June 06, 2017
Weekly Newsletter for Freelancers
What Is Freelancer Burnout and how is it Avoided?
If you were to do a Google search on Freelancer Burnout, you would find a lot of entries. That is because it is a real condition of which freelancers have to be wary.
All freelancers need to be on the lookout for the signs of burnout. Kate Hamill has written an article for the Freelancers Union Blog entitled 3 Symptoms of Freelance Burnout. I definitely can recognize within myself some of these symptoms and know what to watch out for. You can read Kate’s article here.
Number two is very applicable to me. Here is a Kindle eBook that ticks a lot of the burnout boxes in my opinion:
Amazon Disclosure: The links used are affiliate links. By buying through the links I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.
For those readers looking for some quick coping strategies, here is an article from Psychology Today by Paula Davis-Laack J.D. entitled 7 Strategies to Prevent Burnout. You can read it by clicking here.
Motivate Yourself!
“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” -Walter Anderson
Overcoming Anxiety is Necessary to Motivate Yourself.
Have you ever had an attack of anxiety? It is, indeed, quite common!
Anxiety attacks are especially true when you are trapped in a 9 to 5 job and you hate your work, the culture or the boss, but you are afraid to leave because of the concern that you might not get another job or fail as a freelancer.
Before you can make a decision to leave, you have to overcome the anxiety that is holding you back. Firstly, you have to learn enough about anxiety to know how to manage and overcome it.
There is a bestselling book listed on Amazon about stopping anxiety and panic attacks. It has over 500 reviews and is rated five-star. You can have a look inside it by following the link below. It is appropriately called Dare.
Amazon Disclosure: The links used are affiliate links. By buying through the links I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.
Lisa Fourman has written an article for the Freelancers Union Blog entitled What I’ve Learned about Freelancing with Anxiety. You can read Lisa’s article from here.
When I have been sitting at the computer for a few hours, I need to remind myself about the last one on Lisa’s list.
Productivity Tip Of The Week
Freelancers Use of Amazon Affiliate Marketing Links on Social Networks.
I am a great believer in the fact that freelancers’ core business should be focused on being paid for services by the client. This focuses on recompensing you for your skills and training.
However, from a productivity point of view, it would be wrong to ignore the business model of Amazon and its distribution channel through Amazon Associates. This is because
it can lift the productivity of your websites, blogs and social media channels, even though it is not your core business. In short, you get commission for sales of their products and services. Amazon is now in the list of the top 10 retailers in the world and their business model has been very successful.
What is allowed and what isn’t, from a Federal Trade Commission perspective, has been a cloudy area for some time. Other countries have similar regulations. Amazon Associates have moved to make it clearer as to what is required to comply with their policy. You can read their article by clicking here.
For those wanting to learn more about the Amazon Associates program, you can go to their official website for a tour by following this link.
Darren Rouse from ProBlogger has shared his thoughts on Amazon Associates in The Ultimate Guide to Making Money with the Amazon Affiliate Program. You can read his article here. It is an old post, but gives an insight into what is possible.
Work-Life Balance Tip Of The Week
Do You Value Training and the Work That Matters to You?
Imagine that you had set aside a day to complete some training that you wanted to do and you received an email asking you to do some work urgently. What would you do? Many freelancers would forego their training to help the client even though the training would have been valuable.
Being able to say no to these requests is an important part of
freelancing. It has to be learnt. How can a freelancer learn to be calm and in the present moment? There are techniques. In our research, we have looked for articles and books on mindfulness for freelancers.
One of the ways of achieving calm and being in the present moment is through mindfulness training. I think the following quote on its importance in this day and age is very relevant:
“The mindfulness revolution is not quite as dramatic as the moon shot or the civil rights movement, but I believe, in the long run, it can have just as great an impact.” Tim Ryan
If you want to read more about mindfulness training for your freelancing career, this is one of the most popular books on the subject;
Amazon disclosure: The links used are affiliate links. By buying through the links I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.
Megan Leatherman has written an article for the Freelancers Union Blog entitled 5 Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness into Your Freelance Career. You can read Megan’s article here.
Financial Tip Of The Week
Did You Know That The Freelancers Union Has Established the Freelancers Guild?
I hope that it is not very often that you need the help of a lawyer. However, when it does happen, you would like to know that it is someone who understands the freelancing community and their needs. Freelancers do have issues that the general community does not have.
In Australia, where I live, freelancers do not have a Fair Work Commission, Award Rates, Superannuation
Guarantee Contributions (compulsory retirement contributions from employers).
In fact, most freelancers are on their own. My situation is a little different because I am a member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance as a freelance journalist. The vast bulk of freelancers would not be a member of any union anywhere in the world.
Sara Horowitz’s vision in establishing the The Freelancers Union, has now moved on to establish a Freelancers Guild in the United States to help freelancers. This initiative has been further enhanced by the development and release of an App for the Union.
Nathan Bransford has written an article for the Freelancers Union Blog entitled Freelancers Union App FAQs. You can read Nathan’s article here.
Freelancers And Cyber Security
We have gained approval from Robert Siciliano to bring you extracts from his books related to cyber security for freelancers. Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert and consultant. He also gives self defense and personal safety seminars. Robert provides safety and identity theft fraud prevention tips and advice on multimedia channels in the United States. We have his approval to bring you weekly extracts from his books:
