Thanks. The best routines I developed over the years are fairly obvious, but they helped a lot: namely, to work approximately 9am to 5pm weekdays, and to take weekends off. Or in other words: to treat my freelance career as a regular, full-time job, and to try to use that time each day productively. I failed sometimes, but I also succeeded most days. And yes, I have mentored others in the last five or so years. It's rewarding, and I like it.
RE: Never Rattled, Never Frantic: Staying motivated during eight years in freelance journalism