In the past, I’ve made an effort to keep the time between December 24th and January 1st free of client work. If I did any work during that time, it was for my own benefit (my own sites and passive income projects) and was usually done with countless distractions of food, family and festivities. 
This past holiday season, however, I didn’t completely “shut down” for some reason. I kept checking email on a daily basis and worked a few hours each day to further some freelance copywriting projects. This casual arrangement with my freelance work over the holidays made me realize a few things about my clients and prospects in general.
Clients want to give you money.
Three of my copywriting clients reached out to pay so that my work wouldn’t go unpaid until the new year. I hadn’t even created invoices for what they owed me, but they wanted to pay anyway. A nice gesture that I’m sure any freelancer can appreciate.
People will reach out to you 365 days a year.
During the holidays, I checked email a couple of times each day. I managed to land two new projects because I didn’t wait until 2013 to read the messages and respond. I’ve almost certainly missed out on projects as a freelance copywriting projects in the past because I responded to inquiries far too long after they were sent.
The work-life balance for freelancers can work over the holidays.
By setting realistic limits on the amount of time I spent in the office (and by have a really awesome and understanding wife), I was able to do what I needed for my freelance business and still have adequate time to do all the things that make the holidays special.
Looking back, I’ll probably approach holidays in the future the same way I did this past season – by doing just enough to meet any deadlines and keep up with incoming requests for copywriting quotes while still making time for what matters most – family.
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