Normally, I’m on the run. All day. Every day. Run. Run. Run.

Today, I’m a bit of a space cadet.

It could be the weather. (It’s chilly and rainy in Charlotte.) It could be a decided lack of sleep, or the fact that our thermostat still thinks it’s summer. Maybe I just hit the wall.

It’s not like I haven’t gotten anything done today, that wouldn’t be fair to say. I’ve gotten stuff done. In fact, I’m actually doing quite well as far as deadlines are concerned. But, today, I also did something I haven’t done in a long time: I played. Just a little, but I did. And, it felt great.

Now I’m sitting here, sucking on a snickerdoodle roast from my favorite coffee shop like it should have a nipple on it … and having a difficult time even finishing this sentence, quite frankly. Please, lawd, don’t hold up anything that sparkles, I’ll loose my train of thought again.

But, I’ve got to get in gear. I need to write five articles before I rest. Busy day tomorrow.

I work too much.

I know everyone says that, but I’m serious.

This past weekend I calculated how much I work each week and the number was mind-boggling. Most weeks, I average 75 hours of work time.

That’s too much, don’t you agree?

If I allow for eight hours of sleep per night — which is a joke — that means I end up with less than two hours per day to do things like bathe, eat and spend time with my family.

Not only is my work schedule ridiculous, what it ultimately means is I’m not taking care of myself like I should be. (Though a therapist would say, “You shouldn’t should yourself.”)

What this little time analysis has put in focus is my need to work on projects that really mean something to me versus projects that will just generate an invoice. In short, I’m ready to branch out.

I know, branching out while scaling back doesn’t make sense on the surface. To clarify: Instead of working so hard on a large quantity of articles, I’d prefer to work hard on a smaller amount of quality articles on topics that I genuinely care about.

Don’t get me wrong, I care about all of the stories I write. But, instead of sitting through hours and hours of public meetings and cranking out a story that may or may not make a difference or be read, I’d prefer to spend those same hours working on projects that might actually affect positive changes in our world.

I’m very interested in writing about the environment and weight issues, how they’re interrelated and how society interacts with them.

So, that’s the type of work you can expect more of from me in the very near future.

"The Lesson" by Pablo Picasso

I’ve really got to stop making rigid schedules for myself. They just don’t work out like they used to.

I tend to underestimate how long it will take me to do things because I’m so used to doing everything fast, which is good because I’m always so busy. (Ask my Grandma. In fact, I get these traits from her.)

Something that bugs me: I catch myself saying stuff like, “I’m so busy.” I hate that. Saying it manifests more, or at least it raises my tension level and makes me want to blame myself for manifesting more busy-ness.

I’m getting better at just doing one thing at a time. (She writes, just returned from a Tweet. There, it’s off now.)

No, really. I am. I’m getting better.

Though my office isn’t as organized as I’d like it to be, it’s pretty damn organized. (Mr. Wonderful says that’s the German in me. He also says that when I do stuff like say, “Shut it and turn it on,” when a fly lands in the microwave. That’s rare, don’t worry about the flies. Most of them make it.)

Look at me. You see what happens?

I’ve been so focused today — wrote three articles, five blog posts (including this one), aggregated a little news, conducted an interview for an article that’s not due ’til next week. It’s no wonder I hit the goofball wall after so many hours staring at you, screen.

Here’s a big lesson learned: Be prepared, like a good scout. It makes life so much better.

Speaking of which, I’ve got to get prepped for tomorrow.

Bye now.

It’s true. Most freelancers sit on their ass most of the time. No, I don’t have statistics. I’m just going by my own freelance experiences.

The folks over at Freelance Folder posted a timely — for me — piece this week about the (health) hazards of freelancing. And, I have to say, I couldn’t agree more.

When you are writing for five different clients, trying to meet or beat deadlines and constantly clicking away on your keyboard, the easy thing to do is eat fast, sleep less and push through ’til the end. You’re not doing yourself any favors when you go that route, though. This I know from personal experience.

Before I became a freelance writer I worked in a office with people I couldn’t stand. At five o’clock I was out the door. At lunch, I tried to go for walks and I always got up to take a break, get a snack or just walk around to visit with coworkers. Shortly before I broke free and began living the freelance life, I lost 95 pounds. (Yes, I was that fat.)

Now that I’m working for myself and totally in love with what I do, it’s easy to skip meals, work 18 hour days and totally ignore the gym. Guess what that’s earned me? That’s right, those 95 pounds snuck back up on me. (Yeah, I’m that fat again.)

