“Being Present” Means Accepting Life for What It Is (The Happiness of Pursuit)

Published: December 18, 2023
Read Time: 4 minutes

I’m 30,000 feet in the air as I write this.

It’s 2:13 AM. I know there’s no chance I’ll sleep tonight.

My son is asleep beside me, sprawled across the window and middle seat, using my only sweater as a blanket.

In the row ahead, my daughter and wife are splayed across each other, snoozing away.

The soft glow of the airplane’s cabin lighting casts a comforting hue over the bleary-eyed passengers as the hum of the engines lulls them to sleep.

On a typical night, my inability to fall asleep would frustrate the hell out of me.

I’d be riddled with anxiety about not getting my 7-8 hours, thinking back to studies I’ve read about how impactful a poor night’s sleep is on your energy, mental health, and cognitive performance.

But tonight is different.

Tonight is special.

Tonight signifies the beginning of a lifestyle I’ve dreamed of for a decade.

A lifestyle that involves:

Living life on my terms
Having full autonomy and sovereignty
Working for myself
Traveling the world with my family while working remotely

(“Working” is a loose term. I wake up early to write for 2 hours, an activity I thoroughly enjoy, before spending the day going on adventures with my family.)

We’re en route to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, where we’ll tour, explore, and adventure for the next 5 weeks (and celebrate Christmas, of course).

This trip is unique because it’s the first time I haven’t had to ask permission to go on an extended vacation.

All because I started writing online.

When I was a Project Manager just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me my dream lifestyle would become my reality.

I get to work whenever and wherever I please. I’ve built a strong reputation in the Nutrition and Fitness niche, and clients now come to me. I can take on assignments of my choosing.

I no longer have to relentlessly send cold outreach messages and hound clients for any scrap of work they’ll toss my way.

For years, I’ve dreamed of reaching this stage in life, and I’m going to savor it.

I’ll resist my natural inclination to constantly look toward the next thing, never entirely living in the present moment.

While I’ll continue to write and build my personal brand over the next 5 weeks, I plan to break free of my physical and mental routines.

I’ll slow down massively and focus on what matters—being a present, caring partner to my wife and parent to my children.

Fast Forward One Week Later

I wrote the start of this newsletter in the middle of the night, sleep-deprived and hungry, flying somewhere over North America en route to Nicaragua.

It’s now one week later and I’ve had time to rest and recharge.

So, what the hell is this week’s newsletter about?

Good question. I suppose it’s about the age-old cliche of chasing your dreams.

Honestly, I’m not even sure myself. It’s only my second newsletter and I’m already struggling to generate ideas.

I brainstormed a list of newsletter topics. I consulted ChatGBT for more ideas. I outlined a few newsletters.

Yet I’m writing off the cuff right now. It feels right in this moment.

I’ll still use the ideas I brainstormed and outlined, but sometimes, you just need to write from the soul.

What Does “Being Present” Mean?

I’m only one week into my trip, but it’s already been eye-opening in several ways.

It’s shown me how much I get bogged down in the minutia of daily living that take away from appreciating life fully—keeping the house clean and tidy (which is a constant battle having a 9 and 7-year-old), running errands, shuttling my kids to and from activities and play dates, etc.

We all get so caught up in day-to-day life that we hardly ever stop to consider if what we’re doing is the best use of our time.

We spend much of our lives on autopilot. This explains why weeks and months can go by in the blink of an eye (something I’ve noticed much more as I’ve gotten older).

I’ve only been in Nicaragua for one week, but it feels like a month. That’s one of the many superpowers of traveling. The novel experiences of being in a new place slow your perception of time, allowing you to gain new insights and perspectives.

Most importantly, this trip has helped me reframe what’s most important in life: Being present in every moment.

However, despite meditating and journaling daily, I still find myself incessantly future-projecting.

When we arrived at our beautiful Airbnb in San Juan Del Sur, I thought, “This is great, but where should we go for our next vacation?”

I quickly realized the absurdity of this thought. We’d been planning and looking forward to this trip for months, and now that we’ve arrived, all I could think about was the next destination.

This way of thinking got me wondering: why do we obsess over the future? Why is it so difficult to be content and present in the here and now?

As Oliver Burkeman points out in his fantastic book Four Thousand Weeks, being present means accepting that whatever you’re doing is all there is.

It’s recognizing that there’s more excitement and joy in the anticipation of something than in reaching the destination or achieving the goal.

It’s acknowledging that you get a greater dopamine rush from anticipation than achievement.

