Mastering Your Psyche

“Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune and misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.”
–Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist and poet

In Issue #173

Mastering Your Psyche by Krista Jones

I read an article over the weekend called “What Your Car Color Reveals About Your Psyche.” My car is dark blue, which indicates that I have an upbeat personality, above average confidence, and consistent moods.

Nine days out of ten, that assessment is right on the money. But I’ve got to tell you that working as a freelance copywriter regularly tests each one of those traits.

I say that because if I’m not vigilant about keeping my emotions in check, the ins and outs of daily copywriting life can cause my moods to swing like a pendulum.

If you’ve already started your business, you probably know what I mean…

Today you might consider getting a corporate or retail job because your copywriting pipeline is empty. Then tomorrow you can be on top of the world because you land an assignment that will cover your bills for the next month. The next morning, you might be ready to quit copywriting altogether after getting tough feedback on a promotion you submitted two weeks ago. Then three hours later you get a call from a prospective client who wants to work with you because she’s heard great things about your work.

Up and down, up and down your days can go. The question is, how can you remain calm, cool, and collected when you’re faced with these kinds of daily highs and lows?

The answer: Create space.

By that I mean don’t identify with any one of the situations or circumstances you’re faced with. Don’t own them—not even the good ones.

Believe me, it took me a while to get this. For months I rode an emotional rollercoaster, displaying moods that were anything but consistent. Eventually I figured out that if I continued to let my copywriting news of the day determine whether I had a good or bad day, I was going to drive myself and everyone around me nuts.

After that I learned how to stay pretty close to my center no matter what. Ahhh…now this is much better.

If you let your moods and actions be affected by the day to day circumstances of this business (or by any external circumstances for that matter), I urge you to find YOUR center as soon as possible. Not only will you feel more stable, but you’ll gain a true perspective of the situation at hand.

Remember: Nothing is permanent. That alone will help you modulate the emotional highs and lows that are inherent in this business by creating space around your thoughts and reactions.

And from that inner space comes peace, freedom, creativity, and the opportunity for true success.

Resource Referral: Writing E-books for Fun and Profit

Last week Monica wrote about where you are in accomplishing your 2008 goals. I smiled when I read her essay because I had just spent the previous day checking in on how I was doing with my own goals. When I did, I came face to face with the fact that I am woefully behind in my writing and publishing goals.

So Friday, I put my foot down and decided to do something about it. I dug in and started doing some research, trying to figure out where to start and what the logic steps are for getting a book or e-book done.

And then—from out of the blue—Bob Bly sent a copy of one his e-books to Monica and me. (Something he has never done before I might add.)

Guess what the title of the e-book is? Yup, it’s Writing E-books for Fun and Profit. I about fell out of my chair!

I read much of the book over the weekend. It’s a complete A to Z guide that leads you through the entire writing and publishing process, from planning and laying the foundation of the e-book to driving traffic to your landing page to building an entire information empire. You can bet I’ll be following its sage advice to create my first e-book and build my publishing business. In fact, I’m working on step 1 this week.

And guess what? Writing E-books for Fun and Profit is only $19. So if you have information to share, and you want to use that information to make some money, this is a very affordable way to get started.

Quick Tax Tip: Refunds are Income Too

Last month I got a pretty hefty refund from my 2007 taxes. As happy as I was to receive the unexpected cash, the first thing I did was set aside a portion of it for my 2008 taxes.

I’ve talked to a few people who have forgotten that they have to pay taxes on their federal and state refunds. Don’t make that mistake. You should report that money as income just like you would fees or royalties you receive from copywriting assignments.