Freelance Writing Goals: Having Trouble Staying on Track with Yours This Year? Here’s How to Get Back on Course
January 31, 2012
I can’t believe that a month has passed already this year. It seems like just a couple of weeks ago that we were ringing in the New Year. Heck, I didn’t even take my holiday decorations down fully (I did it in spurts) until January 16, the day before I left to come back to Jamaica. Yeah, I’m back in paradise for a bit.
I don’t know about you, but I am severely behind on my freelance writing goals for this year. I mean SEVERELY!
Why I’m Off Track with My Freelance Writing Goals – How About You?
Systems, Systems, Systems: This is the main reason I’m off track. I’ve been putting some back-end systems and procedures in place that’s just taking more time than I’d planned. For example, I finally hired a part-time virtual assistant to handle certain tasks. He had to be trained. He’s in Jamaica; I’m in the states, so it made training a little hairy in the beginning.
Thank goodness he’s a smart kid who catches on quick, or it could have been a lot worse!
Hiring a VA Tip: Don’t underestimate the time it takes to train someone to do stuff YOUR way. I don’t care how smart they are or how quickly they catch on, there will always be something you need to teach them. This usually has to do with tailoring tasks to fit your business, not that the task in and of itself is complicated.
This has been time well spent though because it’s increased the orders from one of my minisites by over 50%.
Unexpected Project: I set up my own article marketing directory. I hadn’t planned to do this, but it was clearly evident that it was something that I needed to do. So, I just took the bull by the horns and did it.
Fun: As previously mentioned, I’m back in Jamaica for a little while. Every time I come, the first couple of weeks or so I do more hanging out than working. I’m purposely taking more leisure time here this time because when I go back home, it’ll be a while before I come back.
I worked really hard last year getting those 50 ebooks published on Amazon. So I feel I deserve a little fun.
So those are my reasons for falling behind on my freelance writing career goals. What are yours?
How to Get Back on Track with Your Freelance Writing Goals
I do have a plan to get back on track though. Following is how I’m going to tackle it.
Refocus: As I talk about in this post on how to keep your freelance writing goals, I fully realize that I’m off track. This is a big part of getting back on track, by the way. So when I get back home to the states – which will be very soon – I’m going to refocus. I don’t hang out nearly as much in the states as I do here in Jamaica, so this will be super easy. My work days will be 10 or 12 hours per day, instead of the 5-6 I’ve been putting in here in the Caribbean.
As an aside, the weather is PERFECT here in Jamaica this time of year. Warm, but not too hot with a nice ocean breeze; it makes it impossible to stay chained to a laptop all day! And I don’t even fight the urge not to.
Reorganize Goals: I have a lot of goals I want to accomplish this year. But as I’ve started working towards them, I’ve quickly come to realize that it’s going to be impossible to achieve them all. At least one is going to have to wait until next year. So I’m going to redo my goal list to be able to make the progress I need to make this year to reach my income goals.
Work Harder: As I said in the “Refocus” point above, my work days will almost double once I get back home. I’m quite frankly looking forward to it because I saw the progress I made last year. My income increased as a result, so I’m looking forward to building on this momentum, and I know it’s going to take hard work – which has never scared me. In fact, I enjoy it.
Do you have a plan of attack for getting back on track with your freelance writing goals? Share in the comments section below.
Yuwanda
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The One Thing that Can Keep You from Achieving Your Freelance Writing Goals in 2012
January 3, 2012
Editor Note: FYI, the price of the SEO writing ebook will be increased next Monday, the 9th.
Have You Already Broken Your New Year’s Resolutions Concerning Your Freelance Writing Goals?
If you made freelance writing goals for this year, you’re probably raring to go. And that’s normal – most of us who set goals are excited at the beginning of the journey. But, statistics have proven that setting goals and achieving them are two separate things. Proof?
Today, in an interactive poll on The Guardian, upwards of 20 percent of respondents (18% to be exact when I took the poll) said that they’d already broken their 2012 New Year’s Resolutions – and it’s only three days into the New Year!
On the same site, in the article New year’s resolutions doomed to failure, say psychologists, a study conducted by psychologists found that “Less than a quarter of those asked . . . had managed to stick to their resolutions.”
Setting and Achieving Freelance Writing Goals: Can You Relate to This Story?
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I recently achieved a goal of publishing 50 ebooks on Amazon in one year. In the last few years, I’ve gotten much better at achieving goals. In fact, I’ve achieved almost every one I’ve set since 2007.
But I used to be not so good at it, and one of the main things that kept me from achieving goals I set was that I’d “fall off the wagon.” What I mean by this is, I’d deviate from the plan I set – and I usually never found my way back to it.
To use an example, I’m a pretty healthy eater for the most part. But around the holidays, I purposely eat whatever I want. I’m from the south, and the traditional holiday meal is not the healthiest, but it’s something I look forward to every year BECAUSE I don’t eat that way the rest of the year. What is my family’s traditional holiday meal?
Well . . . there’s macaroni and cheese, cornbread stuffing, turkey, ham, collard greens, potato salad, corn bread, red velvet cake, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potato pie and homemade cookies. This is what I have every year at Christmas and Thanksgiving – and the leftovers can last for up to a full week after.
I look so forward to this every year – but the caloric intake is huge. It’s always a struggle to leave this type of gorging behind (did I mention how much I love this menu!), and get back to my normal eating habits (salads, chicken, tuna, etc.) and on my normal workout routine.
My point in telling you this is that I have to consciously climb back on the “good eating/workout” wagon. It would be so easy to continue with the unhealthy eating habits I allow myself to indulge in during the holidays, but I know that if I did, I’d be headed down a dangerous health road – obesity, diabetes, etc.
RECOGNIZING that I fall off the good-eating wagon – even though it’s intentional – helps me to get back on track. Studies have shown that this is key. Proof?
Why 75% Who Set Goals Fail at Them
It’s explained best in the article, Why We Make New Year Resolutions and Fail: A Half-Assed Attempt at Psychology to Understand What’s Really Behind This Dumb-Ass Ritual. The psychologist writes:
. . . resolutions are a process. . . . I guess that’s why 75% fail at it is because they do not understand that. You have to decide to commit to that change, and you have to form a plan around it, just like all the other routines we do in life. . . . The moment you step out of that routine, the moment you let go of a little bit of that control, you are presented with an opportunity to do things differently. You make the choice.
So, the number one thing that can keep you from achieving your freelance writing goals this year is understanding – and accepting – that it’s a process and you’re going to falter. But, you must decide to get back on track. And you may have to decide hundreds of times.
It’s like a 12-step program that those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction participate in – you recommit to sobriety every day. That’s why those programs teach participants to take one day at a time.
Same thing with achieving your freelance writing goals – you work towards them one day at a time. That way, if you falter, you can always recommit to it the next day (or minute or hour). You don’t have to fall off the wagon and stay there. You can choose to start over again at any time. I hope you understand how critical this insight is.
6 Things You Can Do to Reach Your Freelance Writing Goals This Year
With the above being said, following is how I stay on track; how I’ve managed to reach most of the business (freelance writing) goals I’ve set since 2007.
I. Make a Public Declaration: When I made my freelance writing goals in 2010 for 2011, I didn’t keep it to myself. I declared the goal publicly (on my website, in my newsletter and via social media). This helped keep my feet the fire.
It also helped to keep me on track because when I started to get behind, I started a blog detailing my ebook writing “failure.” This got me back on track – and ultimately helped me to succeed.
II. Time-Block Days: Time-blocking your days helps you to see – in black and white – what you should be doing every minute of every work day. When I’m mindlessly surfing the net reading about the latest happenings in Kim Kardashian’s life, I’m fully aware that that’s what I’m doing.
