With the holidays behind us I couldn't wait to get back to work. In fact, just after 6 a.m. this morning I was up and at it. I'm approaching my job with greater zeal this year, and so far, so good.
Yes, my new year's resolution is to crank up my workload and get successful PR and marketing results for even more people. With several new business proposals out and some good solid clients continuing with me from last year, I'm ready to rock and roll.
If you're in the same boat, here are a few ideas that I'm incorporating into my new routine. Hopefully these will be helpful to you, as well.
1. Get up 30 minutes earlier. People who know me know I'm no slouch. I'm usually up by 6 a.m. and in the office with a fresh cup of coffee 30 minutes later. (I work from home, so this is no great feat.) My early start gives me a headstart on making my to-do list, scratching things off my white board, checking for new jobs on e-mail, and filing away the "done" items completed the previous day. In 2008, I'm setting my alarm 30 minutes earlier. That should result in 2.5 hours of additional work each day.
2. Start the day with a prayer. I'm no religious fanatic, but I've learned that my best plans can go completely awry if it's not what God has planned for me that day. So to make sure I'm on the right path, I'm going to start my work day with some reading of "the good book" and a short chat with God. I highly recommend this exercise.
3. No more daily stops at the coffee shop. Readers of my blog and all of my friends know that I love my coffee shop. Normally, it's part of my daily routine. After I drop the kids at school I usually swing into The Hydrangea House for a cup of coffee and the day's gossip. Sometimes this leads to a little pro bono work for other townspeople, but for the most part, it's just some selfish "me time." By cutting back to two days instead of five I figure I'll be back in the office sooner after the school run and should manage to add another couple hours to my work week (and save a few bucks too).
4. Lunch time work-outs. I gave up my pilates class when I moved last fall, and my abs have really missed it. I herby resolve to work out at least three times a week over the lunch hour. To facilitate this effort, I got a new work-out tape and a bicycle for Christmas. After trying my new bike on Sunday, I went back to the store and got a new, soft bike seat. A noon-time work-out should refresh and re-energize me so that the second half of my day can be just as productive as the first. It also should help me lose that extra 20 pounds that have crept up on me the last year or so. Ug.
5. Touch it, deal with it. I once read that we all waste a lot of time shuffling papers. I hereby resolve that if I touch a piece of paper in my office or open an e-mail, I'm going to deal with it -- right then and there. (Even if "dealing with it" means opening a job sheet and putting it in the "to do" pile.
6. Stay on task. When you're as busy as I try to be and "suffer" from a mild case of ADD like I do, it can be difficult to stay on task. I resolve not to get sidetracked by things that are not billable. (Okay, I'll admit this will be the hardest thing for me to do. I've already spent some time today balancing my checkbook, and changing the address on my drivers license and voter registration on line. I've also been writing this post for about 20 minutes...)
If I can follow these simple rules, I figure I can get an extra five hours of work done each week, which could add up to literally thousands of additional dollars this year. It's a good goal, and I'll need help sticking to these rules, but I know I can do it.
You can too. Here's wishing all of us the best, most profitable year ever! Now GET BACK TO WORK!!!
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Monday, October 29, 2007
Just another day in the office
I meet a lot of people, and people always say, "Oh, you're a writer, that's interesting. What do you write." When I tell them, or usually when I start to tell them, their eyes tend to gloss over and they quickly lose interest. It's not that my clients aren't interesting, but if you say a writer people expect you to be a more interesting person. I guess.
But I like what I do and I do what I like. Sounds like a Jimmy Buffet song or a Dr. Seuss book, but thankfully, it's my life.
I'm starting to realize that I'm pretty lucky like that. I get to work on things I find interesting and help people improve their business and make money. That's pretty satisfying work. It may not make for interesting cocktail chatter or keep someone from zoning out, but it does keep the lights at my house on and keeps the kids fed. There's a whole lot to be said for that.
Writing isn't very exciting though. If you've ever tried to watch someone write, it's boring. In fact, people (well, my family members and patrons at some of the public wifi spots I visit) are always coming up behind me when I'm writing and they start talking to me, perhaps because they don't see me doing anything. At least I look like I'm not doing anything because I'm staring at the screen, reading, maybe thinking, maybe typing, but not necessarily doing anything active.
These same people have been a little slow to learn that they can come upon me like that and talk to me, even complete entire conversations on their end, and I won't hear a word they've said. Sometimes I don't even know they were there. I usually have a sense that something happened that I missed, but not always. My point is that writing is not a spectator sport, and even if someone looks like they aren't doing anything, if they are a writer, they are working -- sometimes in a faraway place on the right side of their creative brain.