And, this is why Freelance Folder’s post is so timely. Tomorrow, July 25, I’m starting fatty torture camp. (That’s not what it’s really called. It’s called “Step up and lose it.”)

This is my gym’s local version of Biggest Loser for all of us fatties who can’t take four or five months off from life for a reality T.V. show. To prepare, my husband and I have spent the past couple weeks eating through our cabinents. (I have a giant bowl of low-fat pudding sitting next to me this very second.)

So, wish me luck. It’s lard melting time. And, like the Freelance Folder post says, I know that getting off my tuckus and getting some exercise every day will actually help my freelance business become more successful.

Or, I should say “problems.”

My office is right next to our bedroom, which means it’s one of the first and last things I see every day. Though, that’s handy, since I tend to spend the days in my PJs.

However, it becomes a bit of a problem when I forget I’m still in my PJs until I’m pulling open the mailbox door at midday. Whoops. The good news: I know the sound of our mailman’s muffler. So, I’ve gotten better about waiting until he leaves before heading out to the street looking all disheveled.

Not only do I want my day to end when my husband gets home, it really has to. See, I work in silence. He is no where near silent, despite the duck tape. (Kidding.)

There are days when the cats are super needy and they walk across my desk. Though, that works out good for me since I usually scoop them up for a cuddle.

There are also those days when I get distracted by household chores and ignore my small businesses chores, though those are few.

Mostly, though, working from home is a joy.

As I said, I get to hang in comfy clothes.

No one expects make-up.

It’s quiet.

Lunch is about ten steps away.

There’s no rush hour traffic, unless you count Mr. Wonderful’s primping in the bathroom.

We rarely run out of coffee.

And, best of all, I can nap anytime I want (though I don’t, although I should).

Despite it’s downside, I think I’ll stay.

When I decided I wanted to be a full-time freelance writer, I was thinking about writing articles and books — not writing line items on invoices. I think that’s a common problem among creative types looking to make a living from their hobbies or talents. In our minds, if we can just get to a point where we’re writing, or painting, or singing — or whatever — for a living, then life will be good.

Well, I’ve got to say: Working for myself as a writer is glorious. Fortunately, before I dove into the writing industry, I spent years in retail management and then in insurance sales. I also majored in business in college, until I moved to Charlotte and switched to communication studies/ mass media. So, I feel prepared.

However, while I expected to spend time networking, planning — budgets, business plans and marketing campaigns, and dealing with the financials, I never considered how much time I would actually spend NOT writing.

I’m sad to say I spend the majority of my time not writing. Managing the business side of things takes up a significant amount of time. As does getting prepared to write. At no time, unless I’m writing a journal entry — like this — do I sit down and start hammering away at the keyboard without  piles of research to back me up.

Writing for a living involves so much more than writing. It is a business, after all. And, while it’s not quite what I expected, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to become a freelance writer.

A lot of the business stuff is just maintenance, like filing and following up on unpaid invoices. It’s manageable. It’s also the source of a new goal: I’ve decided the next marker of  my success marker will be met when I hire an assistant.

No, I don’t have any grand ideas about having someone working full-time, making coffee and managing everything that doesn’t involve research or writing. But, having someone help me with some of the tedious business basics would make a huge difference. After all, if I’m not writing I’m not bringing in any income into the business.

So, as always, the evolution continues.

Rhi B, goofing off on the Blue Ridge Parkway instead of working

It’s been a while (almost three months) since I posted here. My absence wasn’t intentional, it’s just that I’m busy. I’ve missed posting here and, though I probably won’t be able to keep up my former pace, I plan to post an update each Monday from here on.

First, the big news: After 14 years, I’m finally a college graduate. My diploma arrived the day before Independence Day. Now it feels official.

Immediately following graduation, several people clamored for my attention — including my husband. Trying to start a business while finishing college and interning is no joke. There were weeks where, I swear to you, I put in 80- 100 hours worth of work on homework, work-work and volunteer work. That doesn’t leave much room for anything else.

After taking a couple of weeks to find my footing, lunch with editors and catch up on my sleep, I realized I could easily stay as busy as I was before. I also realized I didn’t want to live such a hectic life anymore.

So, I’ve got a few new rules in my life.

My work day begins when my husband leaves for work and ends when he gets home, most days. I try not to work on the weekends, unless there is a news story or event to cover. I’m also trying to take more breaks — real, actual breaks where I leave the house and do something non-work related. I’m saying “no” more often. I’m also making time for the gym. So, no surprise, I’m feeling less stressed and more productive.

