I have an on-again, off-again relationship with keeping a journal.
I find a lot of value in journaling. It helps me reflect on what’s working and not working. It helps me clarify my thinking about questions or challenges I’m facing. It helps me grow as a person and as a writer.
But it also takes time. And that’s why I’m not as consistent about the practice as I would like to be.
When it comes to running a business, though, having a journal that is specific to your business can be invaluable.
If you haven’t considered keeping a business journal, let me share some ways this can help you grow your business into everything it can be.
1. Dream Bigger
Once you get your business rolling, and you start landing some clients, meeting deadlines, and consistently marketing yourself, it’s easy to find yourself feeling pretty busy. Maybe too busy.
Most of the hours of your day are spoken for. And so it becomes a rare thing to daydream about all the ways your business might take shape and evolve… or about how you want to grow your business next… or about other businesses you might launch.
Having a business journal, and writing in it regularly, gives you the opportunity to dream a little bigger. Some of your entries can be given over to daydreaming and brainstorming.
Some prompts you might try here include:
- If I could land any client in the world, who would I work with and why?
- How can I turn the favorite aspects of my business into my main money makers?
- What trends are happening right now, and how could I participate? (For example, Apple released its new Vision Pro to developers a couple of months ago… What’s an app you could dream up for a spatial computing environment?)
- If I were to create a second stream of income, how would I do it?
- What cause would I be willing to donate my services to and why?
2. Get Grateful
I love being a freelancer, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t faced some struggles… just like many other writers I know, maybe just like you.
Sometimes, you feel like you’re never going to land another new client. Sometimes you feel like you need to change industries, but you aren’t sure how to do it. Sometimes life throws you an unexpected curveball, and that pulls your attention from your business.
There are a lot of reasons why some years may be harder than others.
One of the things that can keep those hard times in perspective and help you find the energy to dig into your next writing project (even when you want to lock yourself in your bedroom and just hide under your covers) is gratitude.
When you take time to get in touch with the things you’re grateful for, it can help you keep moving forward during the hard times. And that can help you get through the hard times faster, and learn more from the experience.
Some prompts you can use to get in touch with those powerful feelings of gratefulness are:
- Who is someone in my past who gave me advice or encouragement? What did they say and how did it help me?
- What is my favorite part of my workday, and why am I grateful for those moments?
- What do I love most about working at home?
- What do I love most about working in my industry?
3. Boost Your Confidence
Finally, nearly every writer I know — myself included — experiences imposter syndrome from time to time.
And many writers I know who are excellent at their craft and very good at delivering results for their clients still struggle with their confidence.
Add in low days and setbacks, and you can find yourself filled with doubt.
An antidote to that is to write in your journal about any compliments you receive from clients, any positive results you produce, and any projects you’re proud of.
Write about the work you’ve done, why it makes you proud, how it will help your client, and how it will help their customers. If you can include an exact quote about your work from the client, put that in your journal as well.
Then when you’re feeling down, just go back through the journal entries — the ones that talk about the great work you’re doing — and remind yourself how much of a difference you make for the people who hire you.
If you’ve never kept a business journal, give it a try. It can really help you get into a better mindset and find more satisfaction with your work.
In Case You Missed It…
If you’re struggling to land clients — or just want to streamline the process — one way to make it easier is to have a high-value, easy-to-deliver product you can use as a free offer or a low-cost first project. In my most recent UX/CX Copywriting column, I show you what that might look like for a UX copywriter and how you can use it. Check it out.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s quite a bit of buzz around TikTok right now… and especially TikTok advertising. If you’re curious what ads look like on this fast-growing network — and wondering what your role as a writer might be — you won’t want to miss this new piece from Zoe Blarowski.
If you couldn’t join us for last month’s Member Update webinar, the recording is available. Give it a watch, and meet your most important client… YOU!
When was the last time you took a break? And I don’t mean a five-minute stretch between work blocks… I mean a genuine multiday break. In her latest Reality Blog, Jennifer Ayling talks about the importance of time off and gives you inspiration for how to spend that time if you’re not planning to travel anywhere. Give it a read… and then get your next break added to your calendar.
Mark Your Calendar
Speaking of calendars, we’ve got upcoming events you don’t want to miss.
August 10: Next week, I’ll be joined by a few other working copywriters, including Bonnie Fanning and Zoe Blarowski, to talk all about first client stories. Come away inspired and encouraged… and ready to land your first (or your next) client!
August 16: Make sure you tune in for our next Monthly Member Update where we’ll be exploring how to create a more satisfying and rewarding freelance copywriting business. Plus, we’ll talk about new things on the site, what’s coming up, and the questions that are on your mind.
August 24: The landscape of SEO is changing, but there’s still a big role for writers to play. In this event, Rebekah Mays, an SEO content writer and strategist, joins us to talk about generative search and to show you how to approach writing projects to help your clients rank in the age of AI.
3 Things I Thought You Might Enjoy…
Hear from digital copywriting pioneer, Nick Usborne, in this brief interview about AI, Web3, and where you fit in as a writer.
One area where AI is showing some early impact is SEO. The Content Marketing Institute shares 23 expert tips on navigating the changing landscape.
Do you struggle with pricing your services? Austin Church digs deep into 13 lessons he’s learned about setting fees.
That’s all for now. Have a great weekend!
