You Don’t Need a Student Loan for In-tuition

Have you ever played with Runes, Tarot Cards or consulted the I Ching to get an answer to a major life question?

I have.

When I don’t like the answer, I “fish” again until I am satisfied with the outcome. Interpretation is everything. In fact, in my book Follow Your Bliss, Not Your Blisters, I teach a technique for learning how to tap into “happy” at any time.

Understanding the role interpretation plays in our lives is fundamental to how much we can rise above the negativity and be in control of our thoughts and emotions.

Intuition is the divine guidance we have been given to successfully navigate our lives. At time of indecisiveness, we are very likely to dismiss our gut feeling as just another voice in our head — but it is not.

Gut feelings are the “how to” book of your life. Very often, we “know” what to do about a situation, but we have so many “reasons” for why we don’t take the right action that we go astray.

A Very Personal Story

I was working for Hilton Hotels and was transferred to Atlanta. Prior to that transfer, I had dated a colleague in Florida who had worked in Atlanta and called him for his advice where to live. When he told me his old address, I went there to find a place.

As fate would have it, the ground floor apartment they showed me was his exact old haunt. There was a ditch outside which I envisioned would be a lake one day with a swan on it. The town was cute, so I said, “OK, I’m in.”

Except for one thing.

My whole being knew I shouldn’t live there. It felt “dangerous,” but the neighbors seemed nice enough and there was a lovely pool. So, I called friends and family and inquired if they ever felt bad vibes walking into a place, public or private. I really didn’t need their answers. I knew I shouldn’t be there.

The day the movers arrived, I went to the apartment only to find a sign hanging on my door warning that there had been personal attacks in the complex and to be careful. Ignoring my fear that was now confirmed by the note on the door, I moved in. Three days later, my house was broken into while I was asleep and I was, indeed, attacked.

One thing I will add is that as the attacker held me with a knife in my neck telling me he was going to kill me, I tried to resist like any 5’2, 101-pound person might. Immediately, I heard a loud voice in my head saying: “Don’t resist.”

I followed the sudden intuition screaming at me and that is why I am here to tell the story.

About Your Intuition

Medical science says our “gut” is in constant and direct communication with our brain and vice-versa. We even use the idiom “my gut tells me” when we want to affirm something.

Usually though, when we are not sure what action we should take, we tune into our thoughts. Our thoughts are so very rarely clear. Logic is not perfect and is anti-intuitive. Pros and cons can’t be balanced, but you can count on the feeling in your gut.

Here’s what you do.

Let’s say you are offered a job that excites you but requires you to move 3,000 miles away from your friends, family, and the cute doctor you are dating. “What to do, oh my.”

Sit quietly, be mindful of the question and as you are doing so, sense what is going on physically in your gut. You will either feel expansion – a sense of lightness and excitement or a sense of dread.

That is being intuitive.

Anything you do after that is up to you, but we all have this guiding light built in. The person you are dating may be smart, funny, and generous but what’s with all those slurs about your weight, your hair color, your family. Hmmm, think again. Rather, gut again!

I think even the word intuition is interesting. We pay institutions to get essential knowledge and growth but the path our journey takes is an inside job. To follow your intuition is to follow your bliss in the name of positive experience and brilliant expansion.

See Also: How To Learn To Trust Your Gut Again

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UI/UX Design for Users with Dyslexia

As of the third quarter of 2018, Google Play had 2,100,000 apps and the Apple App Store reached the milestone of 2,000,000 apps. Windows store and Amazon Appstore together had some more than 1,119,000 apps in the same period.

As the number of apps for every platform is continuously growing, the competition gets more and more fierce. Trying to reach out to every potential user, numerous businesses have learned that they are not accessible enough.

To offer their goods, services, and benefits to the broad audience without any limits, brands work on their accessibility. A recent update of Instagram added automatic alternative text that allows visually impaired users to hear the descriptions of the posts using the screen reader. Instagram also implemented a custom alternative text feature that enables users to add a richer description of their photos when posting them. People who have screen readers enabled can hear this description.