Currently, in addition to writing for several local media outlets, I am also volunteering for ProPublica’s “Adopt a Stimulus Project“, teaching myself some new skills and reading several books for review — among other things.

More than anything else, I’m aiming for a more balanced life.

Here’s the great news:

Things are good. Even though I’ve dramatically cut my work hours, I’m writing every day — usually for publication.

Besides an ever growing list of clips, available daily on sites like Charlotte’s Creative Loafing Clog blog or on Qcitymetro.com, a lot of what I’m doing is behind the scenes.

I’m getting organized and creating a database to help with that effort. I’m improving my skill set. I’m learning about local and national markets. And, yes, I’m working on a book (more on that later).

The really great news, though, is that my dream of trading words for dollars is a reality.

When I compare my progress to this time last year, the difference is amazing. If you look back two years, you’ll find me sitting behind a desk at an office I dreaded to enter working for people who could care less about me or my dreams. Look back three, four or five and you’ll witness moments where I was limping by along the bottom of the barrel, beaten down by bad luck and a few (really) bad decisions.

So, while I’m not a best selling author or syndicated columnist, I am proud of how far I’ve come in a short period of time. I thank my hard work and my husband’s never ending support.

It’s true, though: Times are tough

Every where you go, in every magazine or newspaper you read, you’re faced with the fact that the economy bites right now.

In the short time since I entered the freelance world, several of the publications I’ve written for have either folded, been bought by larger companies, stopped using freelancers all together or for a span of time and many of them, in each category, experienced layoffs.

Times are tough, but things are still good.

There is work out there for freelancers. There is opportunity to embrace. And, at The Word Trade, I’m so busy with client work that my personal projects — like that database or our official Web site launch — are put on the back burner.

I’m not complaining, though. I’m thrilled. I’ve overcome a lot to arrive at this moment.

Something I’ve discovered on the path to balance

I’m my own boss. (I know, you’d think that would be clear from the get go.) If the Web site is delayed or if the database takes longer than expected to complete, it’s O.K. No one is going to fire me for taking longer than anticipated to complete those projects.

There’s no race. There’s no reason to overwork myself, either.

So, for the first time in a long time, I’m enjoying the journey.

Viva la evolucion.

Writing can be stressful, perplexing and overwhelming. Yep. Sorry to tell you, the writing life isn’t all java sipping, spectacle adjusting and clicking away at the keyboard. And, for some, just getting started can be daunting. How often have you heard — or said — something like this: “I can write that” or “I’d love to write, I just don’t have the time” or “I wish I could write for a living”?

The difference between writers who say such things and successful writers? Successful writers write. That’s it. They sit down and write. Why is that difficult to do? Because writing isn’t about filling a page with letters, it involves introspection, critical thinking, solitude and the ability to swallow criticism gracefully … among other things, like interviewing and research skills, imagination and more.  Some people don’t feel comfortable or practiced with one, or more, of those concepts or activities and, as soon as they sit down and stare the blank screen with it’s blinking cursor, they realize it. That doesn’t mean those skills can’t be honed through time and practice, but where to start?

In their book, Write Free: Attracting the Creative Life, Rebecca Lawton and Jordan E. Rosenfeld help writers bridge the gap between wanting to be a writer and becoming a successful, fulfilled — and, as importantly, published — author.

Though the book is only 163 pages, it isn’t a quick read. Think of this book as a guidebook, leading you along the trails of your unique journey toward your goals and ambitions. The pages ask you to clear a space for creativity to blossom, look into your soul and history for story ideas, be positive and allow yourself the freedom and opportunity to grow into the writer you always dreamed you could become. They also offer exercises, both written and literal (don’t be surprised when you’re instructed to get up and boogie), to help you unleash your muse.

Write Free takes the edge off by holding a mirror for its readers and helping them understand they are a writer — now, in this space exactly as they are — and that becoming a successful writer is as much about the wordsmith as it is about the end product. The pages of Write Free, full of earnest encouragement, feel like an embrace. So, it should also feel good to know the support doesn’t stop at the end of the book, the authors are so committed to helping other writers become successful that they offer newsletters, retreats and, recently, even an online workshop through their Website.

Available for under $15 on Amazon.com, Write Free is a must have for any one just starting out and it serves as a great return-to-your-roots reminder for those who’ve been writing for a while.

