads each week.

Back up your data. While this may seem like a no brainer, in 2015 I had two hard drives fall over. Thankfully I already had my essential day-to-day client documents on Google Drive so I didn’t skip a beat and the client never knew. This gave me time to purchase a personal NAS cloud system to ensure it NEVER happens again (fingers crossed).

Create a music playlist that inspires creativity. Or like a report writer friend of mine, invest in some earplugs if silence is your best backtrack.

Make like a magician and always keep something up your sleeve, like a running list of ideas. That way if you do bump into a client or have them contact you, you’ll always have something to pitch.

Don’t get lazy. After landing a long-term clients it can be easy to become complacent. While you have this quiet time, surf their website and catch up on what’s being said about them in trade mags. That way when you have your first meeting of the year they’re going to know you’re the right person for the gig – or on the flip side, you’ll know it’s time to throw in the towel if their bottom line is nose diving and there’s talk of cutbacks.

Meetup isn’t just for dating. As a journo you probably already know a lot about a little and meeting up with new people could also mean making new contacts and potential clients in fields who don’t currently know you exist. Hey, you might even form a new freelance tribe.

Update your social media footprint. I am terrible at this, which is why I have listed it. Note to self: add new qualifications, clients from the previous year and any signed off testimonials. Oh, and add new work to my exiting website.

Move. Unlike commuting, moving from your bedroom to your study isn’t exactly a workout. So take time out for yourself first thing or at the end of a hard day’s creating. Better still, build in a lunch break. Rather than seeing yourself as a slacker, you are improving your concentration, motivation and fitness level.

Go to the library and read widely. By picking unfamiliar authors, not only are you analysing their writing, you’re honing your craft and falling in love with words all over again. And isn’t that one of the reasons you became a journo in the first place?

I hoped you liked my selection of top tips. I’d love to have you add to them as well with your strategies for staying positive and buoying up your business during the festive season. If you didn’t, then hang in there for next week’s post when we discover ways to stay sane waiting for the email to ping.