Nothing like 180 unread items in my google reader, 92 unopened emails, 3 unpacked backpacks, and at least 2-weeks of unopened mail to make you feel like a total slacker.  Happy 2010.

So I ask all of you – how do you balance all of this?  Some of you have full-time jobs and also write prolifically, keep up with all that twittering, have babies, train for marathons and also appear to live seemingly interesting lives.  I need a serious time management overhaul.  I can’t seem to find time to trim my toenails and “get a haircut” has been on my list of things to do since at least last June.

I am starting 2010 off with a Time Audit to try and figure out where the hell all my time goes and I guess go from there.  Basically you keep track of what you are doing in 15 or 30-minute increments and then identify what tasks you spend the most time on and identify the time wasters.  I am very much looking forward to this task because I have seriously know idea what my time wasters are – I don’t have a TV, I’m not social media obsessed, and I don’t feel like I really waste too much time.  I know I am totally guilty of multi-tasking too much, which can make you super inefficient.  I guess we will see – I just need to figure out where all that time goes and find more time to get working on my life list.

I want to start small in 2010 – please just get a freaking haircut – your ends are disgusting.

Photo courtesy of Rei at Wikipedia

In college I prided myself with being able to function highly on very little or no sleep at all. Barenaked Ladies’ Who Needs Sleep? was my mantra for most of those years.

Who needs sleep?
well you’re never gonna get it

In my twenties I delighted in the fact that I could sleep just about anywhere. I slept for nearly a year and a half without a bed – always getting by with very little. I tried my hands at vagabonding after dropping out of a PhD program in Psychology, ditching my apartment, selling most of my worldly positions, and traveling through Central America. Returning home I spent the summer crashing on friends couches, in parking lots in the back of Rubes, and in the mountains surrounding Salt Lake City.

Who needs sleep?
tell me what’s that for

One of my favorite homeless memories is partying late one night after work during the Blues festival at Snowbird resort and just heading up the mountain and finding a comfy spot to spend the night. I woke body next to the Earth and walked down the mountain already dressed for work.

Eventually lack of a home got, well, old. I found the cheapest, tiniest studio apartment I could find and made a bed of blankets and a therm-a-rest in the corner. I stayed here until I could save enough money to head out onto the open road again.

Then I met a man with a van…

Who needs sleep?
be happy with what you’re getting
There’s a guy who’s been awake
since the Second World War

By the time I hit my thirties – I was rigid and unyielding. The 9 to 5 life I had chosen made me inflexible and dependent on a mattress and 8-10 hours of solid, unadulterated sleep.

My hands are locked up tight in fists
My mind is racing, filled with lists
of things to do and things I’ve done
Another sleepless night’s begun

Two months into my new lifestyle – I can’t sleep, I have all this energy. I am constantly breaking the night. I wake early with all these ideas and dreams and zest for life. I no longer experience my mid-afternoon slump. I google cures for insomnia, fear my imminent breakdown – could I be manic? I blame all these life changes and fears and stress and ughhh. But it finally just dawned on my – it appears I just may be suffering from one serious case of STOKE.

hala hala hala

As I look back at my goals for the first 3-months of my full-time freelance writing career, I wonder what I have accomplished during this whirlwind first month.  I am going to use these occasional check-ins as a way to monitor my progress, keep the motivation strong, and basically hold myself accountable so I don’t get completely swept away by my new found freedom.

Sure in the past few months I have had innumerable freak-outs. I feel less secure without good health insurance, a paycheck I can count on, and the certainty of where my life is headed. But all I need to do is take a look outside and look at the incredible mountains of Colorado that surround me and everything comes into focus.

For the first time in a long time, I feel truly happy. I have the freedom to literally do whatever the hell I want – read what I want, travel where and when I want, sleep when I want, run when I want, work when I want, drink wine whenever I want… Freedom is such a beautiful thing, yet totally overwhelming. It will take some time before I learn to focus my efforts, but for right now I will just let it be. Everything is only up to me from here on out.

(1) Moving/Housing Situation

After two weeks battling marble-sized hail, the occasional snowstorm, sketchy US hostels, and inconsistent Internet connections – I moved things inside.  Dirtbagging is so much more simple and pleasant in the summer months, but can be quite nerve frazzling with unpredictable fall weather. I found a reasonably priced room for a month or so in lovely Basalt, CO.  I feel like I am on some amazing writer’s retreat high in the Colorado Mountains. I am definitely going to have to do something about my apartment back in Salt Lake City – it is amazing how much an idealistic setting (i.e. back deck with mountain and lake views) can inspire.

(2) Matador U

So far I have been thrilled with Matador U and highly recommend it for any aspiring travel writer.  I have made some amazing connections, got valuable feedback on my writing, and been introduced to this entire new world of online publishing.  The course is also benefiting me by forcing me to tackle some writing styles that I tend to steer clear of.

