One of my biggest challenges with freelancing has always been finding enough time in the day to get everything done.
What I’ve learned is that the only way I can make this work for me is to not take on too much work and work smarter not harder.I typically work 6-8 hours on my business. These hours are not the typical 9 to 5 hours. Instead I am a shift worker.
I work throughout the day long. I take frequent breaks because I have to in order to take care of my family’s needs.To me, they are my first priority so I work my IM business around their needs.
Here is my family-friendly work schedule:
Work 2 hours before the kids wake up. During this time, I check emails, prospect for clients, surf the ‘net and write 1-2 articles that I submit to Associated Content.
Take the kids to school, run household errands with the baby, complete housework, etc.
Work 1-2 hours when my toddler takes a nap. During this time, I complete my clients’ work consisting of web content, articles, press releases, whatever.
Pick kids up from school.
Work 1 more hour while kids play and complete homework. Here, I work on some more client projects.
Make dinner. Spend time with my family and get kids ready for bed.
Work 1-2 more hours once kids are in bed. Finish clients’ work and work on some more IM projects for myself. During this time, I review online forums, write my IM writer blog entry, and complete 1-2 more articles.
Weekends
On the weekends, I limit my work time to 3 hours max (if I work at all). During this time, I concentrate on my IM projects and don’t ghostwrite for clients. On weekends, I typically write eBooks, articles and press releases, build new websites, market existing ones and read IM course material. Once I’m done with my assigned projects, I do fun stuff with my family.
As you can see, I work 6-8 hours Monday – Friday and 3 on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the time, I spend time with my family and enjoy my life.
This schedule forces me to work quickly and to get as much done as I possibly can. For instance, I speed write and typically write 2 high quality articles in about an hour. If it is PLR articles, I can usually get three done within one hour.
I work quickly and efficiently because I don’t have time to play around and this schedule works for me and my family.
Well, I hope this gives you a glimpse into the life of a IM Writer. Now, I’ve gotta finish up an article before the kids wake up.