The only way to break bad habits is to become aware of them. That’s not to say that you will automatically stop doing the things that cause you to waste time (eg, surfing the net, or putting in laundry, or checking email); it simply means that you can catch yourself, and put a time limit on your behavior so you can more readily get back to what you’re supposed to be doing.
Learn more about the effectiveness of time blocking and how to do it.
III. Have a Life Plan: You have a much better chance of staying on course if you know exactly where you want to be a year from now, three years from now, five years from now, etc. Your freelance writing goals list is just a year at a time, time-blocked schedule of getting where you want to be in life. This is why it’s extremely important to know where “that” is.
Learn more about why having a life plan is important to achieving goals – and when to turn down/take advantage of opportunities that come your way.
IV. Refocus: When you get off track – and it happens to everyone – refocus. Just because you lose focus for a minute is no reason to stay unfocused for weeks or months or . . . years. You’re human, it happens – but you can choose to refocus at any moment.
V. Visualize: I ran across a quote that I tweeted a few months ago that went something like, “I don’t focus on the work to be done; I focus on the end result.” That sooooo reasonated with me.
I have a picture in my head (and a feeling in my heart) of what it’s going look and feel like when I start earning 5 figures a month from just my ebooks. I think about how much more free time I’ll have; the things I won’t have to do anymore; the things I can do more of; what it will mean for my day-to-day existence; how/when/why I wake up and go to bed; etc.
In short, I keep a visual of what I’m working towards front and center.
VI. Work Hard: For me, this is the easiest part of achieving any goal.
There were so many times that I wanted to give up last year when I was trying to publish those 50 ebooks on Amazon. But I thought about my enslaved ancestors and how hard they had to work – for no pay; in deplorable conditions, for their entire lives.
And, I got back to work.
How do you stay focused on your freelance writing goals? What are some of the challenges you face? Please share in the comments section below.
Yuwanda
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P.S.: Get the freelance writing opportunity that allowed me to be financially secure enough to travel, live abroad, get out of debt and really “live the freelance life!”
P.P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.
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Freelance Writing Goals for 2012: Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying – The Choice Is Yours
December 27, 2011
The one lesson I learned from setting such ambitious freelance writing goals this year – and saw in black and white in hard numbers — is that success comes in stages. And, it all starts with planning. The older I get, the more I realize just how precious time is and the more stock I put in the time-honored saying:
“If you fail to plan; you plan to fail.”
I can’t believe another year is upon us. This year just flew by. Now it’s that time of year where many of us look back and assess how we fared with this year’s goals (if we made them) and what we want to accomplish in the coming year.
Did You Reach the Freelance Writing Goals You Made in 2011? If Not, Do This to Significantly Improve Your Chances of Doing So Next Year
If you made goals last year for this year, how did you fare in achieving them? FYI, if you haven’t made a habit of writing down your goals, it’s imperative that you do so. Why? Because research has shown that you exponentially increase your chance of achieving goals when you write them down; you won’t believe by just how much!
This year, I had three freelance writing goals. Following is what they were and how I made out.
Goal #1: Get 50 Ebooks on Amazon. I’m on track to accomplish this; by this Friday the 30th (Saturday, the 31st at the latest), I will have 50 ebooks published on Amazon.
I had to revise this goal along the way (ie, publish ebook pullouts). But, that’s one lesson I learned this year with this ambitious undertaking – sometimes you have to tweak or change your goals in order to reach them. The main thing is to keep your eye on the big picture and forge ahead.
Grade on achieving this freelance writing goal: A.
Goal #2: Start a YouTube Channel. I did this; currently there are 44 videos there. You can view Inkwell Editorial’s YouTube channel here. The reason I only give myself a C+ on this goal though is I want more videos there that talk about freelance writing, freelance SEO writing and freelancing in general. All of my videos are for the “living in Jamaica” series.
But I have a presence there now and the videos do feature links that come back to this site, so at least I’m getting some YouTube traffic. I plan to post more videos on YouTube next year.
Grade on achieving this freelance writing goal: C+.
Goal #3: Time Block Every Day. This has become a major part of how I start each day, and although I didn’t time-block every day, I’m conscious of what I need to be doing every second of every day. This was the whole point of this goal – to become mindful of every second of every work day so that I didn’t waste time.
Even when I’m goofing off surfing the net, I’m mindful of it – even if I don’t stop it right then. I may cut it short and/or work later or start the next day earlier to make up for lost time. So, mission accomplished!
Grade on achieving this freelance writing goal: B.
5 Lessons Learned from 2011 That I Plan to Use to Set Freelance Writing Goals for 2012
I. Don’t Set Too Many Ambitious Goals at One Time: I have a lot on my list that I want to accomplish next year, but one of the lessons I learned this year is that you can’t have too many ambitious goals at one time – especially if you don’t have help.
For example, one of my personal goals this year was to run a full marathon (26.2 miles). I wound up doing two half ones because I just couldn’t fit in as much training as I needed to be confident enough that I could finish a full one this time (I’ve done one full marathon and six half ones to date). I can do half marathons in my sleep, so I just rolled with that.
II. Keep the Most Important Goals Front and Center: I’m a Type A personality so when I set my mind to something, I hate to change it. But, I had to decide what was more important – running the full marathon, or reaching my goal of publishing 50 ebooks on Amazon.
My Life Goals
Of course, it was the latter, because that is necessary to reach my long-term (ie, life) goals of:
The option of retirement at age 55;
A paid-for home by 50; and
Full (or almost full) passive income streams by 50 – which is a bit more than four years away.
III. Feel Free to Tweak Goals: As I discussed above, I had to tweak my goals, eg, publishing pullouts of my ebooks on Amazon, which I hadn’t planned to do.
This does not mean that you cheat, change or abandon well-thought-out goals altogether just because you’re finding it hard to reach them. If you do this, you’ll never accomplish anything; it’s just another form of procrastination.
That’s why it’s important to think seriously about your life, ie, where do you want to be in 3, 5, 10, 20 years. And, make annual goals that move you closer towards those dreams.
IV. Learn from Those Who Are Where You Want to Be: Many of us have all the info we need at our fingertips to succeed at almost anything we want to do these days thanks to the internet. But, we don’t take the advice and run with it. So, I’m paying more attention to this this year. See 2012 Freelance Writing Goal #2 below for more info on this.
V. Don’t be Afraid to Spend Money / Barter to Make Money: For example, when the opportunity presented itself to grow my Twitter account this year, I took it because it fit in with my long-range goals.
I had just over 3,300 followers on Twitter when I bartered my firm’s article writing services for another firm’s social media account management services. They took my account from 3,300 to almost 11,000 Twitter followers in less than 3 months.
And now, I’m getting ready to spend money to grow my subscriber list. Both of these things move me closer to reaching my goal life goal of creating more passive income (again, see 2012 Freelance Writing Goal #2 below for more info on this).
My 2012 Freelance Writing Goals
With all of that being said, following are my freelance writing goals for 2012.
2012 Freelance Writing Goal #1: Get all ebooks written to date on Barnes and Noble. I hope to get this done in the first quarter of the year because it’s just formatting. This will immediately increase my income. By how much? I have no idea.
But as the ebooks are already written, it’s like free money just waiting because all I have to do is give readers Inkwell’s ebooks in the format they prefer (eg, the Barnes and Noble Nook instead of the Amazon Kindle).
2012 Freelance Writing Goal #2: Grow Email Subscriber List to at Least 25,000. This is a very ambitious goal – one I plan to hire someone to help with. Right now, my list is about 6,000 between those I contact manually (a list I’ve had for years) and those who’ve signed up via the subscriber box on my website.
But, as “the money is in the list,” I know I need to get more subscribers in order to boost my income to where I want it to be. This year, I grew Inkwell’s product list (ebooks) – so “the goods,” so to speak, are there. Now it’s about getting more customers who are interested in those goods.