(3) The Blogs

I haven’t exactly held up to my goal of contributing to my blogs 3-4 times a week.  I am going to let this goal slide this month because I think my time was better well spent querying publications and getting out an exploring the area before the snow starts.

(4) Query Query Query

I blew my goal of one query letter a week out of the water – even receiving nice rejection letters from many of them.  I also set up a pretty little submission log to track my progress.

(5) Financials and Other Not So Pleasant Stuff

Let’s just say I haven’t blown my entire savings yet, but I have only made about 7% of what I spent.  I did receive my final paycheck and vacation payout from work – so the month doesn’t look as ugly as it should.  Next month is already looking better.

(6) Other Notable Highlights

• Scored a gig as NileGuide’s Salt Lake City Local Expert – check out my profile here.
• Got assigned my first magazine piece at the mag I am interning at.
• Successfully queried a local sports magazine.
• Finally purchased an external drive – back-up your work peeps!

Ever since I took the plunge and entered the world of full-time freelancing I feel like my fingertips have permanently adhered themselves to my laptop. I am spending literally all day, evening, and night glued to my screen and accomplishing very little if anything. My laptop accompanies me to the coffee shop, the library, the bagel shop, a friend’s house, and even into the back of Ruby.

After 3 consecutive mornings waking and finding my laptop still in bed with me I decided that something must be done to sever my dependency.  I was beginning to fear that I might turn into some sort of reclusive, basement-dwelling, Internet-addicted freak.  And so comes the advent of “No Internet Sundays.”

I woke Sunday and out of habit reached for my laptop before fumbling for my glasses – funny that I need to feel the security of a 13-inch aluminum body before actually having the means to see it.  As I was opening my laptop I suddenly remembered – “No Internet Sunday” and promptly closed it before it even had a chance to wake up.  I went back to sleep.

Seriously what editor is going to reply to you on a Sunday? The urge to check my email was so powerful it made me irritable.

I sat on the porch and did my morning pages actually taking the time to do the tasks as part of The Artist’s Way.  I stopped by the coffee shop, picked up the paper, and stared with envy at all the other drones hypnotized by their computers.  I went for a run, went to the bike shop, read a magazine, took a nap, wrote a letter, and even cooked vegetables.

After dinner, I relapsed. I get no cell service in the room I am renting and justified using gchat to talk to my boyfriend whom I hadn’t spoken with all weekend.  With computer in my lap I fell back into my standard routine of checking e-mails, analytics, twitters – y’all know the routine.  At midnight I pry my hands free and attempt to fall asleep.  I try not to dwell on my recent failure and accept that recovery takes time.  I will give it another try next Sunday.

Sure I understand that not everyone can live out of their car without the reasonable comforts of life (i.e. running water, toilet, electricity). But you can take steps to drastically reduce your living expenses and thus cut back at work and spend more time writing, networking, and pitching.  The following are 5 ways to cut back on living expenses:

(1) Downgrade the Living Space

Whether it is giving up the cable or downsizing to a studio apartment, we could all probably go with a few less luxuries.  If making a career out of writing is really your highest priority, you may need to sacrifice your cushy living situation to get more freedom to write.

(2) Get Roommates

If you have the space, consider a roommie or two or quite possibly a live-in-lover.  It is easy to get accustomed to our space and can be difficult to even consider sharing with others, but remembering the end goal will get you through it. Less rent = less time at work and more time for writing.

I know a few people that rent a 3/4-bedroom house and charge enough for the other rooms that their own rent is very little or non-existent. A little bit scammy and the risk is on you -  if people don’t pay rent or you can’t find any good roommies you are basically screwed. Brilliant plan if you can get it to work.

(3) Seek Alternative Living Arrangements – House sitting, Co-ops, etc.

While transitioning from 9-5er to vagabond blogger bliss, consider alternative living arrangements. Get creative. Find a part-time job that includes housing as part of the compensation. Work for a college dorm, hostel, bed and breakfast, ski resort, or organic farm. Not only will you get free or discount housing, but a wealth of experience and potential material.

(4) Dirtbag It

Personal favorite. Wing it. Couch surf, camp, or trade in your car for a VAN.

(5) Move Back Home

Last resort.  Sounds dreadful but is it really as bad as rotting the next year of your life away in a cubicle?

Any other ideas?  How have you minimized your living expenses to free up time and energy for writing?

Started my internship today weary and googly-eyed – I must have looked like I slept in my car last night. It would have been nice to get to town a few days before but I somehow couldn’t manage. Quite simply, I didn’t want go. Leaving Salt Lake and all my lovely ones was way harder than I could have imagined – it actually made me physically ill. I waited until late Sunday afternoon and then packed up Ruby, drove 6-hours, and crashed in a wayside all scrunched up in my backseat.

