25 May, 2012

Breaking the Silence



My brain didn't stop post A to Z challenge. I promise! What did happen was a break in the non-existent freelance work and a workload that makes my bank account happy (me, not so much), as well as mad website designing for my soon-to-be business website.

As I've been running around like a crazy person, neglecting my blog and Twitter and friends and sometimes human contact for days on end, I've been thinking a lot about schedules and routines. Namely, that I don't have any. I thought I did. But this month's extra work has shown me that, no, I really don't.

Of course, my first solution to this was to run out immediately to purchase every day planner, calendar, file cabinet, and organization plan out there. But that only exacerbates the real problem: my self-will. On to Plan B.

Plan B was and is not fun. Plan B involves much more grey in my black-and-white planning than I want. It means I have to be willing to bend, to sacrifice some downtime for the important stuff, and actually DO stuff.

It's the doing stuff that has me a bit off my rocker, if you know what I mean.

Here's what Plan B consists of:
  •  Listing each new job and its deadline in a notebook as they arrive
  • Closing off each week as it fills and moving new clients to the next week
  • Writing all of the above on my desk calendar when each is booked...
  • ...and writing each job number on individual physical folders and their computer equivalents
  • Organizing the paperwork for each new job as it comes (so I don't have piles laying around)
  • Filling out a modified to-do list the night before, organized from most to least important

That's just my freelancing. I want to implement this organization system in my fiction writing, as well, since my brain seems to go with it (argue with it, yes, but it still goes with it).

On top of Plan B, I'm also trying to figure out how to insert finishing my website, blogging, social media, and short story submissions into the mix while still getting some downtime. And sleep. I guess I need that, too. (Sometimes, I'm certain that getting organized is more stressful and time consuming than simply doing the work.)

To that end, I'll be listing monthly goals the first Friday of each month, for my sanity and your amusement, starting June 1st.

Special Friday shout-out goes to Lisa Campbell at All Things Campbell. I love her blog makeovers and the ones she did earlier in the month are awesome. Sorry for the belated linkage, Lisa - the above litany got in the way of a more prompt post.

And now my lunch break is over and it's back to the grindstone for the last of my clients this week and a few more crossed-off items on my to-do list.

How about you all? How are your to-do lists looking? 


18 comments:

  1. Wow! Thanks Jessica. That's very kind of you.
    I can totally relate to this post. After the A to Z challenge, I had to get back to my non-blogging responsibilities and I've had a lot to do, including some of the same things you're working on. Good luck with everything! I've been enjoying your blog.

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  2. Sounds like you're much more organized than me! I try to be methodical, but my writing whims sometimes lead me in different directions during the day.
    It's nice to meet you! Thanks for the follow!

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    1. That's why I had to become organized - I was letting myself be led around, with no advancing on any of my projects. :)

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  3. I like to keep lists. But my to-do list is all dependent upon how much money I have in my bank account!

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    1. Oh, I hate those lists. There's never enough in my account to cover them all.

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  4. Truly? My to do list remains in a state of flux. Too many variables in play at the moment. Thankfully I have some time to post and comment now.

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    1. I know how you feel. Good luck, getting back to speed!

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  5. Good luck with all of that! I'm quite good at sticking to schedules for a few weeks, but then I tend to do less and less until finally I'm not working to my schedule anymore, and I have to make a whole new one to motivate myself! And the cycle repeats...

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    1. I tend to do the same thing but am trying to break that particular cycle.

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  6. It seems like you have a solid plan... I suppose the trick is to stick to it!

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    1. Definitely. Making it a habit is always the tough part.

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  7. good lists---i love lists--right now my lists have consisted of menu items for my son's birthday cook-out!

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  8. Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate, but they sound like all exciting things. Good luck with keeping to your lists and schedules. I know it's tough sometimes. And a little bit of sleep is good. :)

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    1. I have to remind myself that they're exciting and worth doing sometimes. Thanks for the well wishes!

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  9. Yay! Jessica is back! :)

    I've been creating a lot of to-do lists lately, since I'm going on vacation soon. It's a nice deadline. :)

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  10. Wow! Sounds like you've been super-dee-duper busy. Lists are amazing though when things start piling up. It seems that as stress levels rise, so does forgetfulness, which unfortunately leads to more stress. As for sleep, eh, who needs sleep? (Kidding, I'm kidding!)

    Anywho, I nominated you for the Kreativ Bloggers Award on my blog. Sorry ahead of time if you've already received it but hey, free advertising for you! :)

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