It's easier to get work if you're motivated, professional and good at what you do than if you're lazy and produce shitty work (people hire crappy, unprofessional designers all the time though, simply because they're cheap). I'm no expert though, and each persons experience of finding work is different.
Sometimes it's better to have a lot of small jobs on that you can get done quickly, and be paid for immediately. When I work with my regular client I book time hourly when I work on their projects, invoice every couple of weeks or so, and then get paid at the end of the month. It's nice knowing when a chunk of money is coming in, but having to wait 3 weeks for it when you need it now can be infuriating. You need to plan ahead, put a little aside and keep out-goings to a minimum.