Cut corners on projects! You don't need to give 100% on everything
Cut corners on projects!
When I say cut corners, I don't mean slack off.
I'm also not saying you should deliver sloppy articles.
It's about adjusting the time and effort you spend based on the pay and the project requirements.
The more serious you are, the more likely you are to give 100% even on low-paying projects.
But if you put the same amount of time and energy into a 0.1 yen project as you do a 1 yen project, you're just lowering your own hourly wage.
There is no need to put the same energy into a 0.1 yen project as a 1 yen project
If you write 1,000 characters at a rate of 0.1 yen per character, the pay is 100 yen.
If it takes you two hours, that's an hourly wage of 50 yen. If you keep reviewing it over and over, you'll lose sight of why you're doing it.
Even for low-paying work, you must follow the requirements and deliver acceptable quality. That is the job.
But you don't need to demand the same level of perfection for a 100 yen project as you would for a 1,000 yen project.
If you keep spending more time than the pay is worth and can't make a profit, then you are misusing your energy.
I took it easy when I was aiming for Certified Lancer status
This isn't just about extremely low-paying projects like the 0.1 yen ones.
Before I became a Certified Lancer on Lancers, I was taking on projects at a lower rate than on Coconala. It was about 2 yen per character.
At the time, I was already a Platinum Rank seller on Coconala.
I was curious if I could become a Certified Lancer on Lancers too, and I just wanted to try it out once. That was the extent of my motivation.
To be honest, I didn't put in the same time or effort as I do for my current 3 yen projects.
I didn't research more than necessary, and I didn't read through it over and over. Because of that, I did receive some corrections during proofreading.
I wasn't just submitting random work, but my goal was to become a Certified Lancer rather than to make money.
It is true that I was not as serious about these as I was about the main projects paying 3 yen or more.
Since the rewards and objectives are different, I don't think you need to give 100% effort to everything.
Put effort where it counts, and relax where it doesn't.
However, you must meet deadlines, follow instructions, and provide quality that doesn't cause trouble for the client.
If you can't even meet this minimum standard, it's just cutting corners.
Conversely, fixing parts that don't affect the results over and over, or taking on tasks not included in the compensation,
is going too far.
Put effort where it counts. Let's relax where it doesn't matter.
Think of it like a marathon if you want to keep going for a long time.
If you want to continue side jobs or web writing for years, you won't last if you go full throttle every time.
Don't try too hard. Put in effort commensurate with the reward. Work is more like a marathon than a sprint.
Once you learn how to relax effectively, work becomes much easier.
That said, knowing "where you can relax" is not easy.
You might think you are being thorough while taking on more work than you are paid for. Conversely, you might be cutting out parts the client actually wants in the name of efficiency.
Sometimes you only realize this after receiving a low rating or having a contract terminated.
It can be difficult to judge that balance on your own.
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