I read a great post on Freelance Folder today: How to Balance Freelancing with a Full Time Job Without Burning Out by Michael Martine of Remarkablogger.
This article is of particular interest to me since…. well, I am a freelancer / small business owner who also has a full time job. I have to tell you, it can be stressful at times! I’ve managed well so far but I realize that it is a very delicate juggling act to successfully manage two careers and a family, without burning out!
A Small Snippet from the Article
It is possible to effectively balance your full-time job with freelancing - without going insane or burning out. I do it, and in this post, I’ll tell you how you can, too. Many of us begin freelancing while we are still employed in full-time jobs.
Here are some requirements and tips for staying sane while working the 9-5 and freelancing on the side.
- Get help from others
- Calculate your total work and billable hours
- Become an efficiency ninja
- Take care of yourself
- Write blog posts in advance
- Keep your two jobs separated
- Take mini vacations
Juggling Act
If you’re facing a daily juggling act like I am, I highly recommend heading over to Freelance Folder to read the full article. Michael makes several good points. One in particular I know I need to focus more on is “Take care of yourself” - I know sleep is the first thing to go when I’m facing multiple deadlines, and is likely the thing that’s going to burn me out the quickest (I live for weekends when I can actually get 7 hours of sleep - 8 if I’m lucky!)
The information on calculating your work time and billable hours are very important, as of course, are the tips on efficiency. I also like the suggestions on writing blog posts in advance. This is something I’m only now finally starting to do…
Reader Suggestions
I hope you’ll head over to the original article. I made a few comments there, and am sure the post will receive many more reader comments and suggestions, as well, which I am very interested in reading about. Anything to help a girl out, right? 
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject, whether here or over at Freelance Folder. Is there anything you feel is most important when juggling both a full-time and freelance career, and in many cases, a family too?
