Hi,
Well, the hubbub of Christmas has settled and I'm ready for the New Year.
I'm starting my schedule for 2011 (if you need a speaker, I'm currently booking) and finding that my set work hours are more important than ever. I know freelancers who work when they "want" to, but the most successful ones set hours when they are working and hours when they are not.
I love the flexibility of working for myself, but most days I settle in, even if I don't feel like it, and work. I arrange for childcare during those hours. Since this is my last year of full time homeschooling, (on top of everything else) I wonder what 2012 will bring in terms of scheduling. Will I have more or less time to work? However, I can't worry about that now. I can only worry about the next year. Am I right?
I often hear the excuse that people don't know the future so they don't schedule. I know one woman who is actually actively resistant to any type of schedule. She becomes defensive and upset when asked about her work hours. My response would be to ask why she's upset, is it because she's not getting anything done?
I know another freelancer who fiddles the day away, running to meetings that go too long, lunches that take half the day and then, when her husband is due home from work, she sits down to write. Like a child caught not doing her homework, she then makes a big display of working into the evening. I'm not sure if this is a maturity issue (that she can't self schedule her time) or a starting work issue. There are always a million little things that we need to do, but if we put those onto the schedule as well then we can't use them as excuses. For example, on a heavy writing day, I schedule laundry. That way I don't sit all day long. If I get into my work, especially my fiction, I can sit for eight hours. Not ergonomically good for me. If I schedule laundry, I get up every hour. The trick is to JUST do the laundry.
I have another friend who thinks that writing time means get on the phone and chat time. I used to get calls saying, "I knew you were home today writing, so I thought I'd give you a call." ERG! If she knew I was working, why would you deliberately choose that time to call me? I realized ... that's what she did during HER writing time. Chatted on the phone.
My solution if you want a coffee break ... and her work days were a continual one ... schedule them! E-mail a friend and ask if you can enjoy a cup of coffee together from 10:00 until 10:15, then stick to it! I had another freelancing friend who was an amazing scheduler. We'd chat for a scheduled 15 minute break then go back to work.
My lunches at home are an hour long. I flex the time I take lunch sometimes but typically I take lunch when the rest of the world does .... from noon until 1:00 p.m.
My biggest pet peeve is not making deadlines. I have one friend who never misses a deadline. I hire him for almost anything I need jobbed out. I know the job will be done, and done well. It will come in on time and make sure that I get my work done when it needs to be so I make my deadline. He's always so flabbergasted when he gets a holiday bonus, he says he's just doing his job. Yeah but ...... there are so many who don't.
At any rate, I digress. I am doing my annual scheduling today and blogging will be back on the schedule weekly. For a while I was blogging daily but with the new company and the adjustments in business I'll need to redo the schedule so that it's workable.
I wish you a Happy New Year and a blessed schedule for 2011.
Much love and joy,
Karen
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