Bob Bly, a leading direct mail copywriter, paid his webmaster to grow his subscriber list (so I’m taking a cue from someone who is where I want to be here). And grow it he did – going from 2,000 to 60,000 subscribers in only 6 weeks! Learn more about how to build your subscriber list for free.
Bob explains how his webmaster did this in his free online report, “Online Marketing That Works (http://bit.ly/rBdHOj (pdf file)). See Section 5 starting on Page 15. I emailed Mr. Bly asking for the name of his webmaster to possibly hire him to help me grow my list. He said he’s no longer in business. So, the hunt is on for someone who specializes in list building.
Are You or Do You Know an Email List-Building Expert?
If you know someone who does this – send their contact info to me please (see Contact link on every page of this site). I want to get busy on this goal ASAP!
2012 Freelance Writing Goal #3: Triple Income from Minisites. I have about five minisites that I (inconsistently) update. I average between $300-$350/month from them — putting in just a few hours per week.
A couple of these sites have been languishing because I don’t do very much with them at all. But I see the potential when I do update them. They’re in good niches and even with just a tiny bit of attention, I surmise that they could fairly easily be earning at least $1,000-$1,500 or more per month.
Now that I’ll have more time because I’ve finished the 50 ebooks goal; I plan to spend time updating/marketing at least two of these consistently next year. I might try to sell a couple of the others or just hold onto them to get to later. I’ll see how things are shaking out by the end of the first quarter with the two that I will start paying attention to.
2012 Freelance Writing Goal #4: Write at Least 12 Ebooks. That’s one per month, as opposed to the one per week (on average) I did this year.
The relationship ebook I wrote during the summer under a pen name – in one day no less! – has turned out to be one of my best sellers on Amazon. I was going to try to write more fiction next year; but to be honest, I’m not comfortable in that genre. I need a class.
But, writing about relationships comes naturally to me. I also happen to love the subject matter. And, with a degree in sociology, I just feel all-around more comfortable writing stuff like this; not to mention it allows me the freedom to write anonymously and develop a persona in a completely different niche unrelated to freelance writing.
Bottom line is, I plan to write half a dozen titles in this genre next year, in addition to continuing to add to Inkwell’s freelance writing, SEO writing, small business and internet marketing titles.
2012 Freelance Writing Goal #5: Market Existing Titles More. Inkwell Editorial has a hell of a lot products (ebooks) now, so the focus this year will be on getting the word out more about them instead of producing new ones. This means upping the ante with article marketing – one of my favorite (and most effective) marketing methods.
While my freelance writing goals for 2012 may seem extensive, it’s nothing I can’t handle – mainly because I will have hired help to accomplish two of the goals (minisites and growing subscriber list). Once all of Inkwell’s ebooks are uploaded to Barnes and Noble (again, by the end of the first quarter is the goal for this), that will no longer be an issue. And as I’m a writer, it’s what I do day in and day out.
BUT . . . instead of spending 6-10 hours or more per day writing new ebooks like I did this year, I’ll be updating a minisite, or writing an article to promote an existing ebook, or writing on that one title per month.
See? Completely manageable.
Making a Freelance Writing Goal List for 2012? The Most Important Thing to Remember
Keep your life goals front and center. Remove anything that doesn’t move you closer to your long-range goals. Again, this doesn’t mean that goals can’t be changed or tweaked, but if you’re constantly veering off into wildly disparaging directions year in and year out, it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to get where you eventually want to be.
Every goal I’ve made this year gets me closer to my long-range goals – which are basically about achieving financial security and creating passive income. You must have gazelle-like focus, as debt-freedom guru Dave Ramsey is fond of saying, to achieve goals. So stay focused.
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
Another thing I learned this year by setting such an ambitious goal like publishing 50 ebooks on Amazon in one year is that you can pretty much do what you set your mind to. And, many of us are capable of so much more than we challenge ourselves to do.
So, I’m psyched for this coming year. It’ll be another one of hard work, but as I said, I saw the increase in my income this year from putting the pedal to the metal so to speak. Hence, I’m revving up again.
I may falter, some goals may change and I will most certainly be exhausted. But, one thing each passing year teaches me is that life is over in a nanosecond; and as the character played by Tim Robbins in the movie The Shawshank Redemption* said:
“You can either get busy living (the life you want); or get busy dying.”
I’m busy living – and creating – the exact life I want.
Are you?
FYI, there are just a few more days left to take advantage of Inkwell Editorial’s Holiday Deals and Discounts.
*One of the best movies I’ve ever seen; if by chance you’ve never seen it, do yourself a favor and do so. It features excellent writing, brilliant acting and superb directing. You won’t regret it.
What are your life goals? What are you going to do next year to start achieving them? Have advice for others in this area? Please share in the comments section below.
Here’s to a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year!
Yuwanda
Find this post informative? Please RT It and Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.
P.S.: Get the freelance writing opportunity that allowed me to be financially secure enough to travel, live abroad, get out of debt and really “live the freelance life!”
P.P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.
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3 Ways I Increased My Freelancing Writing Income This Year & How You Can Do the Same Next Year
December 23, 2011
Man, it’s been a hectic year! A good one, but hectic.
With Christmas being just a couple of days away and the New Year just around the corner, I’m sitting here reflecting on everything that’s happened this year and what I want to happen next year.
The Importance of Setting Goals
Last year, I set some goals for my freelance writing career (ie, my life) and it’s nice to look back to see where I faltered, where I succeeded and where I want to be next year this time.
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Editor Note: Inkwell Editorial Holiday Deals and Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!
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3 Ways I Increased My Freelance Writing Income in 2011 & How You Can Do the Same in 2012
I made some great strides this year — which I see in my monthly earnings. Following are three ways I increased my writing income this year — and how you can do the same next year. All it takes is planning.
(i) I made an almost 100% transition away from writing for clients to writing for myself. This allowed me to write more ebooks.
(ii) By the end of the year, I will have 50 ebooks on Amazon. Not only has this added another income stream (eg, a monthly Amazon payout), it . . .
(iii) Also increased website sales — by a good 25-30%. Being on a “worldwide stage” like Amazon really did wonders for my ebook sales — and I didn’t have to work quite so hard (eg, write as many articles for article marketing, which is my primary mode of marketing). This worked out great because I spent so much time this year pushing out (ie, writing) new ebooks.
Making the transition from writing for clients to writing for myself also gave me a bit more time to develop other income streams (eg, make money with minisites), which I plan to focus on more next year (more about that in this coming Tuesday’s newsletter).
None of this would have happened had I not planned for it. And that’s the reason I’m writing you today.
Where Do You Want to Be — Professionally and Financially — in 3 Years?
. . . or 5 years, or 10 years, etc. Have you thought about it? What are your overall life goals? What can you start doing this coming year to get there?
What Are Your Life Goals?
I’ve been saying it for years, but some of my life goals are:
The option of retirement at 55;
A paid-for home by 50; and
Full (or almost full) passive income streams by 50.
When I sit down to make my annual goals, I keep my life goals front and center. This is one sure way (outside of winning the lottery) to get where you want to be in 3 years, 5 years, 20 years, etc.
I know it’s the holidays and these things may be far from your mind, but if you want to start planning for a life where you can enjoy more holidays doing what you want — and not worry about having to rush back to a job — NOW’S the time to think about it, write it down and devise a plan for getting there in 2012.
Freelance Writing Goals for 2012
I’m narrowing down my list of goals for 2012 (see this coming Tuesday’s newsletter for full details).
Did you set goals last year? How did you make out? Are you going to set goals for 2012?
Let’s compare notes on Tuesday, ok?
Have a great holiday — be safe, be happy and be proactive about your life.
