Murphy's Law of Freelancing

I think Lori is reading my mind. Kathy, too. Over these last few weeks, as I'm preparing to take off for some much-needed R & R, clients and editors have practically come out of the woodworks to offer me assignments. At least one person per day. Has anyone else noticed this? It's actually a good problem to have, but I do feel guilty passing on projects and not all of them are easily outsourced. However, knowing that I'm nearing my limits, I've said no to all but the juiciest assignments.

I'm finishing up six weeks of on-site copywriting and for the last few weeks between my contract work and freelance work I've been putting in 50-60 hours. Basically, I'll get up and answer client emails, go to work and write some copy, come home and write some more, then go to bed and start the cycle again the next day. My Dad believed in hard work, not excuses, and I took his wisdom very to much to heart when he died. Now this girl needs a break! I used to be able to work at warp speed, but right now I just don't the energy to sustain that kind of schedule.

Fortunately, my boyfriend and I have a trip planned next week.

My post-vacay plan was to ease back into freelancing: reconnect with editors I've worked with in the past, go through my idea file and transform those ideas into queries, finish a few personal essays I have in the works, and take the time to plan my long-term freelance strategy. Despite my efforts to clear my calendar, it's looking like I may have a full plate when I get back.

Now that I know I can make a living as a freelance writer, I'm trying to shift my focus away from low-hanging fruit (e.i. projects that fall into my lap) and set my sights higher, really think about where I want my writing to take me. But while thinking strategically should pay off in the long-term, it can be hard for me to justify spending a lot of time on that instead of paying gigs. Still, I know that this is a necessity. I'm even thinking about hiring a business coach to help me figure out next steps and formalize my goals.

So, how do you balance the need to plan for the future with the need to pay the bills? Have you hired a business or personal coach? Do you have a long-range plan or are you just trying to keep up with deadlines on a day-to-day basis?