Dyslexia is one of the accessibility issues that isn’t often considered by mobile and web app developers. In this post, you will learn why things need to change and how to do it.

What is Dyslexia and Why It Matters

Dyslexia is not a disease. It is a language-based learning disability that is very often a cause of writing, reading, and spelling difficulties in children and adults. If you haven’t heard of dyslexia before, you will be even more surprised to learn that this health condition is not that rare.

Around 5-10% of the US population has dyslexia according to the stats provided by DyslexiaHelp. Since not every case of dyslexia is diagnosed, some researchers suggest that as many as 17% of the population in the US alone can have this condition.

Children of all intelligence levels can have dyslexia. This condition does not depend on a person’s ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic circumstances and it’s not something you can cure. It is a life-long condition that requires intervention.

With proper help and accessible materials, a person with this condition can succeed academically and in other aspects of life as well. Nonetheless, one needs to consider it when developing a mobile application for the general audience.

Mobile App Design for Dyslexics

Let’s investigate how to create UI/UX design for users with dyslexia.

The app development cost of an accessible app might be higher, as you will need to find a development team with relevant experience or at least capable of implementing the solution. It’s money well spent since you won’t be using a large percentage of potential users. It’s inspiring to observe how modern businesses embrace diversity and work on the accessibility of their services.

Exclusive for Dyslexia

With the help of technology, people with dyslexia can learn to cope with the condition faster. For this reason, there are already numerous software solutions for dyslexics.

If users with dyslexia are the primary target audience of your mobile app or website, take a look at what is already available out there.

Current Top Solutions for Users With Dyslexia

• Teen and Adults Phonics Library – an iOS-compatible application that has easy-to-read novels for children with learning disabilities, including dyslexia.
• Leo – Recorder & Transcription – an iOS-compatible application that transcribes voice to text.
• Reading Machine – an Apple-featured app for children to learn reading.
• Draw Something – an iOS and Android-compatible game that gives you a word to draw. The other players need to guess the word you are drawing.
• Knoword – an individual word game, available for iOS and Android. In this game, users are expected to guess a word based on its definition and the first letter.

Design for Dyslexia: Get It Right

To make UX/UI design accessible for users with visual impairment, you need to do more than merely adjust colors and contrasts. A convenient interface, created for dyslexic people, should have the following features:

• Avoid using high contrast levels. It is often hard for people with dyslexia to read texts with high contrast levels. According to recent studies, pastel backgrounds are a better choice compared to high-contrast colors.
• Take care of the fonts. Fonts like Sans Serif and Open Dyslexic are good options for people with dyslexia. Increase line-spacing and make the paragraphs clearly justified. Use the recommended fonts. Dyslexie font is a revolutionary font that makes reading fun and easy for people with dyslexia. Avoid italics or underlines, use bold instead. Avoid centering the text, left justification works best.
• Keep lines of text short. Studies show that it is best to stick up to 45 characters in a line.
  Make navigation flexible. Give users several ways to get to the same destination.
  Allow design customization. Let app users set such visual preferences as colors, text magnification, and fonts.
• Support text with icons whenever possible.
• Add images, pictograms, and videos instead of text to make the design more accessible.
• Don’t forget to add captions on video content for visually impaired users.
• Enable auto-fill where possible. Don’t make users remember everything. Instead, enable a Google-like search field that remembers what the user has previously searched for.
• Convert time zones automatically. Allow users to choose the format of time display.
• Keep it simple. Don’t overload screens with distracting graphics and audio noise.

As you can see, UX/UI design for dyslexia is all about decreasing the cognitive load for the user. Accessible design is clear and does not have any distractions.

Final Thoughts

The Internet is by definition accessible. Since more and more people use smartphones more often than their computers, making your mobile app with accessibility in mind should become your second nature.

