Happy Tuesday, Substack readers!
Who remembers the motivational posters created by Successories that were so popular in the late 1990s? They featured an image of a beautiful landscape or a majestic lion with a word at the bottom in all caps “EXCELLENCE,” with some kind of platitude below it including the words “goals,” “relentless,” “optimistic,” and “success.”
Call me a pessimist, but I prefer the “demotivational” posters people come up with on Reddit, like the one below. Americans are trained from a young age to be productivity-obsessed, and it’s an ideal I’m actively trying to reject. (I also love the dry humor.)
I recently interviewed a business owner and asked them what advice they’d give to someone who is just starting out as an entrepreneur.
His response was thought-provoking:
“Don’t confuse effort with results.”
As freelance writers, our business plans can sometimes be nebulous and in many ways we don’t fit into the same box as most small business owners, but the advice he gave still holds true.
I had to mull it over — usually this phrase is used in offices where busy work can keep people occupied without them accomplishing anything. But the same can apply to someone like me — a writer who works from home and doesn’t contract any work out or manage any employees.
How?
Do you find yourself spinning your wheels, putting in lots of effort and energy sending out pitches, but then not really having anything (like assigned stories) to show for it?
Are you spending a lot of mental energy on things (what I call “head miles”) by over-thinking or going through every minute detail but not getting clear and concise ideas put together?
Are you “on” all the time, constantly trying to come up with story ideas, even in your free time?
That, in my mind, is confusing effort with results when it comes to freelance writing.
Now, not everything in your freelance writing career has to be completely results-driven, but at the end of the day, if you’re relying on your writing to pay your bills, there has to be some sort of measurable ROI (return on investment) — there is a lot to the business side of a writing career.
This little nugget of not confusing effort with results is something to think about.
How can you streamline your pitching process? How can you maximize your work time to make it more efficient?
How can you get IT (whatever IT is) done without getting distracted or without procrastinating?
How can you make your pitches more clear and concise?
What publications are in your network that can guarantee work and give you some easy yesses so that you’re not constantly stressing about where your next assignments are coming from?
This coming month I’ve decided to start putting systems into place that help me measure the progress I’m making on my goals, help me to be better organized, and help me to be more efficient — so I don’t confuse effort with results, but rather, I have a more solid idea of my return on investment.
Stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing everything with you here!
What would your motivational (or demotivational) poster say? Leave it in the comments!
Do you have a pitch that needs a little oomph? Send it to me — the PITCH WITCH!
Paid subscribers can send me up to three pitches they’re working on that they think would benefit from my feedback. I’ll work my magic on it, give constructive edits and make the pitch better—and more likely to get accepted.
To read all the details of how to send me your ideas for PITCH WITCH, read this post.
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Did You Catch Me On The Media in Minutes Podcast?
Earlier this month, I was a guest on the Media in Minutes podcast hosted by Angela Tuell. We talked about how I got into freelance writing, how PR professionals can best work with writers, how to become a successful freelance writing, and my coaching sessions.
Check it out on the Media in Minutes site or on Spotify (below)