Working as a freelancer can be a very lonely experience - but don't despair - help is at large. You have just entered the PolarZone!

Contents:
1. Feature Article - Give Your Business Some Personality - Yours!
2. Software Review - LetMeType
3. Recommended Products
     - Report: Turn your work space into an efficient home office
     - Ebook: How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator

Give Your Business Some Personality - Yours!
Copyright © Joan Linwood

"What fun!" she exclaimed.

I looked at her blankly, smiled, and turned the conversation back to the task at hand. But I felt uneasy.

What was wrong with me? This woman had just asked me about my business. And she thought it was fun!

So why was I struggling and miserable?

I really should have known the answer. What could be more obvious? But I stubbornly pressed on for two long years - believing all the while that I could change things. I was determined to turn my business around.

I was wrong.

I simply could not change myself - not who I am at the core of my being. I was working in a way that denied, obliterated, and stomped all over who I really am!

Please, don't make this mistake! Take to heart the wisdom of the ages...

Know Thyself!

When you work on your business, do it in a way that honors who you are. Work with your natural talents and inclinations, not against them.

Develop Your Strengths and Manage Your Weaknesses!

Every mother knows that babies are born with a core personality. And every personality has its strengths and weaknesses. The key to a happy balanced life is to develop your strengths and manage your weaknesses.

My mistake was to try to overcome my weaknesses, while totally ignoring my strengths.

Are you making the mistake I made? Are you focusing your time and attention on your weaknesses, while your strengths lie ignored and undeveloped?

Maybe?

The problem is that not too many of us truly know ourselves. Well, it's hard to be objective, isn't it? That's probably why free personality tests are so popular on the internet.

But personality tests are more than just an amusing game. They can really help you to understand yourself better. Personality Type is simply a way to identify your natural strengths and inclinations.

Once you know who you really are, you can go with the flow. The work you choose to do should build on your strengths. And though you'll need to manage and improve your weak spots - building on your strengths will make your business life much more pleasant and successful.

But first, you must know what your strengths and weaknesses are!

The Meyers-Briggs Personality Model

The Myers Briggs personality model is particularly useful. The idea started with the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, in his book Psychological Types in 1921.

Later, two American women, Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Meyers built on Jung's work and came up with their own test, the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Many of the free personality tests you'll find on the internet are based on the Meyers-Briggs system.

According to the Myers-Briggs model, there are 4 major dimensions to personality, which can be combined to form 16 basic personality types.

1. Where do you put your energy? (Extroversion/Introversion)
2. How do you handle information? (Intuition/Sensing)
3. How do you make decisions? (Thinking/Feeling)
4. How do you organize your life? (Perceiving/Judging)

Of these, the first is probably the most important - at least it was for me. This is what got me into trouble!

Are You an Innie or an Outie? - an Introvert or an Extrovert?

Extroverts direct their energy outside of themselves. Introverts direct their energy inside of themselves.

If you're an extrovert, being stuck all day alone at your desk or behind your computer is going to make you seriously unhappy!

If you're an introvert, phoning strangers all day long is a recipe for misery.

This is where I made my big mistake.

I'm an introvert. In fact, I'm an extreme introvert. And I was forcing myself to act like an extrovert, phoning a never-ending stream of prospects every day.

And this in spite of the fact that I hate the phone. I've always hated the phone. Yes, even as a teenager!

Proof that I'm an introvert!

Take The Test To Find the Work That Fits Who You Are

There are many free personality tests on the internet. Go ahead and try some of them, but don't take them too seriously. Personality isn't cut and dried!

And if your personality is fairly balanced (lucky you!) you may have a difficult time fitting into any one category. Just use the information to get some insights into what makes you tick. And have fun doing it!

Find the work that truly suits you, and you'll find happiness!

Author: Joan Linwood is a home based entrepreneur and publisher of The Happy Home Business, a free ezine dedicated to helping you make your home business lifestyle more joyful and profitable. You can subscribe at
http://www.home-business-utopia.com/happy

LetMeType
by Anita Karlson

LetMeType is a small application that helps you in your writing process by automatically suggesting words as you type. It runs in the background and analyses and stores all the words you enter - regardless of what program you are working in. When you start typing a word it recognizes, a list of the most likely words is displayed.

In the settings you can customize the program to a certain extent. You can for instance decide how many words shall be displayed in the suggestion window, as well as how many characters of a word you want to type before the suggestions appear. And you can decide how long an unused word shall remain in the vocabulary before it is deleted. Or you can have the program only make suggestions when your typing speed goes down - meaning you are stuck!

This is not a translation tool - it does not do any translating for you. I find it most useful to aid me in keeping my translation terminology consistent. And it saves me time typing out those long words that I already know how to translate.

Read the complete review here.

Web page: http://www.clasohm.com/lmt/en/

Free Report Turn your work space into an efficient home office

The report "Turn your work space into an efficient home office" consists of a compilation of nine articles. You will receive information on how to decorate your office, how to make it childproof, how to separate your professional and private life, etc. The program is self extracting and reveals a set of htm files. All you need is your normal Internet browser to view the articles. Download it here.

How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator This new and inspiring e-book will help you succeed in your career as a Freelance Translator. The e-book discusses many difficult concepts. For instance how to present your business, how to find clients, how to set goals and work towards them, plus much more. Read more about it here.

The PolarZone is published by Anita Karlson. For any feedback please send an email to this addresse: akarlson@polartext.com