You can make your product empathetic and inclusive by taking care of users with dyslexia. As you could see from this post, there is nothing extremely different in the UX/UI design for dyslexics. You might not even notice the changes.

However, your app users will appreciate the effort a lot, and they will be able to enjoy your product and benefit from it more. Users are more loyal to brands that show personal attitude and care about their issues.

Why not set a good example with your next web or mobile application?

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How to Stop Black-and-White Thinking from Destroying Your Life

Black or white. Right or wrong. Good or bad. Smart or stupid. Strong or weak.

Do you live your life in black and white terms? Is your mood in constant fluctuation, going from great to depressed in under one minute?

Many people suffer from this black-and-white thinking pattern. Most of the time, it is greatly influenced by their childhood and earlier experiences. This all-or-nothing type of thinking can seriously damage your sense of self, well-being, happiness, and relationships.

How do I know?

Because I am a recovering black-and-white thinker. I, too, used to see the world as a scary place where you have to be prepared for the worst. In it, some people are good and others are bad. Some are strong while others are weak.

This way of thinking is actually a defense mechanism people use to cope with life’s challenges. Unfortunately, it prohibits you from seeing things as they really are.

Things are never as bad as they seem or as good, for that matter. This means that relationships can’t be either perfect or ruined. People aren’t either smart or stupid, strong or weak, good or bad. We are have a unique mixture of intelligence, weak spots, strengths, positive and negative traits.

Things are never either black or white.

When you realize this simple fact, you free yourself from the prison of your mind. You learn to let go and accept the grey areas, instead of placing everything under “black” or “white” and “good” or “bad” labels.

Why is letting go of black-and-white thinking so important for your self-growth and happiness?

Once you realize that you cannot place things into black and white categories, you are generally happier.

Why?

Because you are no longer a slave to the “must” and “should”. You accept the “maybes” and “what ifs” as part of your life and you realize that these “good” and “bad” perceptions are all in your mind. You also stop projecting your feelings and thoughts onto others.

Just because a situation isn’t favorable at the moment, it doesn’t mean that it is ruined or that things will never improve. Just because your partner doesn’t understand your point of view or doesn’t shower you with the affection you think you are entitled to doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t love you at all.

Even if you failed a test, it doesn’t mean that you are stupid or a failure. Just because you didn’t win first place, doesn’t mean all your work was in vain.

Once you realize that extreme black and white thinking damages all areas of your life, you are able to make a conscious change. This sort of change takes place gradually –don’t expect miracles. You won’t be able to go from being an extremist to being extremely open-minded. However, each small step counts.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable and allow yourself to make mistakes

Choose to see the good where other times you only saw the bad. Stop misjudging people and situations based on your previous experiences.

Let go of all your judgments and preconceptions and start thinking and living as if anything is possible. Accept all possibilities and know that you will be fine regardless of the outcome. Instead of trying to control outcomes, focus on having positive, empowering reactions to what happens to you.

See Also: 5 Reasons Why You Need To Start Learning From Mistakes

Stop passing judgments and obsessing about the details. Stop over-analyzing and trying to control outcomes and top finding faults.

When you start living this way, it will seem like a whole new world has opened its gates to you. You’ll become more trusting and empathetic. You will understand why certain things happen and that most things are out of your control.

This simple technique can be applied in all interactions and situations where you find yourself thinking in an all-or-nothing kind of way. I am sure you will find it extremely useful in romantic relationships and in personal interactions with friends and family.

It takes courage to stop the negative thinking patterns that are holding you back. It takes courage to be vulnerable, to accept that you cannot control most things in life, and to be let yourself just be.

But it’s worth it.

Don’t take my word for it – try it and see for yourself.

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6 Ways Traveling Alone Makes You Stronger

If you’ve never tried traveling along, now is probably the right time to go on a solo trip.

Traveling alone is a whole different experience. There are certain benefits you can only get from waking up alone in a totally unfamiliar place and charting your own course deeper into the unknown.

