Easy Tips to Write More Without Burning Out: Plan, Execute, Repeat
Think you hate writing? You might just be burned out
Last April, I started exploring freelance writing. My career as a server engineer ended three years ago due to family relocation and family expansion. I always considered writing close to my heart as I was a regular story writer for my school-magazine as a kid, but left it for many years due to reasons that still baffle me.
Initially, Google and freelance job sites were my daily hangout places hunting for writing gigs. Freelance FaceBook groups were my second hangout; I joined hundreds of freelance writing and job groups and mompreneur groups. I was stoked seeing so many women making a killing writing.
The Ambitious New Freelance Writer
Further, I updated LinkedIn with my new writer credentials. I tried pitching a few companies but lacked a decent portfolio. To build one, I submitted proposals by the hundreds in several freelance job portals. After two to three weeks of exploration and sending pitches, I landed a writing gig at a freelance website. Excited that I was, I immediately asked the price for 500 words. $3 for 500 words was the answer. I was in disbelief. My bad, I decided to take it up as I wanted to dip my feet and get some experience. And other jobs posted there were still worse. $5 for 2500 words. So I thought I’m getting a better deal.
Little did I know what I was getting into. I had to write a 500-word article as a test for free to see if I qualified. I didn’t want to lose the client. I wrote. The client said he was happy, and we got started. Next, I was sent a topic to write on. It took me twelve hours to write a 500-word article, including research time, and I spent another three hours editing it. The client wanted it the next day. The client liked it and sent me another couple of articles to be written.
The Burnout Phase
I ignored my health and self-care be damned. I wrote any time and all the time I could, skipping meals, letting my coffee get cold. I managed to send it to meet the deadline. And I even wrote more — 1000 word articles on pest control, cybersecurity, gaming, and so on. I felt almost dizzy after the first fifteen days. I persisted. I started craving a day off, but I couldn’t find time for it. I realized that the topics I was writing about were not of my interest. So I felt writing more frustrating than enjoyable.
Frustration and resentment. Overwhelm builds up. I’m a SAHM (Stay at home Mom) with a toddler who understandably needs me very often and a then seven-year-old whom I had to help with homework and all. Deep inside, I missed my corporate job where the last week of every month, my salary got credited automatically. How happy and comfortable that life was. I missed teammates, team lunches, and outings — I started even missing those boring meetings. I longed for a day off, but the client had deadlines. I gave my toddler the iPad when I fed him his meal while I did my writing, simultaneously sitting beside him. This was not the writer’s life I wanted.
This was not the writer’s life I wanted.
It was time to step back and slow down. But I continued my freelance efforts for a little more than a month. I’d written 25 articles of varying lengths during that time, and my mental and physical energy went in a downward spiral. I started avoiding any writing but still wrote many more samples to people who didn’t bother to respond after looking. Thankfully that client stopped giving me tasks after a month, much to my relief. He said he was traveling. I had my doubts, thinking that he probably charged $500 per article with a client, and outsourced it to me for dirt cheap.
Now he was vacationing. I still didn’t give up freelance portals. I took up easier jobs (or, so I thought). Reading from a website and copying selected texts to a word document to use for their video content. This was no different. I cursed myself for this after I did it once. Why was I doing this to myself? After two months with this client and a few more penny pinchers, I crashed out in fatigue one day.
I knew how exactly burnout felt and made up my mind to stop this. I turned self-doubt, and shame into retrospective reflection.
I turned self-doubt and shame into retrospective reflection.
New Beginnings… and Entrepreneurship Dreams
In a month, I excused myself from all clients and took a break for ten days. I did everything to get my spirit back up.
- I watched videos on how to create a blog and do it for free. If interested, check out free website hosting on google cloud videos. The ones that I referenced were from Chris Titus (a bit techy) and David (easier).
- I made my own website in September 2020, wrote a few portfolio pieces in content writing and Advertising, and built one more tech blog.
- I took a course on copywriting on Udemy.
- Read books and blogs on writing, copywriting, and entrepreneurship.
