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Score Consistent Writing Income By Mastering the Rock, Pebble, & Sand Technique

Ever puzzled about why some freelancers pocket steady earnings while others scramble?

Elna Cain
4 min readJul 21, 2023

Have you ever heard the tale of a professor using a jar, rocks, pebbles, and sand as a metaphor for squeezing more into your life with the right plan?

This action carries a powerful message that I used to carve out a steady income from my freelancing career.

Here’s how it goes: A professor presents a large jar, filling it with sizable stones. He asks if the jar is full, to which the class readily agrees. But the professor, with a twinkle in his eye, proceeds to add pebbles, sand, and eventually water — each time proving the jar could hold more.

So, how does this little parable apply to us freelancers?

I created in Canva

Landing My “Rock” Clients

I imagine the jar as my earnings potential and the rocks, pebbles, and sand as different tiers of clients.

The “big rocks” represent my anchor clients, those who send me consistent assignments month after month, acting as my reliable income source.

However, having only large rocks can be precarious. Losing just one could potentially sweep away a…

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Elna Cain
Elna Cain

Written by Elna Cain

SaaS freelance writer & mom with real-world marketing experience. Mentors writers on her blog https://elnacain.com. Need a writer? elna@elnacain.com

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