Even if you’re not traveling long-term, venturing out for a solo vacation once in awhile can help you build skills and competencies that you can bring back and apply to all areas of your life.

Here are six benefits you can get  from traveling alone:

You Learn to Rely on Yourself

You’ll get organized. Nobody else will be there to fold your laundry. You either do it yourself or you stuff it in your backpack and content yourself with wearing wrinkled clothes.

You’ll learn to organize your finances. Without proper handling, your cash can easily slip away in a matter of days. You have to pay attention and track your spending.

Watch your own back because you’re the only one responsible for your safety. In fact, you might be the only person on the continent who cares whether you live or die! Learn to exercise caution and self-care and you’ll start becoming empowered.

You Deal With Some Big Emotions

You fall and pick yourself back up. You get extremely frustrated. You miss your family back home. You wonder where you went wrong and what the hell you are doing all the way out there anyway.

And you deal with those emotions while getting overwhelmed with joy and excitement, too.

Ultimately, you’ll learn that the world isn’t causing your emotions. You are. And, unfortunately, the world can’t solve them for you.

Traveling alone will help you learn to experience immense moments without being clumsily demonstrative. It’ll help you go through your emotions and deal with what’s really causing them.

You Build People Skills

You’ll encounter different kinds of people and build social-emotional intelligence along the way. This is a powerful tool you can use anywhere you go.

You’ll soon learn how to have a calm and pleasant conversation with the bank officials even when you’re panicking because you can’t access your account. Calmness and sweetness are more likely to win their assistance.

If you’re only in town for the weekend, you can make friends fast. You can even find a relationship quickly, too. You’ll have someone to bring to a festival or that local restaurant you’ve been wanting to visit. Even when traveling solo, you don’t really have to be alone all that much if you don’t want to.

You’ll also learn cross-linguistic communication. Even if you’re not planning to learn the language by immersion, you can always pick up the basics. The rest, you can do with body language, visual aids and a lot of patience. This is a delicate process as you’ll have to overcome your fear of looking foolish.

Traveling solo can increase your awareness of the body signals you’ve been unintentionally sending. And, because of that, you’ll be able to work on your posture and how you approach other people so that they will be more willing to engage.

You Chart Your Own Course

As a solo traveler, you can watch your decisions become plans, train tickets and then memories. You don’t have to wait for anyone, hurry up the experience or postpone your trip just because someone doesn’t want to go with you. Your destiny lies in your own hands.

You Come Face to Face With Your Smallness in the World

The world is big. It’s not just its geographical size but the magnitude of the people and their willingness to help you when you are a vulnerable stranger.

It’s one thing to say it and another thing to encounter it.

There is no humility and openness like that of a well-traveled person. When you see how big the world is and the magnanimity of its people, it’ll make you realize how diverse the world is. Strangely, this makes you both more humble and confident.

You Gain a Sense of Confidence

Traveling makes you more aware of how powerful you are than the first time you strapped on that backpack and walked out the door. You have seen yourself in dynamic, dangerous and unimaginably foreign situations and you’ve handled it.

You’ve tested yourself. You know your power and you know your limits. And you know that whatever you were so worried about in your life before you ventured out, you can handle that now, too. It’s not a problem anymore.

See Also: 5 Steps To Reinvent Your Life By Traveling

Conclusion

Traveling solo isn’t a requirement for leading a good life. You can build a lot of these skills elsewhere.

But, traveling alone accelerates your emotional and mental growth in a way that no other activity can. It makes you more open, agreeable, and stable. It gives you a story and it makes you wise.

So, the next time you’re feeling that travel bug, take the extra leap and do it alone. You might surprise yourself with what you can handle.

See Also: 10 Wonderful Benefits of Traveling

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Wish to Make your Website Hack-Proof? Apply these 5 Security Measures

Imagine a free-flowing stream full of beautifully colored fish and certain hazardous plastic pieces caught in the current. The internet is a similar pool of good and bad assortments.