Or, as Dr. Robert Sapolsky brilliantly put it (and Chris Williamson highlighted on the Modern Wisdom podcast), “Dopamine is not about the pursuit of happiness, it is about the happiness of pursuit.”

For example, I often daydream about writing a novel, even going so far as to start an outline and brainstorm theme/plot ideas.

I’ve read several books, taken Udemy courses, and watched countless YouTube videos on how to write fiction, yet I never actually sit down and write.

Why? It’s because I love the idea of being a novelist.

The anticipation of “one day I’ll sit down and start writing a novel” excites me far more than actually doing the damn thing.

The same goes for reading novels. I fantasize about sitting on my comfy sofa with a warm mug of coffee and spending hours absorbed in a book. But in reality, I read novels sporadically and usually only a few pages a day.

The anticipation of sitting down to read has far more appeal than the act of reading itself.

Wrapping Up

I realize this newsletter has been rambling and disjointed, so thanks for bearing with me.

I look forward to the lessons, adventures, and experiences to come over the next month.

But for now, I’ll do my best to stay present and accept life for what it is—a beautiful gift you only get one shot at.

So why delay living it to its fullest?

Thanks for reading, and have a great day.

How to Start Freelance Writing With No Experience: The Ultimate Guide (And Eventually Earn Six Figures)

Published: December 11, 2023
Read Time: 10 minutes

So, you want to start writing online.

But first, you have some questions, such as:

Can you make money writing online?
Is freelance writing a sustainable career choice?
How do you start a freelance writing career with no experience?

The answer to all of the above is yes—if you’re the right type of person.

Back in the early days of my writing career, naive and inexperienced, I was convinced I had everything figured out.

I thought all I had to do was write a few blog posts about whatever I wanted, hit publish, and then wait for messages from prospective clients to flood my inbox (and dollars to fill my bank account).

Of course, this approach landed me exactly zero clients. No one besides my wife and parents read a single word I wrote.

Frustrated and discouraged, I was ready to add freelance writing to the graveyard of online money-making pursuits I’d abandoned over the years (shout out to dropshipping, Amazon FBA, nutrition coaching, and surveys, to name a few.)

It wasn’t until I zoomed out, sat down with my journal, and asked myself some tough questions that my freelance writing career gained traction.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Are you self-motivated?
Can you handle adversity well?
Is discipline a strength of yours?
Do you take action when others accept complacency?

If you answered yes to these questions, freelance writing may be a lucrative career option for you.

Just know that building a sustainable freelance writing career that gives you autonomy, freedom, and flexibility to live your dream lifestyle doesn’t come easy.

You must endure months, or even years, of cold outreach, rejection, and writing into the void.

Not to mention the frustration, sleepless nights, and crippling anxiety that come with struggling to earn a livable income, especially when you have a family to support like I did.

But if you can push through all that, you’ll come out the other side stronger and better off than before.

If you stick with online writing long enough, you’ll eventually:

Acquire long-term, high-paying clients.
Build a solid reputation and gain authority in your niche.
Gain the ability to work from wherever you want, whenever you want.
Earn enough money—even six figures—each year while working less so you have more time for the things you love.
Pinch yourself from time to time, wondering how on Earth you managed to create this lifestyle for yourself.

But first, how do you start a freelance writing career with no experience?

Here’s what you need to know.

Step 1: Choose a Niche

It’s tempting to position yourself as a Generalist at the beginning of your career, especially when you’re eager to land your first client.

But this tactic won’t get you anywhere.

Imagine you’re an editor at a Health and Wellness publication looking to fill a freelance writer position in your Nutrition and Fitness verticals.

Two writers apply for the job. Writer #1 says, “Hey! I can write anything for anyone. I’ve written newsletters for Fintech companies, landing pages for dentists, and blogs for a local moving company. Please hire me!”

Writer #2 says, “I’m a freelance health writer specializing in nutrition and fitness. I’ve written extensively for several online publications, including <insert brand name>. Here are links to some recently published articles that I think are relevant to your site. Thanks!”

Which writer are you more likely to hire? (The answer is obviously #2.)

If you’re serious about building a sustainable freelance writing career, you must be patient and take the time to narrow in on a niche.

Here are some helpful prompts to get the ball rolling:

What could you talk about for hours on end?
What type of problems do you enjoy solving?
What do your friends and family ask you for advice on?
What would you do with your time even if you weren’t getting paid?