P.S.: Want to write and sell ebooks online for a living? You can! Get the guide that shows you how to start a successful self-publishing career — start immediately. P.P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.
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Freelance Writers: 2 Online Scams You Need to Be Aware of This Holiday Season
December 20, 2011
Boy I tell ya, times are tough and since it’s the holiday season, the scammers are out in full force – especially online. And, if you’re not careful, you can really fall for these because the thieves are getting more sophisticated.
If you’re a freelance writer – and/or are just someone who makes your living online, eg, internet marketing, affiliate marketing – you know how critical your computer/laptop is. If it gets infected with a virus, your work literally stops unless and/or until you can get it fixed.
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Editor Note: Inkwell Editorial Holiday Deals and Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!
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Of course, I’m a freelance writer who’s also into internet and affiliate marketing. Following are two scams that have happened to me within the last 24 hours. And, if I were not a seasoned online worker, it would have been so easy for me to fall prey to them, possibly costing me hundreds of dollars (not to mention hours upon hours of time).
Freelance Writers: Scam #1 NOT to Fall Prey to – The Microsoft Tech Department Phone Call Scam
Yesterday morning, I received a call from a guy saying my computer was infected. Had said he was calling from the Microsoft Tech department. He went on to say that Microsoftt had sent me an email “last week” which I’d probably ignored about this problem.
I said I don’t recall receiving an email and he said that’s why they were following up because I hadn’t responded and that they were getting “messages” (I guess he meant pings or something) that my computer was infected and that the virus needed to be removed. The call was from 254-30-005-7990 (+254300057990).
I Googled it, and the 254 is the country code for Kenya, which set my “scam” hackles up because a lot of computer/internet/online scams originate from Kenya (and Russia).
Anyway, the tech guy told me that I needed to follow the steps he was going to give me to tell me how to remove the infection. More warning bells went off.
I work online, so know to NEVER, EVER let a complete stranger take over my computer (which is what they’re trying to do when they tell you to follow “their instructions”). I replied:
Since you obviously have my contact information (remember, they called me), send me the instructions via email, and if I have questions after reading them, I’ll get back to you.
He replied, “You probably won’t understand them, so it would be best if you follow my instructions while I’m on the phone with you.”
I said:
No, send me the instructions. I’ll read through them and if I have any questions, I’ll get in touch with you.
He said, “Ok” and hung up. I haven’t heard from him again. Of course, no email was sent with “instructions” on how to remove the bot/infection.
Bottom line — this is a scam. I got off the phone and Googled the number he called from. Nothing showed up (which is why I listed it here).
Learn more about this scam here: http://bit.ly/u2OWrM. I posted to this thread what happened to me to add one more voice to the “don’t fall for this scam” discussion.
How Online Scammers Get Your Contact Information
If you’re new to the online world, you may be wondering, “Then how did he get your phone number and know to ask for you by name (which he did).” I own an online business, so it’s easy to find my contact info. Also, I’ve had the same phone number for years. Furthermore, these scammers buy lists of contact info from companies that compile this stuff.
The bottom line is, if you’ve shopped online, surfed, have a blog, a Facebook acct, a Twitter account or do any type of online activity where you’ve had to enter info (this includes having a simple email address), it’s relatively easy for someone – especially online scammers — to get your contact information. Unfortunately, that’s the simple truth in today’s wired world. Simple information like your name, phone number and email address are NOT private, no matter how much you’d like it to be.
So again, NEVER, EVER give anyone any information who contacts you FIRST — even if they use your name (whether it’s via phone or email). It’s easy to find this information online and IF YOU DIDN’T INITIATE THE CONTACT, then it’s 100% a scam. Your bank won’t call you and ask for personal info, the IRS won’t call/email you and ask for info — and neither will MICROSOFT.
Freelance Writers: Scam #2 NOT to Fall Prey to – The “Comcast Bot ‘Semi-Scam’”
The reason I call this is a semi-scam is that the notices purportedly come from a legitimate company (Comcast) about suspicious activity that “may” have infected your computer. The general consensus on messages boards seems to be that it comes from Comcast. However, others suggest it comes from hackers who are spoofing Comcast email addresses and sending mass emails to Comcast customers.
Following is how this semi-scam unfolded. You be the judge . . .
This morning, I logged onto my computer and as I was surfing, I get a message from “Comcast,” which is my internet/cable service provider. Mind you, the message came via a big banner across my screen with the Comcast logo and everything (see graphic below).
The message said something to the effect of your computer has been infected with a bot. It explained what a bot is, and instructed me to either: (i) Click to “Close” the screen; or (ii) “Go to the Antivirus Center.”
The image looks like the image just below (image courtesy of identitytheft.info). Note: Read this linked-to article. It explains more about this message and why you may continue to receive these kinds of notices. It should relieve your mind a lot about why you got this message in the first place.
My sister called the Comcast Tech Dept because she got the same message (she has the same provider as I do). The tech guy said if you got the message, then you have a bot and he told us to call a tech support number (1-855-805-3484). But, a virus scan of both our computers revealed no bot. And from the reading I did, what I gathered was that a bot “may” be on my computer because of a “suspicious website” that I “may” have visited recently.
Someone had written in on one of the message boards echoing this same experience, writing:
John12345678
New VisitorRe: Bot Alert Email
11-10-2011 09:17 PM
Thank you for providing that phone number. Ijust called and while the tech was extremely nice, the call did not provide much help. I told the rep that I have an antivirus on all computers, which is updated daily and that I ran full virus scan and malware bytes scan. He said that it was probably a suspicious website that was visited and to look out for suspicious emails. He also asked if I had router security, which I do. Basically he said that the email was to make sure I was “crossing on my i’s and dotting all my t’s”. No further action required. He did agree that the Comcast rep that told me it was a way of advertising their antivirus program was incorrect but went on to advise me of the comcast website where I could get free and paid product to enhance my security.
Why I Label This a Scam (The Comcast Bot Email Scam)
In my opinion, Comcast needs to alert its customers about this if they know that their customers are receiving these types of messages (and they do know, because there’s a forum on their website devoted to this topic, ie: http://forums.comcast.com/t5/Security-and-Anti-Virus/Bot-Alert-Email/td-p/1092311).
Also, when you call Comcast’s Customer Service about this, they are quick to give out the number listed above (eg, 855-805-3484). I Googled this number and the first result that pops up leads you to this website: http://cgps.idvault.com/support/contactus.html.
And, guess what’s right there on this page (see graphic below)? Yep, Antivirus software, tech support, etc. – and Comcast. Learn more about this antivirus software/tech support (Constant Guard) here: http://security.comcast.net/constantguard/. You can also learn more about the supposed “bot” that “may” be on your computer.
Here are links to a couple of forum discussions about the Comcast Bot infection: http://bit.ly/tfbed2 and http://bit.ly/w4BItK.
Comast Bot Message: Scam or Real Computer Infection?
The bottom line is, if this message does indeed come Comcast (and I beleive it does becasue of the info in the IdentityTheft.info article above) — they they should be ashamed of themselves.
No legitimate company should be scaring their customers this way. If there is a real virus infection, give the customer more detail IN THE INITIAL EMAIL (which should not be via a big-ass pop-up that scares the bejeezus out of them). Also, tell them to call their Comcast Tech Dept via the number on their monthly Comcast bills. Also, tell them about the probability (or NOT) of there being a real virus infection to their computer / laptop.
Don’t just give a vague message and tell them to click one of two buttons below, especially with so little detail. My sister wouldn’t click on anything because she didn’t know if the message itself (the one that purported came from Comcast) contained a virus. I clicked on the “Close” link.
