Making Heady Progress

Follow Your Heart...

It's amazing how much progress can be made on a project in very little time when you're really fired up for it.

In the past few weeks I have learned a phenomenal amount about freelance writing and have used every scrap of time that I have away from work - or that I can steal in the office - to do so. And it has all been entirely effortless. The resources and the guides and the inspiration are just flowing in.

...And The Money Will Follow

It's very encouraging to read so many articles on the web from other freelance writers who are successful at the craft. Many of them stress that a degree or formal training isn't necessary, that what really matters is just an ability to write well. With so many people saying that the opportunities are there...well, they can't all be wrong. But they also stress that it's uber important to:

Have A Professional Attitude

So, much of my scouting and planning right now has been focused on learning what resources are available to assist someone with starting a business. Many of the freelancers out there stress the importance of viewing this line of work as a business; your product is the writing that you turn out. Fortunately, there are many business planning resources available for free or for minimal costs. I have the added advantage that I've written one full business plan in the past and have worked on or reviewed several others. So this won't be alien to me and I don't need persuading about the importance of planning.

Furthermore, in the past week I've found that I should be able to establish a home office with the bare essentials for around $5,000 or just slightly above that. I'm sure that most small businesses would require much more capital to get going. And I can rest easy knowing that I have this much available from my savings and enough left over to live until I can get a client base and an income. I also have several essentials that I'd need: the talent, an education that taught me how to get the knowledge I need but don't have, the enthusiasm, and some of the tools.

So, I'll keep working on my plans and I'm excited to think about everything that's in store for me if I simply have the courage to take the first step and truly follow the path that my heart yearns for.

Stay tuned. I'll be a freelance writer yet.

-jmh