Don’t overthink this process. You can always pivot and change your niche down the road. Nothing is set in stone.

Before selecting a niche, do your research to check that it has the potential for profitability.

There should be existing publications or companies putting out consistent content in your niche.

For example, if you’re interested in Finance, find where other freelance writers are writing about Finance and check that you can get work.

You don’t want to invest a lot of time and energy in the following steps to find out there’s no possibility of earning a living.

Step 2: Create Your Portfolio

You’ll never land premium clients if you can’t show them you can write well.

Would you hire a contractor, graphic designer, mechanic, interior designer, or tattoo artist without looking at their previous work?

The same concept applies to freelance writing. If you want to attract premium clients, you’ll need to show them you can write well and would be a pleasure to work with.

The quality of your writing is directly related to the quality of your clients.

Your portfolio doesn’t need to be spectacular. If you strive for perfection, you’ll never arrive.

You only need one hour a day to build an impressive portfolio that attracts premium clients.

Here’s how:

Brainstorm 10 topics you’re interested in related to your niche: ChatGBT is helpful here.
Pick your top 3 to 5 topics: These are the first articles you’ll showcase in your portfolio.
Outline your first article: Nail the headline first. Write subheaders with bulleted lists of discussion points below each. Write your intro and conclusion last.
Assess your energy levels: Determine what time of day you have the most creative energy.
Create space for deep, focused work: Schedule a daily 30 to 60-minute writing session during this period. Remove all distractions, set a timer, and focus. Aim for 800 to 1,200 words per article. Repeat for your remaining topics.
Commit to writing at least 500 words a day.
Write first, edit later: Remove your inner filter when writing. Just get words on the page. Come back later to refine and edit.

After two weeks of this daily practice, you’ll have written at least 7,000 words. That’s seven 1,000-word articles that you can now show potential clients.

All from dedicating just one hour a day to writing.

Step 3: Build A Simple Website

Most gurus will tell you building a website is a waste of time.

But there’s no simpler, more efficient way to look professional, build credibility, and position yourself as an authority in your niche than building yourself a website.

Sure, it may take you up to a month to build. But you’ll gain valuable new skills (web design, basic coding) and immediately set yourself apart from other freelance writers.

I recommend using WordPress to host your site. It’s beginner-friendly and offers a ton of themes and flexibility in its customization.

I knew nothing about building websites when I made my first WordPress site three years ago.

Today, I’ve built four WordPress websites, and my skills continue to improve.

Tyler Moore’s YouTube series is the most valuable resource I’ve found for getting started on WordPress.

Every year, he releases a new, in-depth tutorial for free. This tutorial details building and launching your first WordPress site in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide.

Again, don’t overcomplicate this step.

My first website was extremely basic. It was a single landing page that included the following:

A brief description of who I was, what I did, and what services I offered.
A professional-looking headshot that my wife took with her iPhone.
Links to six blog posts I wrote in the Nutrition and Fitness space.
A simple contact form.

Build your website concurrently with your portfolio. That way, you’re killing two birds with one stone and will be ready to reach out to prospective clients much sooner.

Step 4: Attract Premium Clients

You’ve come a long way.

You’ve selected your niche, crafted your portfolio, and built a basic website. Well done! All these steps are critical before reaching out to potential clients.

Now it’s time to earn some money.

But first, you need to seek out and attract premium clients that will pay you good money.

Start by creating a spreadsheet using Google Sheets or Excel. Along the top row, include the following headers:

Publication
Person
Message
Date Sent
Response
Follow-up 1
Follow-up 2
Follow-up 3

In your spreadsheet, list all the publications or companies in your niche you’re interested in working with.

To find these publications/companies, google “top <insert niche> publications/companies.”

Next, find editorial or human resources staff for each publication/company. Add their names to your spreadsheet.

The best way to find these people is by searching their website or using LinkedIn.

Here’s a quick rundown of each:

Searching Publication/Company Websites

Google “editorial staff site:<insert publication/company name>” or “human resources site:<insert publication/company name>.

Usually, the website will have an About Us or People page with Bios for their staff.

Look for people who have Editor or Human Resources in their job title. If you’re lucky, the website will provide their email addresses. If not, there’s a free Chrome extension called Hunter that you can use. It finds all the email addresses associated with the website you’re visiting.

Hunter may not give you a specific person’s email address, but it can at least give you the naming convention for the publication/company’s email directory (ex. firstname.lastname@website.com), allowing you to deduce the person’s email address.