If a company uses these kinds of scare tactics on their customers (which is highly unethical and borders on illegal in my opinion), I wouldn’t trust their antivirus software anyway. If I wasn’t as experienced as I am working online, stuff like this would make me crap my pants. How many people have ponied up for this antivirus software or signed up for tech support when they didn’t even need it?
I mean, if a company will stoop this low to market this way, how good can their services be? I’ve used Comcast for years – and am highly disappointed as a customer if they indeed are behind this.
Related Reading: AssociatedContent and PayPal Scams: How to Keep Your Online Earnings Safe 100% of the Time.
Hope this helps. Be safe online this holiday season.
Do you have an online scam story? Have any advice you can share to help “newbie” freelance writers/internet marketers/freelancers in general stay safe online? Please share in the comments section below. We all have to work together to help keep eachother safe online.
On a More Personal Note . . .
I’m back home in Atlanta safe and sound. Did another half marathon this past Sunday. It was a small one (only about 60 participants) and a little disorganized as far as course markings, start/stop points, number of loops to make, etc . Hence, I wound up running an extra lap (which meant an extra 2.31 miles). So I ran 15.4 miles instead of 13.1. As the race wasn’t officially timed, I was 
ok with that (guestimated time was 2:36). And as it’s the holiday season, I figured every extra mile I put in wouldn’t go to waste (I’m baking cookies and a cake this weekend – can we say waist expansion?!).
Since I’ve been back I also got my holiday decorating done, last client project of the year finished, and now the race is on to finish my 50 ebooks by year’s end. Will give one final update either this Friday or next – depending on how the schedule for writing is shaking out.
I hope that however you spend this Christmas that you are happy, healthy and are looking forward to the New Year. I know I am. I absolutely adore this time of year and run around all season long as happy as a two-year-old on Christmas Eve.
Now be good so Santa will leave something under the tree for you, ok?
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One Good Reason NOT to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates – and It Has Nothing to Do with Losing Clients
December 6, 2011
With the New Year approaching, as a freelancer you may be thinking about some changes you want to make in your business. One that usually tops the list is raising freelance writing rates. And, this is great. It’s an excellent time of year to assess where your freelance business is going. Or better yet, where you want it to go.
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Editor Note: Inkwell Editorial Holiday Deals and Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!
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I received an email from a freelancer a couple of weeks ago who said she was “in limbo and not sure if she wanted to focus on writing for clients anymore.” She wrote, in part:
I am so in limbo. Some days I am not sure if I want to focus on writing anymore. . . . I am tired of a sporadic income. I want [a] more consistent income.
Boy, have I been there! And the one thing I’ve learned is that to create a “consistent” income, you need to diversify.
And this is why I practically beg freelance writers to develop multiple streams of income. If you’re a regular reader of this site, you know I’m a big advocate of this. That’s why I write and publish my own line of ebooks, do internet marketing and have a few minisites that earn me somewhat passive income (it’s not totally passive; I still have to put in a minimal amount of work).
One of the main stumbling blocks many freelancers have though when it comes to this goal is finding time to fit in working on their own stuff while continuing to meet client deadlines.
3 Things I Did to Find Time to Develop Multiple Income Streams While Still Working as a Freelance Writer
If you ever want to get to the point where you develop other income streams completely unrelated to writing for clients, following is what the road is gonna look like (at least, this is what it took for me):
Plan: In and around 2009, I started to formulate a plan for my life. One of my goals has always been to pay off my mortgage by the time I’m 50 (just over four years away now). But, I had no clue how I was going to go about it. But what I did know was this – it probably wasn’t going to happen just from the income I was making as a freelance writer.
Sure, I could have put the pedal to the medal and increased my earnings significantly (especially as I’d discovered SEO writing and projects were coming in like crazy). But, I realized that I just didn’t want to. While I enjoy the freedom being a freelance writer allows me, I don’t always enjoy the work. Hence, I knew I had to find a way to increase my income that did not involve writing for clients.
And coincidentally enough, my ebook sales were starting to take off around this time. At this point, I had 12 to 15 or so published and once I dug into the numbers, I realized, “Hey, I can really make a go of this self-publishing ebooks thing!”
As an aside, I don’t believe in “coincidences.” I believe that the universe works to give you what you want – if you pay attention to it and are doing your part to make things happen.
Another factor the universe lined up around this time was the popularity of ebooks due to e-readers like the Kindle. So I was like, “You mean I can publish my ebooks – for free – on a worldwide site like Amazon – and keep 70% of the profits (depending on price). Hallelujah!”
I knew it was time to make the leap. So, I looked at my freelance business and instead of raising rates, I did the following . . .
Freelance Writing Rates: One of the reasons my freelance writing rates aren’t as high as I could command is that I set them to be able to seamlessly bring in projects so I spend less time on marketing for new work. This allows me to pay my bills without having to worry about where my next project was going to come from.
So when I hear people say, “Oh, you only charge $35 per article; that’s way too low,” I actually kind of chuckle because I know that I have a game plan for my life – one that doesn’t include writing for clients forever.
Has it meant I haven’t earned as much as a freelance writer as I could have? For sure. But again, it’s allowing me to achieve my long-range goals which, if all goes well, I should realize within the next two years.
Limit Client Project Time: Another thing I’ve done in order to be able to develop other streams of income outside of freelance writing is limit client project time.
There have been many times where I’ve turned down projects altogether. At other times, I’d give longer deadlines so that I limited the amount of time I spent each day/week working on client projects.
This was a drastic change from when I first started out as a freelance writer. Back then, I took on almost any and everything and would work around the clock to meet tight deadlines. Nowadays though, because I have my own projects, this is no longer an option.
The point I’m trying to get across here is that you must make your projects a priority just like client projects. Don’t leave them for “when you have free time” because you’ll quickly find that something will always come up.
The only way to achieve a goal is to set specific deadlines and create a roadmap – one you follow consistently – to reach them. One thing I do is time block my days. This is second nature to me now and keeps me totally focused.
Why Freelance Writers are Perfectly Positioned to Develop Multiple Streams of Income – Especially Online
Just because you can work as a freelance writer forever does not mean you’re going to want to. And the great thing about having the skill set you do is that it primes you perfectly to take advantage of creating multiple income streams – especially online – because so much of making money online begins and ends with content creation.
And, who creates content? Well freelance writers, of course!
Financial Self-Sufficiency – Within Reach
Will the road be easy? No. But as I get closer to my financial goals what I can tell you is this – it’s nice to know that in just a few years – if I continue to work hard – I will be financially “set.” And, this is what keeps me going.
I won’t have to worry about writing for clients or even writing as much for myself to live the kind of life I want — especially if my affiliate marketing and minisite income keeps increasing.
But, it all started because I made a plan that suited MY life; I went against “conventional wisdom” (eg, raise your freelance writing rates); and I hunkered down and did the work.
Freelance Business Owners: Do You Have a Plan?
Where do you want your freelance writing business to be in 2012 – and beyond? Start thinking about it – and formulating a plan now because you know what, 2012 is just around the corner. And, 2013 (and 2014 and 2015) will be here before you know it.
Hope you’re having a good week,
Yuwanda
P.S.: Want to write and sell ebooks online for a living? You can! Get the guide that shows you how to start a successful self-publishing career — start immediately.
P.P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.
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Holiday Deals and Discounts on Freelance Writing Ebooks & Eclasses
November 28, 2011
I received the following e-mail from a site reader last week, which inspired me to offer deals and discounts on our freelance writing products/classes early this year compared to last – and it’ll be for a longer period of time.
The reader wrote:
Hi Yuwanda,
Love your site and information. I hope you are having a fantastic Thanksgiving. I wanted to ask if you would be doing a holiday sale buy one get one free like you did last year. I know that I will be getting your ebook in 3 days Ebook and I would like to get the ebook about Free Classifieds.