Where there are abundant opportunities for growth, there are subtle chances of downfall as well. Downfall, personified by the vile entities, which hide in the shadiest corners of the net and lead unsuspecting users to an early demise. Yes, these cybercriminals are called hackers, and it is against their contaminating influence that this article preaches you hardcore security measures.

Quick question, though. How do you leave your unique impression on the internet plane? Through a website. Yes, a personalized space from where you make your special contribution to the online community—by running a business venture, or by becoming a star influencer with a large following. Either way, you wouldn’t want your progress to be tampered with in any way by a third party hacker, right? To become a target of ransomware or have your data infected with malware? Especially since the current facts show a grave situation?

(According to hostingfacts.com, there are over two billion functional websites in the world, from which about 90,000 sites get hacked on a daily basis!)

Then, check out the following pointers which you should implement on your personal website or a WordPress-hosted one if you want to stay safe from hackers in 2019.

Get an Encryption Certificate

Nothing beats the security shield which an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate provides. This advanced technology encrypts the link between a web server and a browser. So, whatever data passes between these two gateways is powerfully tunneled and protected from hacker parties.

This becomes especially relevant if you own an e-commercial site and are responsible for the security of all the financial transactions that go on there. An SSL certificate enables the HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) protocol which padlocks the site URL in the address bar. It gives the green go-ahead signal to the visitors, establishing the said site’s credibility.

Even Google has made its presence mandatory for all the site owners out there, proposing heavy penalties otherwise. The price of an SSL certificate is minimal, but the sense of safety it provides is totally worth it.

Reinforce the Login Section

Open source web hosting portals like WordPress receive all kinds of traffic across the world wide web. Now, this may include those sinister hackers who pose as normal users trying to entrap site owners having a minimal security shield.

Most of the time, these entities try to hit the login page by attempting multiple manipulations and bypassing the password security.

Why?

Because it is through the main login page that admin credentials to a site become accessible, especially on WordPress. This is called ‘brute force attack’.

How can you protect your login sector from it? By adopting three very crucial security measures:

• One, try and install some of the most effective security plugins which are offered by WordPress, such as iThemes Security or Bulletproof Security, etc. These will scan your site and highlight possible vulnerabilities. Other than this, SiteLock is famous for banning users that undertake multiple failed login attempts. So, do install it over your safe network, courtesy of Frontier internet packages or some such credible deals.
• Two, always change your WordPress site’s username from the default ‘admin’ to your own personalized one. Try to make it hard to predict. Another idea is to input your email address instead of the username, as it’s less obvious.
• Three, invest in a two-factor authentication module for your login security. It works like this: Every time someone tries to access your site’s dashboard, they’ll have to go through two security screenings. The first will require a unique passcode while the second will request a four-digit one-time pin code that’s sent directly to your phone number. Thus, reinforcing the login protection.

See Also: 6 Foolproof Tips for Creating Powerful Passwords

Bar the Technical Vulnerabilities

Hackers are clever individuals. Even if you powerfully fortify your site, they may very easily creep in through the dungeon of codes. That is why you should know the technical security measures as well if you wish to stay on guard 360 degrees, such as:

• Parameterized queries against SQL injections which specify and narrow the URL parameters of a site. It gives power to the outsiders for accessing the database and inserting codes of their choice into the layout.
• CSP against XSS which highlights the domains a browser should consider as valid points of executable scripts, instead of reading into any unknown malicious JavaScript injected by a hacker.
• Locked down file permissions instead of open ones, etc.

Trust a Well-Renowned Web Hosting Service

There are two ways you can go about making a website these days. It’s either you purchase a domain of your own or you subscribe to a third party web hosting service.

What people generally do is that they find a cheap, open source, hosting platform, offering unlimited plans. They make a move to get one, given the immediate convenience. What they don’t know is that such services upload all their links on a single server.

