How can you avoid overcommitting on writing projects?

I refuse many writing projects because I know the quality won’t be perfect. It might be 80% as good; but that’s not enough. You owe it to your customer or client to give it a 120%. It’s okay to say no and raise your prices as your quality gets better.

What's your ideal daily word count? How many hours a day can you write? What's your best writing environment? These are simple questions that can change everything. You have to become aware of what works for you. Then, you can deal with any distractions or obstacles that will make your work harder. What you are looking for here is a set of optimal conditions for your writing. Everyone is a bit different when it comes to this. You'll have to find your own rhythm. Breaks are crucial. Take a walk, stretch, or take a hot shower if that helps! Hot showers work for me if I have long stretches of writing. Get your blood flowing. You will find more energy that way. Take good care of yourself. Your self-love will improve your writing.

Start with the end in mind. Where do you want your writing career to go? Once you have a clear picture of where you want to go, accept projects that take you in that direction and learn to say no to the ones that don't. Once you've figured out which projects to accept and which to reject, have a clear system for prioritizing projects based on your end goal. Depending on what you want to achieve, you might prioritize certain clients over others or more profitable projects over less profitable ones. Lastly, reassess your goals regularly. It might take time to figure out what works for you. That's OK. Just give yourself that time to learn and grow.

Don't over-promise. That's the easiest way to hate your work. I know it's easier said than done. Sometimes you just need to get that project so you can pay your bills. But don't make it a habit. If you struggle to balance your writing with your life, take a step back. Take some time to think through your work routine. See how you can start making little improvements, day by day. Else, you will burn out at some point. Or you'll get ill. Then what? know it's not always that simple. That's why you need to build your routine over time. High-quality clients will respect your boundaries as long as you can deliver results. And that's what matters in the end. Promise only what you can do. Then do your best to give more. That's how you win.

I used to struggle with this a lot. In order to meet my income goals, I would take on a lot of work. And then I'd suffer, slugging through, trying to meet the word count. That's a painful way to live! The key here is to seek higher quality work. It's not easy, I know. But, that should be your long term goal. Else you'll be stuck in rut and miss out on things you enjoy. Create a writing routine. This should include how you prepare for your writing session. Work out your ideal daily word count. Then, do all you can to meet it. When you take on work, see how it fits into your routine. Every now and then, you will have to put in extra effort. But with practice, you will have a system that works for you. And you'll be that much happier!