I have decided to build an ebook and affiliate marketing business.
I am inspired to be able to be able to take care of myself and my daughter and be home to continue to homeschool her.
Thank you in advance an again thanks for the information and inspiration to live my life on my own terms.
My Response
First T, I did have a nice Thanksgiving; hope you did too. Thanks for inquiring.
Now to business — good for you for deciding to take control of your financial future. As I said in last year’s holiday deals and discount post:
I’m a huge advocate of always, always, always having something going on on the side because there is no such thing (in my opinion) as job security anymore.
I’d even argue that freelancing is the new job security in this global economy.
Recession-Proof Job? Job Stability? Should “Freelancing” be the Synonym Here?
Proof of the bolded statement just above? The Bureau of Labor statistics October 2011 report found that:
The unemployment rate has remained in a narrow range from 9.0 to 9.2 percent since April (it’s currently 9 percent);
In October, the number of long-term unemployed — those who have been jobless for 27 weeks or more (that’s almost 7 months!) – makes up over 40 percent (42.4 percent to be exact) of unemployed individuals; and perhaps most disheartening of all is . . .
There were almost a million (967,000 to be exact) discouraged workers in the labor force. Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. In short, these people have given up hope.
When you give up hope, what’s left?
So to “keep hope alive” for those who’ve decided to take charge like the above freelancer, here are Inkwell Editorial’s Deals and Discounts for the 2011 Holiday Season. Note: All offers are good through the end of the year (til midnight U.S. EST on 12/31/2011).
2011 Inkwell Editorial Holiday Discounts
Half-Price on All Ebooks: Right now if you buy any ebook, you get a second one of your choosing for half off. Note: The “half off” ebook must be priced equal to or LESS than your highest-priced item. For example, if you buy an ebook for $19.95, you get half off a second one priced at $19.95 or less.
How to Take Advantage of This Sale: Make your selections, figure the total, then send payments to payment@InkwellEditorial.com. DO NOT purchase via the payment buttons on the site. Tell us in the comments section of your PayPal payment which ebooks you want. All ebooks will be delivered manually within 24 hours (yes, even on the weekend).
50% Off Freelance Writing Ecourse: The general freelance writing e-course. Note: You can pay in 2 installments for this ecourse. All payments must be received by 12/31/2011. E-course will be delivered after final payment is made.
$300 Off SEO Copywriter Training ECourse: The SEO Copywriting Training e-course. Note: You can pay in 2 installments for this ecourse. All payments must be received by 12/31/2011. E-course will be delivered after final payment is made.
Here’s to finally getting your freelance writing, internet marketing and/or self-publishing career off the ground in 2012!
P.S.: Get Freelance Writing Jobs — Learn How to Create an Online Writing Portfolio That Lands Jobs — Fast!
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The Freelance Writer’s Thanksgiving Prayer: What are You Thankful for as a Freelance Writer?
November 24, 2011
I wrote the following around Thanksgiving in 2006. It’s become a perennial favorite — one I add to every year.
What are you thankful for as a freelance writer? Add your thoughts in the comments section below and I’ll add them to the “prayer” so we can all share in each other’s “thanks.”
CLIENTS
I’m thankful for clients.
I’m thankful for clients – who pay.
I’m thankful for clients – who pay on time.
I’m thankful for clients – who pay what I’m worth.
I’m thankful for clients – who pay their thanks to me.
I’m thankful for clients – who realize my value.
I’m thankful for clients – who have ideas.
I’m thankful for clients – who have no idea.
I’m thankful for clients – who know when to give up their ideas.
I’m thankful for clients – who know what they want.
I’m thankful for clients – who know when they don’t know what they want.
I’m thankful for clients – who let me do my job.
I’m thankful for clients – who realize writing IS a job.
I’m thankful for clients – who realize writing is MY job.
READERS
I’m thankful for blog readers – who value the information they find here.
I’m thankful for blog readers – who share their ups and downs in freelancing.
I’m thankful for blog readers – who realize their dreams of freelancing because of the info they find here.
ME
I’m thankful for the gift of writing.
I’m thankful for the gift of writing – for a living.
I’m thankful for the gift of writing – words that matter.
I’m thankful for the gift of writing – just for me.
I’m thankful for the gift of writing – love notes to those who matter.
I’m thankful for the gift of writing – editorials that change people’s minds.
I’m thankful for the gift of writing – to help others.
I’m thankful for the gift of writing – down what I’m thankful for.
FRIENDS
I’m thankful for friends – who realize I write for a living.
I’m thankful for friends – who don’t ask me to work for free.
I’m thankful for friends – who don’t tell me to “get a real job.”
I’m thankful for friends – who pick up the tab during dry spells.
FAMILY
I’m thankful for family – who respect my working hours.
I’m thankful for family – who encouraged me to pursue my dream.
I’m thankful for family – who ignore me when I’m on deadline.
I’m thankful for family – who know I love them, even when I’m on deadline.
I’m thankful for family – who realize that my computer really is a person to me.
I’m thankful for family – who know I’m a professional, even in my fuzzy slippers.
I’m thankful for family – who encouraged my curiousity, which drives me to explore other cultures.
I’m thankful for family – who instilled a good work ethic, which allows me to grow a successful business.
I’m thankful for – my high school Humanities teacher, who imparted in me a love for words.
TECHNOLOGY
I’m thankful for technology – that allows me to live and work from anywhere.
DEADLINES
I’m thankful for deadlines – that pass.
I’m thankful for deadlines – that pass with pay.
MONEY WISH LIST
I’m thankful for checks;
I’m thankful for checks – that come in the mail,
I’m thankful for checks – that come in the mail on time;
I’m thankful for checks – that come in the mail on time in my name;
I’m thankful for – “notification of payment received” emails from PayPal;
I’m thankful for bank lines of credit;
I’m thankful for bank lines of credit – in my name;
I’m thankful for bills – that don’t come;
I’m thankful for bills – that don’t come – in my name;
I’m thankful for bills – that are paid;
I’m thankful for bills – that are paid on time;
I’m thankful for bills – that are paid on time in my name.
WISH LIST FOR CLIENTS
I wish for vodka shots before talking to unreasonable clients;
Bottles of tequila to share with good clients;
A moonshine hangover to non-paying clients; and
A three-martini introduction to new clients.
WORK
I’m thankful for work.
I’m thankful for work – that matters.
I’m thankful for work – that I love.
I’m thankful for work – that I love that pays.
What are you thankful for this holiday? Please share in the comments below, and Happy Thanksgiving!
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A Freelance Writer’s Life Abroad: Inside Peek at My Life as an American Living in Negril, Jamaica for a Year, Part XXI
November 16, 2011
I made it back to the mineral springs in St. Thomas, Jamaica weekend before last. This was my third trip there. You can view photos/video from the second Hot Mineral Springs of Jamaica trip here. I took lots of video this go round (lots!), which you can view on Inkwell Editorial’s YouTube channel.
Note: This series is seeking a sponsor (eg, airline, phone company, luggage seller, etc.). If interested, send email via “Contact” page and let’s discuss. Access links to every post in this series at the end of this page. Also note, there are tons of links (to photos and video) in this post. Enjoy!
Some Highlights of This Trip to the Mineral Springs in Jamaica
First, it was a gorgeous day for the 5.5 to 6.5 hour trip from Negril to St. Thomas, Jamaica (this photo is of what looked like a rock quarry to me — it was huge). It took us a bit longer to reach our destination because my friend stopped a lot along the way, as I’ll discuss more in a bit.
I Drank My Way Up the Mountain
As I said, this is my third trip into the infamous Blue Mountains of Jamaica to get to this amazing place. And, the Rasta friend I go with has friends along every bend in the mountain – or so it seems.