Basically, it gives an open invitation to the hackers for breaking into the site via multiple channels. So, I’d recommend you to give your site a solid foundation by subscribing to a well-renowned web hosting service like WordPress or some such.

See Also: How to Choose a Web Host for Your Website

Update and Backup

One of the best ways to beat hackers is by staying proper and prim.

By this, I mean that you should update your site’s codes, software, plugins, scripts and even content on a regular basis. Developers issue bug-fixes, vulnerability-remedies, and new security setups from time to time. If you want to stay one step ahead of the hackers in this game, then keep your site updated with the latest fixes.

The other point is that you should always have a plan B in case your site is hacked. Regularly back up your data for instant recovery after the breach.

In conclusion, if you wish to secure your website this hacking season, then implement the aforementioned security measures for instant protection.

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To Have It All: What Is The Cost?

I signed our first contract in the delivery room. I felt so proud of this accomplishment for so long!

NestApple (my recently launched real estate company) was born a few months before my daughter. Formally, however, clients started reaching out at the same time my epidural was going in.

The emotions of having a baby have been thoroughly discussed, analyzed, and shared. I have nothing particularly innovative to add except to say it’s a unique experience that you cannot prepare yourself for. I was happy, scared, proud, bursting with love, anxious, and exhausted all at the same time.

And I was lucky enough to have help and an amazing support system. All of that was not enough to spook away my depression but it definitely eased the pain.

See Also: How to Deal With Depression: 22 Things You Need to Try Today

Launching my own business came with responsibilities and expectations. I wanted to prove I could do it all — have a newborn and work from home. It would be easy to blame society and those around me who had high hopes or even my highly demanding personality. But, in the end, it all narrows down to not having been able to recognize the feelings and take the time to process the emotions.

I started taking antidepressants 4 months after. Combined with therapy, I immediately felt much better. I have continued to work on feeling stronger and healthier.

Fast forward 18 months and I have a successful startup. I have closed more than 30 transactions and am currently hiring agents to come work with me. My daughter is a happy and active toddler. My relationship with my husband is stronger than ever and I recognize and value the amount of love and satisfaction I get from family and friends.

Why is it that it took so long for me to pause, reflect and acknowledge I could not do everything simultaneously? Why is it that when I felt pressured or overwhelmed I did not take a step back to make sure I wasn’t taking more than I could handle?

It is only now that I have mastered to be the owner of my own self. It is a powerful tool that I wish to share with everyone around me. Feeling empowered to do things on my time and at my own rhythm has made me a better professional, happier mom, and overall calmer person.

Women tend to be overachievers; my generation was lucky enough to have grown up with working mothers who paved the way. We have options and alternatives. I learned (the hard way) those options come at a cost. Options don’t necessarily mean everything at the same time.

I want to teach my daughter to work hard and aim for the stars. To be the commander of her life, set her own rules to get there and enjoy the ride!

Looking back, signing a contract in the delivery room is really nothing to be proud of.
Doing the hard work in therapy is an accomplishment. Sharing feelings and thoughts with my loved ones is meaningful. Growing my business has given me immense satisfaction and doing it while watching my family grow is the biggest reward I could ever ask for.

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10 Tips for Freelance Writers That Really Work

Freelancing is a perfect option for those who can’t or don’t want to be tied down to one location or for those who want to avoid physical interaction with people. And today, the range of freelance job opportunities is quite wide. Being a freelance writer, however, still remains as one of the most popular choices.

How to become a successful freelance writer? Where to start from? How to draw the attention of potential clients?

Check out the following tips for freelance writers you’ll find useful:

Compose an impressive portfolio

If you want to impress your potential employer with the list of your skills — that’s a bad idea. Actions speak louder than words. When you apply for a freelance position or want to get an order, send your portfolio.

Don’t have one yet?

Now is the right moment to compose one! Pick the best examples of your writing. Various genres and topics are welcome. Then, convert them into PDF files.

Create accounts on the freelance platforms

These platforms have a whole range of important features.

