A full-time job and freelance work can keep any woman busy past 9pm on an average weekday. Lately, this is the story of my life: All work and some play (about 75/25 to keep it honest). The freelance work has gratefully kept me busy and caused me to forsake my blog, but I have good reason for it. You see, these past few weeks, I have been cultivating relationships and getting paid!

As my freelance business grows, it has forced me to realign my priorities and set new goals. I have secured 3 more clients than I had this time last year, totaling 5 clients, who all need my attention equally. At this point, I have to make a commitment to register my business by Jan. 31 if I want to keep this up. I also need to create a business plan that fits my goals. Sure that means more work, but I don’t regret the growth for one second.

And with all of this dedication of my time, it only makes sense that I don’t allow myself to be distracted by something I don’t want to do. In fact, I have no problem saying ‘no’ to things that don’t present a clear objective or incentive before I decide to commit. So in other words, I don’t have time for someone who approaches me and doesn’t have any idea of what they want = time suckers or “B.S.-ers.” I’ve learned my lesson from plenty of trial and error. If you have clear goals set for yourself, it will be much harder for someone else to come along and distract you with their unfruitful ideas.

I can thank Dan Miller for that advice. Currently reading 48 Days to the Work You Love. The charge is simple: achieve your heart’s desire by simply addressing your goals and seeking ways to do more of what you love. My goal is to apply the lessons from this book to my freelance work because it is more closely aligned to what I truly love to do: Empower others.

Moving forward with this goal (one of many personal ones I have), it will be easier to eliminate distractions and better allocate my time. If I choose to leave a social event early; skip happy hour for a nap; keep my house clean; and ignore social media invites, then I am showing others that it is my right to decide how I will use my free time. Often I find myself offering more declines so that I can retain energy and redirect that energy towards reaching my personal goals. When it’s all said and done, it’s those types of choices that will result in happier clients, stronger relationships with the people that matter and ultimately a more focused outlook on my future and success.

Ending 3rd Quarter – Career Wins:

– Happier client Stacey Flowers

– New Client: @75North_Omaha

– Magazine Features: Omaha Magazine & The Reader