Add their contact info to your spreadsheet with a backlink to the webpage you found it on.

Using LinkedIn

In LinkedIn’s search bar, search the publication/company you’re interested in working with.

Click ‘People’ in the top menu. Look for people with ‘Editor’ or ‘Human Resources’ in their job title. You can use LinkedIn’s filter function to distill further.

Add their contact info to your spreadsheet with a backlink to their LinkedIn page.

Now comes the hard part—Cold Outreach.

Your persistence at this stage will make or break your success as a freelance writer.

This stage is where most budding freelance writers throw in the towel, claiming it’s impossible to find clients or earn money writing online.

But the reason for their lack of success is either:

a) They’re not doing cold outreach right, or

b) They’re not sticking with it long enough.

The key is to personalize your cold outreach messages.

It’s far better to send 5-10 quality personalized messages a day than spamming 50-100 people with the same generic email.

The people you’re contacting aren’t stupid. They can see right through spam. Also, they likely receive dozens of messages from freelance writers each week.

So, ask yourself what you can do to make yours stand out.

Spend 10-15 minutes researching each publication/company. Check out their website, their mission statement, the type of content they create, and what they stand for.

Then, craft your cold email/DM accordingly based on what you’ve learned about that publication/brand.

It’s helpful to create templates that you can customize for each specific client to speed up the writing process.

The golden rule of cold outreach is not to “sell yourself” up front.

No one checks their inbox hoping to get a random email from some stranger trying to sell them their random services.

What you will do instead, as a savvy freelance writer, is send a personalized Letter of Introduction (LOI).

Here are the essential components of a well-crafted LOI:

Write in a casual, friendly, and conversational tone while being brief and direct.
Make your email subject something like: “Introduction – <your name> – Freelance <your niche> Writer”
Start by mentioning how you came across their website or profile.
(1 sentence)
Include a link to a piece of content they recently published and what you liked about it. (1 sentence)
Briefly introduce yourself and what you do. Share a link to your portfolio or recently published articles. (2-3 sentences)
Ask if they ever work with freelance writers. (1 sentence)
Don’t put pressure on them to respond. Include a statement like “No worries if this isn’t a fit on your end,” or “Totally cool if not, just thought I’d reach out.” (1 sentence)
Finish by thanking them for their time. (1 sentence)

Aim to send 5-10 cold emails or LOIs every day. Be diligent in tracking them on your spreadsheet. Include the date you sent the initial email.

If you don’t get a response after your first email/DM (which will be the case 99% of the time), follow up with each person every 4 business days.

Again, be friendly, casual, and polite in your follow-ups.

All you need to say is, “Hey there, just doing a quick follow-up on my last email. Here are a few more links to some of my recently published articles.”

Following up is what separates successful freelance writers from those who give up.

Every client I’ve ever landed has been a result of continuous follow-ups.

Sometimes, after months of sending weekly emails, I would finally hear back, landing a new client that generated $1,000-$3,000 per month in revenue.

Other times, I’d get a response saying they weren’t interested.

But the only way I heard back was through persistent follow-ups.

Step 5: Scale Up (Create Efficiencies)

At first, it’s a good idea to take whatever work comes your way and get your feet wet.

Being able to show potential clients you’ve had your work published is credible social proof that adds authority to your brand.

This approach is fine for a while. But as you grow and your writing improves, look for ways to scale your business, attract better clients, and earn more money.

But first, let’s clarify what “scaling” means.

There’s the traditional idea of scaling, which involves hiring staff and outsourcing.

But scaling is also creating efficiencies in your workflow that allow you to:

Increase your output while doing less work.
Gain back time to work “on” your business instead of “in” it.
Earn more money to reinvest in your business or use to spend more time doing things you love.

Your freelance writing business will never grow if you don’t work on making it more efficient.

A good rule of thumb is to spend 80% of your time “in your business.” This includes client work, administrative tasks, email, and research.

Spend the other 20% on growing your business. This includes marketing, client outreach, creating templates, and leveraging AI and platforms like Notion to help run your business more efficiently.

This approach is how I’ve scaled my one-person freelance writing business to average over $10,000/month in income and earn me over $100,000/year.

Eventually, you may scale your one-person business to an agency, which is the direction my business is currently heading.

For now, I’m still constantly finding new ways to optimize my workflow, create efficiencies, and leverage AI to help me take my business to the next level.

And if you follow the steps I just laid out for you, you too can ascend to this stage.

The only thing holding you back is waiting to take that first step.