The day in the life of a freelance writer.
Left to my own devices, however, staying productive and on-task was a challenge I had anticipated. For a few months into my new freelancing gig, I definitely spent more time browsing the internet than actually writing (and trying to justify my procrastination by calling it "research"). Which, of course, made me feel secretly guilty and embarrassed when friends and family would pose the dreaded question, "What exactly do you do all day?" First of all, ain't none of yo' business. Ahem, what?
But at some point during the last 2-3 years of working from home (on and off), I've figured out a simple schedule that suits me as a freelancer, a student, and a wife—so that my career stays a priority even though I never step foot in an office, and I fall into bed every night feeling accomplished rather than ashamed.
Emily's Typical Day in the Life
(For all you nosy people who've asked what it is I do all day.)
Kidding! Let's hop to it.
7:00am — This is about the time I wake up. Sometimes it's earlier, sometimes it's later. I used to be a super early riser (5:30am!), but I'm definitely enjoying my ZZZs waaay more nowadays. And since I'm no longer a huge coffee drinker, I don't jump out of bed ready to take on the world. Mornings are slow AF, and I'm okay with that.
7:30am — It's into yoga pants and out the door for my morning jog/walk. I've found a little sun and exercise to be the perfect way to start my day, and Frisco's cool springtime air doesn't hurt. Soon the Texas weather will be intolerable, so I've got to get outside while I can!
8:30am — By this time, I'm sitting down for breakfast (this morning it was a couple slices of homemade paleo banana bread, topped with peanut butter and raspberries). I check my emails and read my favorite blogs while I eat. If Scott hasn't left for work yet, we eat together sans technology.
9:00am — My workday begins! Regardless of what tasks I have on my plate, I'll usually log a few hours before lunch. (This is when my mind is sharpest, even without caffeine.) What does my work look like, exactly? Lots of social media management and scheduling for different accounts, client blog post writing/editing, copywriting assignments, any scheduled meetings I may have on the calendar, the occasional article to write (if I have a looming deadline), or reaching out to brands/publications for potential writing opportunities.
Every so often, I'll spend this time nestled in one of my favorite coffee shops around town to help me focus, but for financial reasons, this is only maybe once or twice a week. (Those cups of Joe add up!)
Every so often, I'll spend this time nestled in one of my favorite coffee shops around town to help me focus, but for financial reasons, this is only maybe once or twice a week. (Those cups of Joe add up!)
11:00am — I can't stand to sit still for more than a few hours at a time, so I like to incorporate some sort of movement before lunch. Lately, this has been a 20-minute full body workout from Diary of a Fit Mommy's website. (Whether you're a mom or not, her guides are amazing!)
11:30am — If I'm not yet starving, I'll take a hot shower or bath and change into some fresh clothes. I.e., old jeans and a tee or, as of more recently, black leggings and a long sweater. Unless I plan on going out in the evening, I skip the makeup and rock SPF moisturizer instead. A perk of working alone!
12:00pm — Lunch break. To keep it simple, I tend to heat up the previous night's leftovers. If that's not an option, I'll throw together a salad with any raw veggies we have in the fridge and top it with canned sardines in EVOO (mmm, omega-3s!) and tortilla chips. Don't knock it 'til you try it.
12:30pm — It's back to work, finishing up whatever I didn't have time for in the AM. But, to be perfectly honest, I usually only get through an hour or so of writing before...
1:30pm — I can barely keep my eyes open. This is where working from home is the holy grail: It's my schedule, and I can nap if I want to. The post-lunch slump is real for this lady, and my butt is usually on the couch between 1:30pm and 2:30pm—sometimes resting, sometimes scrolling through Instagram on my phone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If by some miracle I don't feel sleepy, I'll run errands or do some chores. (Grocery shopping, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, etc.)
3:00pm — To boost my energy, I'll have a snack (like a protein bar or fresh fruit) and continue any work I have left. Nutrition school projects and homework also take precedence here—but that'll be a thing of the past come May!
4:30pm — Scott walks in the door around 5pm most nights, and I like to at least have dinner in mind before then. If I'm planning on cooking, I'll begin preparing my ingredients right about now. If it's his night on kitchen duty, I'll make sure to have the kitchen clean and everything put away so he can work his magic.
6:00pm — Dinner is on the table. We're early eaters!
12:30pm — It's back to work, finishing up whatever I didn't have time for in the AM. But, to be perfectly honest, I usually only get through an hour or so of writing before...
1:30pm — I can barely keep my eyes open. This is where working from home is the holy grail: It's my schedule, and I can nap if I want to. The post-lunch slump is real for this lady, and my butt is usually on the couch between 1:30pm and 2:30pm—sometimes resting, sometimes scrolling through Instagram on my phone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If by some miracle I don't feel sleepy, I'll run errands or do some chores. (Grocery shopping, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, etc.)
3:00pm — To boost my energy, I'll have a snack (like a protein bar or fresh fruit) and continue any work I have left. Nutrition school projects and homework also take precedence here—but that'll be a thing of the past come May!
4:30pm — Scott walks in the door around 5pm most nights, and I like to at least have dinner in mind before then. If I'm planning on cooking, I'll begin preparing my ingredients right about now. If it's his night on kitchen duty, I'll make sure to have the kitchen clean and everything put away so he can work his magic.
6:00pm — Dinner is on the table. We're early eaters!