People who come over to my office or who "drop by because they were in the neighborhood" usually find me looking like I'm not working. I guess since a lot of people use their computers and the internet primarily for entertainment, they see me in front of mine and assume I'm on ebay or something.
"What are you doing?" "Writing this release (or story or web page)." "Oh," they say. "I'll just wait." But they never wait quietly. They see I'm not doing anything, or I don't look like I"m doing anything, or I'm just typing something up...so they start talking. I can't work when someone is talking to me, which also explains why (my clients have learned) I don't like to talk on the phone much during the day -- during my productive writing time.
As a writer, I'm never done and never off work. I've got lots of stuff going on all the time -- ideally a dozen clients who are relying on me to help them do something cool with their business. I also have a screenplay and 12 episodes of a sitcom to write, two web businesses I want to create, and I need to do my billing.
I choose not to work sometimes, quite often in fact, but I'm never DONE with my work. Which doesn't mean I don't know when to quit. I know when things aren't going anywhere or when I'm just wasting time, or when I'm avoiding real work I should be doing. Like now. So when I'm rambling, or things aren't gelling, it's time to get off work and do something else -- laundry or exercise or a phone call -- or in the case of me sitting here writing this blog, it's time for me to get to work, make some phone calls, do some billing.
One way or another, I'll crank out some copy today or write a funny scene or name some new product something cool. I'll put out a news release and pitch a story. I'll prepare a report, send some billing, call a client. It's another day in the office. Just a regular day. Cuz I'm a writer, and it's not that exciting. I don't burn a lot of calories doing it. And my hands and eyes get a little sore. But other than that, it's just a regular day in the office doing what I do for people I like. I have no complaints. I'm lucky like that. I hope you are too.
But I like what I do and I do what I like. Sounds like a Jimmy Buffet song or a Dr. Seuss book, but thankfully, it's my life.
I'm starting to realize that I'm pretty lucky like that. I get to work on things I find interesting and help people improve their business and make money. That's pretty satisfying work. It may not make for interesting cocktail chatter or keep someone from zoning out, but it does keep the lights at my house on and keeps the kids fed. There's a whole lot to be said for that.
Writing isn't very exciting though. If you've ever tried to watch someone write, it's boring. In fact, people (well, my family members and patrons at some of the public wifi spots I visit) are always coming up behind me when I'm writing and they start talking to me, perhaps because they don't see me doing anything. At least I look like I'm not doing anything because I'm staring at the screen, reading, maybe thinking, maybe typing, but not necessarily doing anything active.
These same people have been a little slow to learn that they can come upon me like that and talk to me, even complete entire conversations on their end, and I won't hear a word they've said. Sometimes I don't even know they were there. I usually have a sense that something happened that I missed, but not always. My point is that writing is not a spectator sport, and even if someone looks like they aren't doing anything, if they are a writer, they are working -- sometimes in a faraway place on the right side of their creative brain.
People who come over to my office or who "drop by because they were in the neighborhood" usually find me looking like I'm not working. I guess since a lot of people use their computers and the internet primarily for entertainment, they see me in front of mine and assume I'm on ebay or something.
"What are you doing?" "Writing this release (or story or web page)." "Oh," they say. "I'll just wait." But they never wait quietly. They see I'm not doing anything, or I don't look like I"m doing anything, or I'm just typing something up...so they start talking. I can't work when someone is talking to me, which also explains why (my clients have learned) I don't like to talk on the phone much during the day -- during my productive writing time.
As a writer, I'm never done and never off work. I've got lots of stuff going on all the time -- ideally a dozen clients who are relying on me to help them do something cool with their business. I also have a screenplay and 12 episodes of a sitcom to write, two web businesses I want to create, and I need to do my billing.
I choose not to work sometimes, quite often in fact, but I'm never DONE with my work. Which doesn't mean I don't know when to quit. I know when things aren't going anywhere or when I'm just wasting time, or when I'm avoiding real work I should be doing. Like now. So when I'm rambling, or things aren't gelling, it's time to get off work and do something else -- laundry or exercise or a phone call -- or in the case of me sitting here writing this blog, it's time for me to get to work, make some phone calls, do some billing.
One way or another, I'll crank out some copy today or write a funny scene or name some new product something cool. I'll put out a news release and pitch a story. I'll prepare a report, send some billing, call a client. It's another day in the office. Just a regular day. Cuz I'm a writer, and it's not that exciting. I don't burn a lot of calories doing it. And my hands and eyes get a little sore. But other than that, it's just a regular day in the office doing what I do for people I like. I have no complaints. I'm lucky like that. I hope you are too.
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