Of all the assignments you have written over the last year, which was your favorite?
This is one of the questions I always ask my new coaching clients.
It's a question I ask myself too.
Why? Because recognizing the jobs you enjoy most can give you a real insight into the kind of work you should be looking for next.
Typically, a freelancer's writing work falls into one of three categories:
1. Writing projects that were a real struggle.
2. Writing projects that went fine, but weren't particularly memorable.
3. Writing projects that were a huge pleasure to work on.
The degree to which you enjoy a particular project or client can tell you a lot.
When jobs are a drag, they literally drag you down.
When jobs are just OK, it's business as usual.
But when you work on something you really enjoy, it changes everything. Work becomes a pleasure. It becomes fun. And you often find you're doing your best writing.
What happens after that enjoyable job is completed?
All too often, we just carry on as before, working away until the next fun job comes along.
That's the passive way of doing things.
What I suggest to my clients, and would suggest to you, is that whenever you find an assignment you really enjoy...take out a pad of paper and take some notes.
Write down all the elements that contributed to that assignment being such a pleasure to work on.
Was it the client you worked with that made it enjoyable? Did it have something to do with the medium for which you were writing? Or maybe it was the product or service itself that connected so well with you.
Now think of the last three jobs you really enjoyed and take some notes about all of them. Then compare your notes for all three.
Make a habit of this, and you'll see patterns emerging. After a while you'll come to understand what it was about those jobs that you really enjoyed.
Your next step is to start looking for more of the same kind of work.
Wouldn't you like to work on really enjoyable projects all of the time?
If you can do it, you'll find your work a whole lot more enjoyable. And you'll find the quality of your writing improving.
Life is short. Make money doing the kind of writing you enjoy most.
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