This is my favorite textbook ever. I mean it: ever. And, that’s saying a lot since I started college in the fall of 1995 and won’t finish up for another 26 days (at my third college). This book, Feature Writing for Newspapers and Magazines, The Pursuit of Excellence, by Jay Friedlander and John Lee, was the absolute perfect book to end my collegiate career.

Why? Because not only is it full of useful (as in I went straight home and put the advice into immediate practice in my freelance writing business) tips, the authors fill many chapters with Pulitzer Prize winning examples — stories that are difficult to find elsewhere, stories that will move your soul and inspire your muse.

Sure, there were a few pages when I would nod and think, “Yes. Yes. I’ve read this before.” But there were many, many more pages that caused me to take feverish notes and some even had me running to the copy machine to make a copy for the “helpful tips” notebook that sits on my desk.

For instance, on page 296, the section on “Avoiding Common Mistakes” is priceless. But, what I want to know is this: why didn’t someone share this information with me from the beginning? Life would have been so much easier — and less embarrassing — and I would have saved oodles of time.

Yeah, the book covers the basics — like story structure and trends, but it also talks about focusing your ideas and what won’t work. It also lays down the law on page 67 with the section “Three Necessary Skills for the Freelance Writer.” Got ‘em? Great. Don’t? You might want to re-think your profession.

What if you don’t feel comfortable interviewing? After chapter five you will. Would you rather poke your eyes out than revise? Chapter 9 will come to your rescue. Not sure what your rights and boundaries are? Chapter 10, “Legal and Ethical Considerations for Writers” covers the details.

Seriously, I never thought I’d say this: but I can’t wait to read this textbook again. It’s one that will live on my bookshelves for as long as I’m trading words for dollars.

You can find used copies on Amazon.com for less than $50 — and, if you’re serious about freelance writing, you should.

You might wonder why I’m writing about confidence on a blog about evolving from a student to a successful freelance writer. Or, you might not.

Anyone with experience in or entering into the publishing industry, freelance life or wide world of self-employment understands it takes a lot of chutzpah to dive in. Most days, freelancers are more likely to be hit with rejection letters than acceptance letters and it’s inevitable something they send out will have errors or need an editorial overhaul. Some days those bumps are easy to navigate, other days they hurt and can turn the most confident person into a pile of mush if they’re not careful.

But, according to Dr. Bryan Robinson’s book, “The Art of Confident Living: 10 Practices for Taking Charge of Your Life,” the last thing you want to do is stay mushy. Nope. What you want to do is pick yourself up, fake-it-’til-you-make-it and keep on going, being careful about who you surround yourself with and the conversation going on in your own head.

The author takes readers step-by-step through the 10 practices on a confidence boosting journey. Each chapter begins with a quote, a story about someone everyone can relate to and tips for honing your confidence-building skills. Each chapter ends with an exercise or two (they only take a minute).

Read the book once to give yourself the ultimate boost, then refer back to it when you need a recharge. It’s easy to find the exact page you need, thanks to the user-friendly contents page and an extensive index.

For example: are you in a whoa-is-me cycle brought about by poor decision making? Check out “The Practice of Choice” on page 61. Maybe you don’t have time to read the entire chapter, so you read the section entitled “Make Life an Adventure to Experience Instead of a Problem to Solve.” By the end of that two-minute read you’ll feel refreshed and ready to take charge of the important decisions in your life again because you’ll have the tools to re-frame your problems and break the cycle.

What if it’s a bad editor day, nothing you write seems any good and everything you’ve submitted this month has been rejected? Why not revisit “Bending with Life’s Curves” in “The Practice of Harmony” section on page 115? Because, you know, you must be able to bend if you are to survive out there on your own freelancers.

The point is, the book — as a whole — will be a light in your life, but you’ll want to keep it around for a refresher every now and then because the writing life is hard and sometimes you’ll need to take a break and remember you’re important, being confident about your abilities and talent is equally important and opening your life to the possibilities that await sometimes takes practice and regular effort.

Dr. Robinson’s book is no boring self-help tome designed to help you sleep better at night. On the contrary, some of the real-life stories he shares will touch your heart or make you laugh — and they’ll all remind you that you’re not alone. Even the person every one thinks is the most confident person they know needs a little reassurance and guidance now and then. This book offers that. By the last page, you’re sure to feel like a better — more confident — version of yourself. More, you’ll be armed with new tools to ensure you feel like that good more often than not.

Published by HCI in January 2009, you can get your own copy on Amazon.com for just over $10.