Here I Am!

Hi everyone!

I have been AWOL for the last few weeks and I apologize. It's been hectic lately, but its still no excuse.

As for the goals from last time. I still have not made my $250 a week goal. However, I did almost make it to $200. I am getting there, but I need to stick to my set schedules better so I can meet these goals.

There are a lot of life changes I am looking to make soon. Right now I live in Orlando, FL with my 2 boys and a houseful of roommates. We all get along well and it seems to work for us, but lately I have really been yearning for a place for just me and my boys. Orlando is super expensive and I just can't afford my own place here. Plus I have no family here to help.

My mom is in Ohio and her fiance has offered me the use of one of his houses, rent free. It's a small 2 story house and I would just have to pay utilites. Basically the same I pay now. But, I would have more privacy and a better environment for my kids. It's in the country hills of Ohio, so it would require a big move and a major adjustment to country life.

I have been thinking about it for about 4 months and I think that it is the best option. My mom and other family members will be there to help with the kids. We will have our own space and the kids will have a huge yard to play in. And with my mom helping me with the kids, I just might reach more financial goals than I do now. School is out in a month and I am looking at moving this summer.

So, it's a new month and I want to list my monthly goals here....

• Make at least $250 a week in writing and editing
• Stick to my work schedule; M-F 9:30 am -12:30 pm and 8 pm - 12 am
• Update this blog with more useful information on a weekly basis
• Start walking everyday
• Use the 10 minute trainer I bought at least once a day

That's about it. I spent all last week car shopping and I finally bought one at the end of the week, so there is nothing holding me back.

What are your new goals and how are you doing so far?

Wednesday Update

True to my word, here I am to post my weekly goals so far....

• Monday - $40
• Tuesday - $25
• Wednesday, as of 12 pm - $15

Still not quite where I need to be. Tuesday I had a parent teacher conference that took a lot of time, so I didn't get started until late. Today I have an online chat with my online geology class to discuss a group project, so I will be spending a lot of time on homework today. After the chat I plan to work some more. I need to make $62 today, Thursday and Friday to make my weekly goal. I know I can do it, so here I go again!

How is everyone else doing with their goals?

Sunday Night Goal Update

Well, I'm posting a little late here, but I guess it will have to do... :)

I did not meet my weekly goal of $250 this week. I am a little bummed about that, but I did make $136. I know its still not where I need to be, but it is by far the most I have made in a week as a freelance writer. And I am only $114 short. So I am still showing progress.

A few things slowed me down this week. First, my brother-in-law is in the hospital with a severely infected foot. It looked like he was going to lose the foot, but he is finally stable. Thank God. He is in construction and stepped on a nail on Sunday. He didn't go to the doctor until 2 days later and by then the bone was infected. He has been in bad shape and my sister has been under a lot of stress. So I have been trying to help by making the needed update phone calls to other family members and such. (The lesson here is to always get checked out by a doctor. This could have been avoided.)

Another thing that has slowed me down is the fact that I have been writig for a site that pays pretty low. I enjoyed working for the site, so I kept doing it. But the articles take way too long for the pay. So I resigned from that site this week. Starting next week I won't be writing articles unless the pay is at least $.02 per word. Still very low, I know, but goals have to start some where.

This last week was my first week writing for Demand Studios. If you haven't checked them out yet, please do. They pay $15 per article. I wrote 7 articles so far and so far 4 have been accepted. I had to do a few rewrites and this took some time. The rewrites actually are helping me understand more about what DS wants from its writers and are helping me become a better writer.

So, this week....I am setting the same goal monetarily. I am focusing on the higher paying sites so this should be better. My goals are:

• Make $250 this week
• Take Saturday and Sunday off

I have been working 2 weeks straight without a day off. I know, it's sad especially since I have not been able to make more than $100 a week. This was before I started writing for DS and when I focused entirely on the low pay site.

I enjoy the fact that I can set my own schedule as a freelance writer, but I am used to having weekends off so taking the weekend off will be great. Usually my kids are with their dad on weekends so I am able to get things done then, but they will be home next weekend and I would like not to be working.

Alright, that's it. I'll post more in a few days. Wish me luck!

My Goals for This Week.....

OK, I have talked a lot about setting schedules, meeting goals and motivation on here lately; yet I've had trouble reaching my own goals. In an attempt to hold myself accountable, I am posting my goals here for all to see.

My goals are small compared to others I have seen. I want to make $50 a day 5 days a week. This is only $250, but would be a great achievement for me.

So there it is. Hold me to it to. I will post my progress in a few days and then at the end of the week will let you know that I MADE IT! Or that I didn't....

I encourage anyone that has a blog to post their goals as well. It may give you the motivation and push that you need.

Motivation

Motivation as a freelance writer can be had to find. Yes, we write for money and many of us write for the love of writing, but sometimes its still hard to get motivated to do what you need to do.

Yesterday morning I got up early and had tons to do. At the end of the day I was kicking myself because I hardly tackled my goals at all. I sat at the computer most of the day, but the words just didn't want to come. I knew how I wanted to write the article, I had the research completed, it was just a matter of putting down on paper. I just couldn't find my motivation. Maybe some would also call it "writer's block."

I made myself call it an early night, but wasn't ready for sleep. Instead I put on on of my favorite shows, NCIS, and worked on a blanket I have been crocheting for nearly a year. It helped me clear my mind a bit and then I went to sleep.

I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to start the day. I just needed to reset myself.

I'm sure others out there feel this way? What do you do to reset yourself?