- I chose my niche, based on my strengths. (Smart Home Technology, Parenting, Writing, Poetry). A niche according to me is a sweet spot that is formed at the intersection of your top interests and the market value it holds. It can be more than one and can change depending on how your interests change.
It all felt relieving and energizing. Though I felt like I was back in form, I was still conflicted as to whether I should write for clients or myself because my heart skipped a beat every time I saw how high some copywriters and content writers were getting paid.
I had by then even started writing on Medium and was having fun exploring my diverse writing interests. I loved the instant gratification of being seen and appreciated. I loved reading on Medium as well and in December 2020, I became a paid member by entering the Medium Partner Program.
So now I’m writing more than ever and going strong. And I don’t feel the need to pitch any pubs outside Medium at this point. It’s a great place to be, after all. I also have two blogs to grow, which will hopefully take off in six to twelve months, earning me some income. We all have that dream that somebody seeing our writing will want us to write for them. I am in that phase now.
A niche according to me is a sweet spot that is formed at the intersection of your top interests and the market value it holds. It can be more than one and can change depending on how your interests change.
Improvise as You Go
One more game-changer in idea creation and boosting productivity was — James Altucher’s writing 10 ideas every day. 10-ideas every day lets me have endless prompts. He says we have to outline one to two good ones from the list. Honestly, I’m yet to start outlining. But I write ten+ ideas every day.
And my other goal is to write one article (~1000 words) every day. Or edit two to three pieces written in the past. I faced one more problem. It was a tough call to choose what to write every day. I sometimes took till evening thinking about what topic to pick. Then I would end up writing till late at night to finish it. As I expected, it took a toll on my health. I started getting headaches and random mood swings and I took it out on my family.
A content calendar is what rescued me from burning out again. Every Sunday now, I create a content calendar for the next week where I put topic headlines in an Excel sheet and the date I have to write it. This is working well because I can quickly look at today’s topic and start writing. In my early morning writing session, I try to write half of the article, and I find it easy to write the rest of the article through the day.
I also list down the most important thing for the day that I should finish for the day. I can handle up to two of the most important things. Next, I list secondary tasks like editing a piece for a friend, reading x pages in a book, and so on. Secondary tasks I write up to five. But the truth is, I am far from ticking off all of them. But I have a structure and don’t feel the urge to while away my time.
Using the content calendar gives me the flexibility to choose a topic every single day. One day, an article for my tech blog, the next day, an article for Medium, the next day another piece for my author’s website. And repeat. So I get to flex and write on diverse topics. Saturdays or Sundays, I take a break from writing and reserve it for family completely.
I even have time now to up-skill myself with courses or reading books. I have time to listen to an audiobook or a podcast while cooking or doing the laundry. I also connected with other writers on and off Medium and made some friends. Putting a task on my calendar is the trick that works best for me.
This is helping me get a large chunk of time to spend with family too. I feel I am not compromising with the time my kids need me the most. That has been like a huge rock off my chest for now. Though I’d love to do better.
Key Takeaways —You Can Work Your Ass Off With Zero Burnout.
- Take a step back. And Stop right there.
- Write down your interests and match them to a target market to see if it has scope. If not, repeat the step.
- Read and up-skill yourself in your interests to become one of the best.
- Have an idea pool and an actionable content planner. Flex those creative writing muscles beyond your comfort level without going to burnout level. Adjust your goals accordingly from time to time.
Though I’m not earning much yet, I know I’ll get there. Most importantly, I’m doing what I love, and I love what I’m doing. I’m happy in this space as I am working on bettering myself. Sometimes, I feel It’s better to be my own client, as Zulie Rane puts it. It took me more than six months to take writing as a career seriously. On Medium, it took two months of consistent writing to get my first curated article.
Even if you’re cash-strapped, I’d still recommend working for yourself first and prove your worth to yourself. Then they’ll come looking for you — the well-paying clients. And you can be sure you’ll deliver because you have the power of the practice. If you can write for yourself and others, then that’s perfect too.
How do you prevent burnout? Please leave your tips in the comments.
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