Do you ever feel conflicted over what career path to pursue? Do you have multiple passions or interests you’d like to work into your life? For many years, I faced this dilemma, until I took up writing.

When was the last time you read a book and discussed it in detail with others? Reading can be enormously valuable, giving you new ideas, perspectives, and information, but discussing what you read with others who are reading the same material can greatly enhance the rewards.

To be truly competitive as a freelancer, you need to be in the top 10 percent of your field at minimum. Over time, strive to be in the top 1 percent.

How can you land a great job without jumping through the normal hoops, sending out loads of resumes and cover letters?

Most industries in which freelancers are common are downright saturated with them, and most freelancers are somewhere between unqualified and average. In my experience, the best way for freelancers to become successful is to stand way, way out from the pack.

What sets those who succeed apart from others? This was the question researcher Angela Lee Duckworth set out to answer. In each situation, she asked, “Who is successful here, and why?” One characteristic stood out above all others: grit.

Freelancing is not for everyone. It’s really difficult to both build a career that you’re passionate about and to make good money doing it, but if you’re willing to put in the work and refine your strategies over time, the results can be enormously rewarding.

If you want to read more, you may stumble upon specific tips such as getting a Kindle or listening to audio books. These are shown to help, but they don’t tackle the essential issue. There’s a philosophical problem going on. You have to adopt a certain mindset.

How can you be more persuasive in your writing and speaking? Clarity is key, of course, and techniques such as storytelling and asking questions can also be useful. But one often-overlooked factor is the value of brevity