I am starting to wonder if my dirtbag days have sailed. I woke about 5 times in the back of Rubes because of various leg cramps and rain drops somehow managing to squeeze through the window crack and drip precisely onto the center of my forehead. Then as I tried to get the window up I managed to set off my car alarm disturbing all the other wayside sleepers.

I felt like I was getting too comfortable with comforts. I guess that might be my best reason for leaving.  But now I am wondering what the hell is wrong with comforts. I guess there is only something wrong if your need for comfort gets in the way of being brave and following your dreams.

Full of doubt today for sure – and wondering if I simply traded one office job for another. Starting a new ‘job’ is always so awkward and weird. It is like you want to look busy but you really have nothing to do and you fill your water bottle from the bathroom sink because you don’t want to disturb the super busy looking people with yet another seemingly unimportant question. Trying to stay positive and trust that I will take away valuable things from interning and living outside of my comfort areas but sometimes it just plain sucks.

I like beginnings and today is a very special one.  Not only is today the first day of September but it is my first day off of someone else’s payroll and my first day as a full-time writer.  Surprisingly I woke at 7 am eager to get to work.  For the last year I would work my 9 to 5, come home and maybe get some exercise or chill time, eat dinner, and then get back to work writing, reading about writing, and trying to find writing work.  Now today – I get to work and then actually have an evening to I don’t know – maybe experience some life so I have something to write about.  

I am really excited to give my plan a try, but I am a little curious as to how people stay motivated with all of this unstructured time on their hands. I know for a fact that morning is my best time to write – so I am reserving the morning for actual writing. I also know that from about 3-5 pm I am completely worthless – so that might be a good time for looking for work, social networking, marketing, or simply taking a nap. I also need some serious help with creating a work space but I guess the floor-couch-bed will have to work until I return from my 3-month stint in Colorado.  

In order to hold my self accountable for creating my new career I will often share the details of my day. Hopefully over time we will see an increase in the percentage of time writing and a decrease in time cruising the web looking for work and lusting over the lives of successful travel writers.  

Day 1

The Morning Pages – 7-7:30am

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity is a book for aspiring writers and artists organized as a 12-week course designed to get you in touch with your creative self. A friend of mine gave me this book 10 years ago and I have picked it up several times over the years and never made it past the third week. 

One of the basic tools of the Artist’s Way is to religiously complete the morning pages. The morning pages are three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing that you complete each morning before you do anything else. You are not suppose to reread the pages or judge your writing. I think the purpose of the pages is to spew out all the crap in your head so that you have room to think more freely the rest of the day. I am hoping that eventually my novel will flow effortlessly through the pages but for now I like the meditative aspect of the pages and they serve me well in organizing my day or venting and clearing my head.  

I highly recommend any aspiring (or successful) writer to pick up The Artist’s Way and try out some of the featured tasks and tools.

Editing First Assignment for Matador U – 7:30-8:30am

I recently enrolled in Matador U, an online travel course, and spent the early morning editing my first assignment and posting the links in the forum. I also spent a bit of time browsing the forums to see what I missed out on during my long weekend away from internet service. 

I only signed up for the course last week, but I am already thrilled about what I am going to get out of this program.

Writing Articles for Demand Studios – 9am – Noon

I currently write articles for a content distributor called Demand Studios.  So far my experience here has been good – you get paid weekly and consistently via Paypal and the feedback from the editors and community has been helpful   I do make about $20-30/hour writing for the site but can only realistically write these types of articles for 2-3 hours a day.  I do realize I am only making around $.02/word (YIKES) but I see this as a way to prolong draining my savings and get a lot of practice refining my voice and gathering research efficiently.  

Shower, Lunch, Etc – Noon – 1pm

Wow – I never expected my apartment to be this quiet during the day.  Oh how wonderful it is tackle the dishes when I need a break from my computer screen and to shower in the middle of the day.  I bet the novelty of all of this will soon wear off but I will revel in the newness for as long as it lasts.  I haven’t been too tempted by my heaps of laundry, piles of camping gear needing to be put away from the weekend, or the time wasting allure of facebook yet.  

Dinking with Blogs and Stuff – 1-2pm

I am not really sure how this whole monetizing the blog thing works.  I guess you have to first get traffic and then figure out some way to make some money.  A while back I inserted an Amazon.com link in Dirtbagger and kind of forgot about it.  Today I decided to log into the account and to my surprise 9 people have actually clicked on the link and one person actually bought the book earning me a certain amount of cents.  I figured since Dirtbagger has been seeing quite an increase in traffic these days that maybe I could benefit from a few added links.  I also spent sometime working on this blog post.

Reading and a Bit of Social Networking – 2-3pm

Lazed away the afternoon reading fellow Matador U students assignments and browsed the web for job leads.

Calling It a Day – 3pm

Off to take a well-deserved nap and then heading to the farmer’s market, followed by the rock climbing gym, and then a live listening of Bonnie Rait and Taj Mahal viewed from a top the knoll.