6:30pm — I'm in my pajamas and wrapping up any last-minute to-dos. This could look like extra work (if it was a particularly work-heavy day), school assignments, chores, or researching prospective clients. Most of the time, however, I'm blogging for fun (like tonight), watching one of my go-to shows, or hanging out with the hubster.
Ta-da! Nothing much to it, eh?
Obviously, this is just rough sketch; no two days look exactly alike for me. (Every other Friday, for example, I'm either teaching a nutrition class downtown or counseling at Birth Choice for half of the day.) But that's honestly what I love about freelancing: the flexibility! I tire of monotonous routines really quickly, and I remember being constantly restless with a normal 9-to-5 office job. That said, I definitely miss the camaraderie that comes with working with a team. Freelancing can get awfully lonely at times, but when that happens, I just make sure to prioritize my relationships or make new friends in other aspects of my life. Everything in balance, you know?
Phew, that was long! Thanks for reading!
I'd love to know, is this pretty much what you expected from a part-time freelancer? Does it sound like something you'd love or hate?
An ode to ABC Family (+ their most binge-worthy show).
(Judge my taste of television all you want, but me and the YA soap network go way back.)
ABC Family has been my go-to channel for years, dating back to my early teens when reruns of Gilmore Girls aired every day at 4pm, just in time to grab an after-school snack and settle in for an hour of witty Lauren Graham banter. I was always excited when the 13 Days of Halloween rolled around each year, followed by the 25 Days of Christmas a month later—even though I must've seen every one of their holiday movies at least fifteen times by the time I graduated high school. ABC Family gave me a few of my favorite childhood shows (including Boy Meets World) and even introduced me to my first on-screen crush (Smallville's Tom Welling). Years later, the popular high school drama Pretty Little Liars would catch my eye and carry me through a post-college slump. (Again, judge all you want, but that shit was addicting.)
I'll admit, I was a little confused when ABC Family changed its name to something lame and pretentious like Freeform, but I can't say I blame their marketing team for wanting to put distance between itself and the "family-friendly" label of yesteryear. The shows now are much more Desperate Housewives' sex and scandal than 7th Heaven's family values, but that's what it means to keep up with the times, I suppose. And in the interest of staying relevant, I should probably get to the point of this post: Freeform's The Bold Type (now on its 3rd season) is my newest religiously watched TV show. Just in case you need a new
1. It's so wonderfully feminist, I could cry.
While I do claim to be a feminist, I've grown tired of the childishly simplistic "men are all sexist pigs" mentality that has swept the nation recently as a result of the #MeToo movement. (WHICH, FYI, IS A MOVEMENT I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF. Please don't @ me.) But in my opinion, The Bold Type conveys feminism as the positive, powerful force it has the potential to be without throwing masculinity under the bus (or making women out to be helpless victims). Like I've always said, men and women working together to create a better reality for everyone is what I like to see, and TBT does this well.2. It's not afraid to be bold, hence the name.
I won't spoil any of the storylines, but from the beginning of the first season, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth in which the show covers "hush hush" issues like sexual assault/harassment, career insecurities, societal pressures, racism, and women's health—you know, the hard-to-talk-about but oh-so-common shit that a lot of women battle these days. Tough topics in television can easily come off as overdone or reductive, but TBT's writers manage to tackle these real-life struggles with grace and tact—all the while showcasing both the vulnerable and fierce sides of its female characters.3. It makes me miss working in publishing.
Hard-hitting deadlines, high-end cocktail parties, emergency gal pal meetings in the fashion closet, and badass female editors who rival Yoda in wisdom... TBT makes the corporate publishing world look SO glamorous, and part of me can't help but miss the fast-paced life I used to dream about being a part of.4. It reminds me why I got out of publishing.
Office politics, mandatory weekly events, long hours with minimal pay, and the stress of always having to be on your A game? Yeah, I'm so over that lifestyle. (Can't say it's not fun to watch though!)5. It takes place in New York City.
Okay, so this isn't unique to TBT. But I have a special place in my heart for the Big Apple, and I love any or all shows set there. (Takes me back to my love affair with this show in particular.) Even though I'm not sure I would ever realistically want to live in NYC, there's something about the thrill and adventure of a big city that sucks me in every time.6. It's risqué without being trashy.
Rated TV-14, TBT doesn't shy away from sex, but I don't catch myself blushing halfway through every episode either (hello, Sex and the City!). These characters aren't saints, by any means—and honestly, where's the fun in that?—but they know how to keep it classy (for the most part).7. It has style.
Fashion really isn't my thing (Consider me Andy Sachs, pre-makeover), but even I notice all. the. gorgeous. clothes. Every single one of the characters has impeccable taste, and I never get bored of seeing which outfits each episode will bring! I'll go so far as to say that the show has inspired me to upgrade my own style choices recently... Jeans are a step up from yoga pants, yeah?
8. It's about sisterhood, first and foremost.
As someone who has experienced the power of sisterhood in so many ways, I can't help but get behind any TV show that puts female friendships at the forefront of its plot. The three main characters, although a world apart and so very different from my own circumstances, remind me a lot of me and my two besties and the impact we each have on one another. That's the beauty of sisterhood: it's universal. No matter where you live or what your life looks like, most of us can relate to the light-as-a-feather feeling of pouring out one's heart and soul to another woman (whether it be a mother, sister, close friend, or colleague) over a bottle of wine or pint of ice cream. I'd take that over a run-of-the-mill romance anyday.Photo by Freeform.
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