Hence, we stopped at what seemed like every roadside bar on the ascent up the mountain. By the third stop, I was a little tipsy because every time we stopped, I had a rum (and so did he). You see, it’s kinda what you do when you stop at these little bars. You have a rum, you catch up with friends you haven’t seen for a while, and you continue on your way.
That, for me, is the fun of going with a local. You get to experience how Jamaicans really hang out and interact with each other.
As this video of a typical roadside bar in Jamaica shows, they’re little more than huts on the side of the road. Some can fit two or three people; others may fit 12 or 20. The point is, they tend to be small places where the locals go to enjoy cheap drinks (mainly white rum (J&B) aka JB) and just hang out.
It’s Hard to Starve in Jamaica
The first night, we stayed with friends of my friend who live about an hour away from the mineral springs in St. Thomas; in Whitehall. They’re farmers. I opened the bedroom door to the back yard the next morning to a plethora of food – coffee beans, pepper, passion fruit, jack fruit, june plums, honey bananas, breadfruit and goodness knows what else.
My friend went out and literally plucked from the trees what I’m holding here — passion fruit (to die for!) and june plums (a kinda sour plum; great with a little salt sprinkled over it).
They loaded us up with stuff to take back to Negril – fresh cinnamon, breadfruit, yams and sugar cane, to name a bit of what we carted back. The trunk was literally full of stuff!
As I said, it’s hard to starve in Jamaica.
Eating Our Way Up the Mountain
Speaking of food, we stopped back at what I’ve nicknamed “Foodtown.” As this post explains:
The Best Food in Jamaica Is Sometimes by the Side of the Road
Another interesting thing you’ll encounter if you go through St. Elizabeth is what I call “Food Town by the Side of the Road.” You come up on it seemingly out of nowhere. There’s a beach behind it.
Well again, I had the conch soup (very good), some bammy and we got some fish and bammy to go. See these videos for our stop there — I interviewed a: Jamaican fisherman who was cleaning some red snapper and one who’d caught some Bonita fish; and Jamaican cook named “Trust” who was cooking bammy.
Why the name “Trust?” Cuz he trusts people to come back and pay him when he extends credit; he doesn’t extend credit to tourists, of course.
To Pee or Not to Pee
This is one of my favorite stops along the way; it’s usually the first stop we make because it’s about two hours into the trip, just enough time on the road to get hungry (and in my case, have to pee; although, there’s no place to pee at Foodtown; you find a spot in the bushes and just go if you can’t hold it).
I usually hold it because as I said, my friend knows EVERYBODY, so we usually make another stop in about an hour where there are facilities.
The Infamous Bamboo Lane of Jamaica
We passed through Bamboo Lane again, of course. The first video of Bamboo Lane here in Jamaica was more comprehensive. I didn’t shoot all of it this trip because I promised to link back to the first video. It’s amazing no matter how many times you see it.
Finally, the Bath Mineral Springs of St. Thomas Jamaica
We finally arrived. And boy oh boy, I think Erroll (the gentleman who gives me a massage) gets better every time. This time, I think my massage lasted about an hour and a half; maybe an hour and 45 minutes.
I just gave myself over to the experience:
I was covered in mud from the mineral springs from my front to my back;
Had 130 degree water was poured over me again and again (it cools down within seconds and relaxes every muscle;
I was massaged from my bottom to crevices I didn’t even know I had;
Had a hot stone massage;
Then I was rinsed off in more steaming hot water coming out of a bamboo chute; and
Had my pores closed by very cold water (which comes as kind of a shock after the hot water), but feels good very soon thereafter.
Then, I was ready to eat and drink!
We stopped and got food from the (rather grouchy) rasta in this video (drinks came later via stops at more roadside bars down the other side of the mountain) – the plate of food only costs $250 JMD (about $3) and was enough for me and my friend to eat off of. All vegetarian – rice, plaintain, peppers, ackee, etc. smothered in a bean soup.
Delicious!
What more could a girl want?
Well this girl a go go — particularly after food and a massage – wanted a nap.
Ocho Rios
Alas though, we had about four hours of driving in front of us (and I like to yak while my friend is driving). We drove from St. Thomas to Ocho Rios, which is where we spent the night. We conked out soon after getting in around 7, but did go back out around midnight to get a bite to eat. That’s about all I saw of the “nightlife” of Ochi (as the locals call Ocho Rios).
It’s a big, teeming city; one I plan to explore more fully on another weekend trip out of Negril. Speaking of, Ochi is only about 2.5 to 3 hours from Negril. We got up early and were back in Negril around 10.
Flawless, Smooth Skin
FYI, I did buy some of the mudd from Erroll $500 JMD, along with some Pimento oil. He gave me a big hunk of it, which should last at least a year by my calculations because he said to only use it once or twice a week and it doesn’t take that much (I only put in on my face and neck).
As an aside, my mom had flawless skin and she used to use this product called MUDD on her face. After about age 16 or 17, I could no longer find it in stores. The mudd I bought from Erroll reminds me of it though in color and texture.
Erroll says it has some kind of sulphur in it. Whatever it is, it makes your skin so soft and smooth. As I say in one of the videos, I don’t want to wash my face for at least 24 hours because it feels like a baby’s bottom (combined with the pimento oil Erroll rubs in).
Do’s / Don’ts for Your Trip to the Mineral Springs in St. Thomas Jamaica
I gave some tips on this in my last post about this; but I wanted to add a little more.
DO Bring 3 Towels: In my last post, I said bring two (and you’ll do just fine with two). But, bring three. This way, you can have one to lay over the rock where you get your massage. Make it a thick one. I got a little soreness in my shoulder from laying on the rock (I fell asleep and was probably in a “wrong” position).
DO Hire Someone to Take Photos/Video: I hired Omar (a guy who just kinda hangs out at the springs I gathered). The last time I went, I paid someone to take photos/video as well. I’ll forever do this.
Omar took all of the video and photos here (from the time Erroll started working on me). I paid him $500 JMD (about $6 US) and he shot/videod for the entire time we were there. This way, you can relax and not worry about missing a shot.
DON’T Wear White: My bikini bottom was white, and boy did I have a time getting all the mudd out of it. It’s still not bright white like it was. Note: I do a lot of laundry by hand here; so have to take this to the laundromat to see if they can get it all out.
DON’T Eat Starch: My stomach is poochy on my best days; that morning for breakfast I had rice, cabbage and fried breadfruit (which tastes just like French fries). Hey, our hosts cooked – I couldn’t be rude and not eat now could I?!
But, if you want to not look chubby in your bikini, don’t eat a ton of starch before you go (duh, Yuwanda!). The mountain air makes ya hungry, let me tell ya, especially when combined with the drinking I’d done the night before.
DO Get Over It If You Do: I was a little self conscious in my bikini upon seeing the photos, but then I remembered, “Thank God, I’m healthy!” So, what’s a little flab. Hence, I got over myself-consciousness really quick.
To tell you where I’m coming from, my mom died from breast cancer at age 45; the same age I am now. She had a mastectomy, lost her hair and underwent radiation and chemotherapy (and endured all the ill effects that go along with that).
I saw an Oprah show once where she was talking about how we as women denigrate ourselves (especially our bodies) so much. She went on to say that she tried her best not to do that when she looked at her body. She said what she decided to do instead was thank God that it was healthy; that it had gotten her through another day; and that it was “always there” for her.
This show always stuck with me; cause lord knows I put my body through the wringer running. So when I looked at my rolls, I thought to myself, “Thank God I’m healthy (really healthy), for I’ve seen sickness firsthand, and it ain’t cute.”
And not for nothing, but Jamaican men like women with some meat on their bones! Hallelujah!