Firstly, they help you to find new orders and clients. Secondly, they give potential employers the opportunity to feel safer when they hire you. Finally, good writers have a chance to earn higher ratings and stand out from the crowd of mediocre scribblers.

But, here’s the thing.

When you create a new account, your rating is zero. Each time, you have to prove your professionalism to the new audience.

Here is a list of time-tested platforms:

1. Upwork
2. Freelancer
3. Guru
4. Speedlancer
5. Fiverr

Know your price

Evaluate your skills and experience objectively. Don’t agree with the price if you believe that your time and efforts cost more. Be ready to defend your point of view as not so many customers understand the value of good content.

At the same time, if you’re a beginner — hold your horses. You don’t know all the rules yet. And, by the way, you need to pay the bills.

Use tools for editing

The internet isn’t only the perfect place to find a job but also to make the working process more comfortable and efficient. Good and careful people create the websites, applications, and services that you may use to check your texts and make them even better.

These services are, for the most part, free of charge. However, some of them have premium accounts and other features that you’ll have to pay for.

Check out the list below:

Grammarly 
This service will help you make your writing mistake-free and smooth. Grammarly can’t notice 100% of your errors, but it’ll certainly give you many valuable hints.

Hemingway Editor 
If your texts are way too complicated for your audience, this editor will be your perfect helper. This service will turn your complex and overloaded sentences into simple and understandable phrases.

Headline Analyzer 
Experienced copywriters know that an attractive heading plays a crucial role. If you don’t feel confident about your headings, check them with this analyzer to make sure that they’ll draw your readers’ attention.

Find your unique voice

This tip isn’t for everyone.

If you help a particular brand with blogging or social media profiles, you have to stick to their brand tone of voice. But if you have your own blog or write for online newspapers, you have to create your individual style.

You probably won’t get it right on the first try and it doesn’t matter. You’re an artist!

Look for the inspiration around you and turn it into words and sentences. Your career mostly depends on whether you’ll be able to be unique and stand out or not.

Follow the instructions

Having a personal voice is amazing. You can impress the readers of your blog as much as you want. But when your client hires you for a specific task with clear instructions, he or she expects that you’ll stick to their requirements.

Sometimes, the client’s instructions need clarification. Don’t try to improvise and make everything the way you want it to be. It’s better to ask twice than to start all over again.

Practice regularly

There are two ways to improve your writing skills: reading and writing.

As well as athletes, writers have to train their “muscles” daily. Even a few pages of a good book or a paragraph about your new neighbor are fine when you don’t have much time. You can also use special exercises to develop your creativity and imagination. For example, try to write a story using only the words that start with the letter “A.”

Find your niche

Writing is a huge world of opportunities.

To become a real professional, you should pick one niche and evolve in one particular direction.

Do you enjoy researches, rules, and proving your point of view?

Then, academic writing is for you. If you feel like your imagination and metaphors can pull the heartstrings of your readers, pick the niche of creative writing.

Maybe you have something to do with marketing and advertising? Then, try your hand at copywriting.

Take care of your profiles

As you work on the internet, you need an excellent internet look. Check your social media profiles and your profiles on the freelance platforms. They should include consistent information on your educational background, work experience, and skills.

No grammar mistakes are allowed! If your profiles require a photo, don’t choose a picture which you wouldn’t send with your CV.

Improve your time-management skills

A lack of control is one of the most challenging disadvantages of freelance writing. Nobody expects you at work at 9 a.m. and no one will remind you to finish the order that you took a week ago.

To become a successful freelancer, you have to be more organized. If you have a terrible memory, use a notebook, sticky notes or a wall calendar to stay updated.

See Also: Top 5 Time Management Hacks To Get You Ahead

Being a freelancer has both its advantages and disadvantages. Every specialist has to choose the best option for himself. I hope that these tips will make your life easier if you’ve chosen the thorny path of a freelance writer.

See Also: 10 Ways For Freelance Writers To Earn Some Extra Money

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