October marks six months since taking my writing business full-time. It’s been both satisfying and terrifying. I’ve learned so much about business and about myself. I have a long way to go before I feel like my business is successful but I have hope. And meanwhile, I’m having the time of my life.
I thought since it was my six month anniversary, I’d look back at six important lessons I’ve learned so far. These insights were mainly “aha” personal moments about myself that I hope will help me be a better business owner and writer.
#1. I suffer from analysis-paralysis. I love to research topics I know nothing about and new ideas. It’s part of the reason why I write long-form content. There is usually some sort of research involved. However, I can easily spend a whole day going down a rabbit hole of Google searching and end up with pages and pages of details that are just too much for the piece I’m writing, which makes it difficult for me to condense the pertinent information into an approachable piece. AND I haven’t even started writing yet. I’ve learned I need to limit my research time and content before starting to write. I can always go back and do more if I need to.
#2. I can’t write less than 1000 words without several rounds of painful edits. This is another reason why long-form content is my best format. I write very detailed content. I love compound sentences. I use a lot of adjectives and adverbs. It’s really hard for me to write concisely, at least at the beginning. I’ve learned to be a ruthless editor. I can get the word count down but it takes pain and suffering on my part.
#3. Because of the two lessons above, I’m terrible at estimating how long a project will take me to write. This is a problem because it directly affects my bottom line. I’ve gotten better over the last six months and I hope I’ll continue to learn as I go forward. I think I need to be both realistic in my estimation but also tighter in my execution.
#4. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I have to stop using the word “should”. I’m the master of negative self-talk and comparing myself to others. “I should be making $10K a month like…..”, “I should work another hour.”, “I should know what my niche is.” It’s a form of judgement based on external expectations. Who says I need to make $10K a month? Is that a rule in some freelancer handbook? No! It’s just me being too hard on myself for no reason. And it’s exhausting.
#5. I need sales training. As much as I can write about sales and marketing techniques, I’m terrible at selling myself. Some of it is because I’m an introvert and not very good at thinking on my feet. I often need a moment to formulate my thoughts before responding to questions and that is not always possible in meetings. I know what I want to say, I just can’t get it out quickly. I am confident in my worth as a writer. I need to find confidence in my ability to sell myself.
#6. It’s ok to ask for help. At my age, with the years of work and business experience I have, it’s difficult for me to admit I need help. The last six months have taught me that I do. I’ve learned a lot from the smart business owners I’ve talked with and I really appreciate the support they’ve given me. As much as I want to think I know everything I need to know, I am not too old to learn something new.
I’m excited to see what the next six months have in store. I know it will be an adventure.
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