Photos of Trip from Negril to St. Thomas
Following are some random photos from the trip. As I say all the time, every corner is a photo in Jamaica. I’ve fallen in love with tree roots (and other nature shots). That’s because the roots of trees are so big they grow on top of the ground here and they just fascinate me.
Jamaican Palm Tree Farm? Just a random shot captured out the car window on the way to the mineral springs. Don’t know if this was a palm tree farm, or what, but there were acres and acres of them.
Blue Mountains (in Whitehall Jamaica): Whitehall is about an hour away from the mineral springs in St. Thomas. It’s where we stayed and partied with friends of my friend, before getting up and driving to the springs the next morning.
The photos never do the mountains justice. You have to actually see them to appreciate how truly majestic they are – and the deep valleys and canyons below. Many of them have streams below (hundreds of feet below). Bamboo and all kinds of other vegetation grows up the hillsides, deep into the belly of the canyons; many forming canopies over the roads.
Breathtaking.
Rum and Dominoes: Can’t get more “Jamaican” than that!
Rustic Schoolhouse: Loved this shot of this old-world-like schoolhouse. It looks like it dates back to the late 1800 or early 1900s. It was a gorgeous Sunday morning.
Sunset in Jamaica: Need more be said? This was on the drive back from the springs, going into Ocho Rios.
Tree Roots: As I said earlier, I’ve fallen in love with tree roots. Something strong, magical and mystical about them to me.
Typical Jamaican Board House (Cottage): I wish you could see the full breadth of the surroundings. It’s like these houses are just plopped into the side of the mountain. Their colors (yellows, blues, oranges, etc.) just “pop” against the lush greenery of the mountains.
Base of Mineral Springs: This is at the base of the mineral springs, when you first arrive.
Water Logged: I named this shot water logged, for obvious reasons. For some reason, the simpleness of it resonated with me.
Ackee: A Jamaican food staple. Kinda tastes like eggs when/if fried and mixed with onion. Used in everything from soups to rice.
Ackee Tree: Ackee is a plentiful, FREE food source in Jamaica. The trees are everywhere and they bear a lot (a lot!) of food.
Me with Child: Anyone who knows me knows how I adore babies. This one was so fat and cute; he was my friend’s friend’s son. He’d let anyone hold him. It was almost as if was saying, “Hey, as long as I’m being carted around, I don’t’ care who’s doing the carrying.”
He’s breastfed, and he tried to start feeding off of me. Had to give him back to his mom; the poor child would have starved with me.
Me and Erroll: My masseuse at the springs. I’d pit Erroll’s massage skills against anyone’s. He’s a master. Some masseuses like to yak their way through a massage. Not Erroll; he’s quiet, serious and soothing with hands of God (I swear!).
Water Shot: I never get tired of taking pictures of the ocean – and in Jamaica, you could take hundreds a day – and still not capture its beauty.
Up into the Blue Mountains: This was right across the street from yet another bar (one that belonged to my friend’s friend) we stopped at on our way to the Mineral Springs. The simpleness of the bike against the rusticness of the mountains made for a gorgeous shot (in my opinion). Love nature shots like this.
Videos of 3rd Trip to Mineral Springs in St. Thomas, Jamaica
I shot tons of video on this trip — everything from a passby of the ghettos of Kingston, to baby goats (they’re sooo cute!). You can access all clips on Inkwell Editorial’s YouTube channel. Look for those labeled “Bath Mineral Springs, St. Thomas, Jamaica, 3rd Trip.”
Hope you enjoyed the video/photos of this trip; lord knows I had fun taking them and experiencing it.
GirlaGoGo.com: My Camera of Choice
I’m a gadget idiot, so my camera of choice is the Sony Cyber-shot. It’s literally for dummies (like me) who don’t know anything about photography but still want to take great pictures and video. To take pictures, you literally point and shoot.
To take video, you simply flip the switch to the video/movie setting, and point and record. You can see everything on the screen and if you don’t like it, you simply delete it. When in video mode, it records sound automatically; you don’t need to do anything else.
This is the easiest camera to use for amateurs who want video and photos, and for what it does the price can’t be beat (I paid less about $160 — and that was a year and a half ago now).
That’s it for this installment of Girl a Go Go.
Til next time!
Yuwanda
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4 Lessons Freelancers Can Learn from Veterans
November 11, 2011
For me, veterans – those who serve their country – well, there are few things in life that are more noble (very few). So, in homage to one of my favorite uncles (James Rose, a Vietnam vet), I started thinking about some of the things he’s told me over the years about his time in that war.
I also started to think of the lessons freelancers can take from this because really, when you decide to freelance, you kind of “go to war” – with yourself and with those who say you should “get a real job.”
Following are some lessons that freelancers could learn from veterans that stuck out to me.
I. Patience: I have several uncles who served in Vietnam. One of them tells stories about it when we ask (it’s not exactly his favorite topic of conversation, but he will share when family members ask).
And let me tell you, some of them are horrific, eg, sitting in fox holes with leeches as big as baby snakes that attach themselves to you but you can’t move a muscle for 12 hours on end because the enemy is “out there” waiting to shoot your head off if your position is given away.
Makes waiting a few weeks to land your first writing gig kinda pale in comparison, huh?
II. Hard Work: 4:30 wake-up calls in the rain, snow, sleet or hail; running with 50-pound backpacks on for 5, 10 and 15 miles at a stretch; 12-hour MP-watch duties six and seven days a week; etc.
Spending seven hours writing articles on subjects you have no interest in in the comfort of an air-conditioned/centrally heated home with a fridge full of food mere feet away – yeah, we freelancers have it real hard.
III. Perseverance: When the military gets ya, they get you for a defined period of time right off the bat – usually at least four years. You don’t get to change your mind because you don’t like it and bail. There’s some good logic behind this.
Of course, when you first start out you might not like it – the ungodly hours, the grueling training, having to adhere to rules, guidelines and regulations – anyone in their right mind might quit early on.
But no, when you sign on the dotted line – the military owns you for a defined period of time.
What if we gave this type of self-imposed patience and perseverance to ourselves as freelancers? Eg, I will stick with this career for a year no matter how hard landing clients is; how grueling the work may be; and how disappointing my income might be.
I’m gonna stick it out.
I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993, and I hear from tons of others who want to emulate my success. But, I only started having the kind of success where I can “do what I want,” so to speak, within the last 3-4 years.
That’s well over a decade of doing projects I didn’t want to do; taking on lower-paying assignments than I would have liked; and working nights, evenings and weekends on my own projects – on the side – to get to the point where I have the options I have now.
Now, just imagine if when you decide to freelance, you “sign up” for a defined period of time and worked your tail off – like a drill sergeant who was putting you through the wringer.
What kind of success do you think you’d have as a freelancer?
IV. Team Work: When you freelance, a lot of times it is a solo operation. But, we are all part of a larger community. And sometimes, that community is not so nice (eg, the constant bickering over freelance writing rates).
The military has some of the highest “tolerance” rates around. It was one of the first government organizations to desegregate (1948) and recently, “don’t ask, don’t tell” was repealed. And, this was in part because of a study showed that an overwhelming majority of active military service men and women don’t care about the sexual orientation of their comrades.
I guess when your life is on the line – literally – what somebody does in their personal life really kind of takes a back seat.
As freelancers, the lesson here is glaring – live and let live. If he wants to write for $5/article and I won’t accept anything less than $45, who cares. Personal freedoms (and a healthy dose of capitalism); it’s what makes America great.
Conclusion
To all those who serve, you’ll never know the impact you have because it’s impossible for every American to come up to you to shake your hand, smile, and/or give a word of thanks. But as I travel the world, I’m ever mindful of how lucky I am to be American – and of how it’s directly BECAUSE of your service to protect our freedoms that we are truly the magnificent country we are.
To my favorite vet, Uncle James, I love you!
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