STARTING YOUR FREELANCE CAREER
BE FLEXIBLE : (Focus Your Attention on Your Home-Based Small Business' Plan)

Lots of circumstances can conspire to disrupt your perfect freelance dream scenario.

Maybe you're able to pursue your career because another member of your household is working full-time. What happens if that income is lost? Will you have to hit the 8 to 5 again? A family member may become ill. Someone may have to devote attention to his or her care. Is that caregiver you? If you are in the midst of such a crisis, what do you do?

"When the going gets tough. The tough get going." This homily may be old and perhaps over-used, but it speaks volumes. You do what you have to do, if you expect to succeed in your career and in life. Consider the following:

Succeed in Your Freelance Career & Home-Based Small Business by Considering the Following:

· Adjust your business plans--don't discard them.

To temporarily take care of life's necessities you may have to devote less attention to your work or put it on hold for a week, a month or even a year. But this does not mean you have to throw away your freelance career.

· Be flexible.

Don't conclude that there is only one way to run a career--at full tilt. Sure it's ideal to be able to devote all your energies to getting started or nurturing your career. However, it is not necessary. So approach your dilemma by thinking of ways you can keep everything going for the duration.

· Keep a positive outlook.

Having to make adjustments can be very discouraging. Looking at your situation positively can go a long way toward helping you find workable solutions.

· Hold on to your career dreams.

Even if you have to temporarily "abandon" your work, don't lose sight of your dreams. Keep them alive and well. Grab those otherwise wasted minutes and fill that journal with ideas and plans for the future. When you get back to your freelance work full-time you'll be glad that you captured those stray thoughts of genius.

· Devote your full attention to your small business' task at hand.

Take care of what you need to at the moment. Don't agonize over "what might have been."

There may times when you're down, but you're not out. Whatever has precipitated this momentary interruption in your plan will pass. You'll feel good that you stepped up and handled the situation with grace and good humor. You know that those who depend upon you will surely appreciate your efforts. Then when the time comes, get up and turn your attention back to your freelance work. Continue to follow your dreams.

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Marilyn Crain is a freelance writer with an extensive background in human resources, information systems and performance improvement. Most of her writing has been in these business fields, but she is now expanding her horizons into other areas.

She has had a lifelong love of reading and writing. Among her many passions is sharing history with children through her developing series of children's historical fiction soon to be out on www.ezetta.com.

She is a partner in the e-newsletter/e-marketing site http://www.evoicenewsletters.com/, as well as, the soon to be launched eZetta.com, author's site devoted to e-book publishing and decodiva.com, a site filled with beautiful living resources. She is co-publisher of two newsletters, The eVoice and The Freelance Life. You may contact her: marilyn@smartwriters.com.