Working Together

We all have our niche. I have a novelist friend, very talented I might add, who has a wonderful imagination and has no problem at all adopting an idea for a book and weaving wonderful stories. However, the thought of composing query letters, to him, is daunting and he struggles in describing and giving a synopsis of his own work.

As I mentioned in the blog post "There's More to Proofreading Than Reading," to be a good editor one must possess good writing abilities as well. Writing in certain "arenas" comes naturally to me. In just the same way, misspellings, punctuation errors, grammar and all that is involved in being a proofreader and copyeditor just seem to stand out as if written in red ink or typed in red letters.

Everyone in the "world of words" knows what their particular niche is, and imploring the help and assistance of someone whose skills lie elsewhere ties everything together. We all work with the help of others in all areas of our lives. There is no difference in the world of writing and editing. We all do what we excel at, and rely on others whose niche is different from our own.

Efficiency

Not procrastinating is efficient.

Remember the Forest

All too frequently we only see the trees. We focus (and rightly so) on that "to do" list, and unfortunately at times in doing so, we tend to see the immediate tasks at hand, and forget about the "big picture" - or the forest.

Looking through the trees and remembering the forest out there reminds us of our long-term goals; our dreams. An easy way to keep those dreams alive and us working toward them, can be as simple as including that on your "to do" list. Start each list with simply, "Remember the forest."

Have a Routine

Working as a freelancer, it's important to have a routine, just as you would if you were employed by someone else. Having a routine ensures that you get the job done and meet that deadline, while at the same time continuing the necessity of networking, branching out and working at getting that next project!

Complacency can lead to trouble! You didn't get to where you are today by merely saying, "I think I'll start freelancing." It took time, determination and persistence. Whether you've just begun or have been at this awhile, you've worked hard to get to where you are. Realize that you must continue doing those things - keep that routine - so that you continue to grow, acquire more knowledge, more contacts and more work!

Believe

Believe. What an exceptionally powerful word! Take a moment to think about the implications, meanings, interpretations, uses, definitions. A person can believe in something, believe in themselves, believe that everything happens for a reason, believe in the power of positive thinking.

Just one word, all by itself, is completely positive in nature. Is there any context within which the word believe is used that is not positive? Try to think of an example. You can't, because of the power behind the word.

Whatever your goals or ambitions, if you believe - truly and genuinely believe - you can accomplish anything, overcome any obstacle, cross any bridge, conquer any problem, achieve any goal.

Faith plays a big role also; but now take a moment to think about that. You have to believe to have faith. One could say that you have to have faith in order to believe. In many instances, the two are synonymous. Just a quick glance at a dictionary and you will see that each references the other.

I personally have a great fondness for the word believe. It is my mantra, something I incorporate into everything I do and in how I think. Of course you can't simply walk around just saying the word. But combine that belief - in the word believe - with a positive attitude, determination and persistence, and you'll find that the world will open up to you. Whatever insecurities, doubts, inhibitions or fears that you face in life, in your career, in your goals -will simply be exonerated if you just believe.