Many weeks, my answer to that question would be a resounding “No.” I work too much and sleep too little. I can’t escape the constant feeling of being behind. I work, shuttle my youngest to school and activities, make dinner for him and the rest of the family, do laundry, pick up the house and am lucky to squeeze in a couple workouts a week.

On top of all of that, I wonder whether the work I am pursing so vigorously matches my long-term goals. And just what are my long-term goals?

Marla Beck, life coach for writers

That’s why my guest  for the March 30 WordCount Last Wednesday live chat is Marla Beck, a Marin County, California, life coach for writers.

Beck, who I interviewed a year ago in this post, specializing in helping writers get the most out of their work, and their life.

In the chat, Beck will discuss subjects including:

• Signs your work and life are out of whack
• How to synch what you do for work and fun
• Obstacles that stand in the way of achieving better work/life balance
• Integrating “dream” projects into your daily work life

During the chat, Beck will also answer any of your questions about getting more out of your work and life.

Please join us on Wednesday, March 30, at 10 a.m. PST. On Twitter, use the hashtag #wclw. We’ll start off with some introductions, I’ll ask Beck some questions and we’ll leave plenty of time for questions from participants.

Although it’s possible to use the standard Twitter interface for a live chat, you might find it easier to follow along with an add-on application such as TweetGrid, TweetChat or HootSuite. Of those three, my favorite is TweetChat. This tutorial explains how to set them up.

If you’re afraid you’ll offend your Twitter followers by tweeting too much during a chat, you can suggest they use an app called TwitterSnooze to temporarily turn off your tweets. Right before the chat starts, tweet a message like: “I’ll be in a live chat for the next hour; if you don’t want to follow, turn off my tweets with TwitterSnooze.com.”

Planning for 2011: I’m planning the last half of the 2011 WordCount Last Wednesday chats, so if you’ve got an idea for a subject you’d like to see covered, send it my way. If you’re an expert in a particular aspect of freelance writing, running a freelance business or tech tools for writers and are interested in participating in a WordCount Last Wednesday chat as a guest speaker, please contact me.

So for your reading enjoyment, here’s some WordCount Q&As I’ve done with writers on a variety of subjects. Happy reading.

Suddenly Frugal’s Leah Ingram – This prolific magazine writer, book author and frugal living blogger explains how she wrote her latest book in eight weeks.

One freelancer’s DIY book publishing success – Colorado-based corporate translator Corinne McKay explains how she self-published How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator and netted $12,000 in two years.

NewspaperDeathWatch.com’s Paul Gillin on online community news – New media pundit Gillin explains why small news ventures, in print and online, are fairing better than their larger counterparts.

One writer’s journey from print to online – Michelle Nicolosi got the online news bug back in the 1990s. Today she’s executive director of the now online-only SeattlePI.com.

Marketing your freelance business in bad times – Keven Malkewitz, a marketing expert and assistant business professor at Oregon State University in Corvallis, says in a down economy, cultivate existing clients, brush up on new skills and increase your marketing efforts.

If you’ve a freelancer with a unique take on the business, a successful blog or an online news venture, I’ve love to interview you for the WordCount Q&A. Contact me: michellerafter (at) comcast (dot) net.