Successful Work Habits
I’m beginning to believe that memes are no more than great articles in the making if we respond with the thought that what we say may help someone. When Mike Sieber tagged me, I went over to his site to see what the devil I had to write about now. I was surprised. Mike has a great story about what his work habits are and how he has made them work. It’s a super story. Check it out.
Anyway, my work habits are pretty similar in some respects.
1. Honor the work day.
It’s your job. If you can afford to take off a day in the middle of the week to go shopping, then you’re either making more money than most writers or you’re a serious slacker. I work ten or twelve hours a day, so if I have to run an errand, I don’t lose any production time in doing so. I do blow off days, but no more than anyone working in an office would. Everyone needs a mental health day, but when there are more off days than there are work days, cash-flow problems are sure to follow.
2. Always market thyself.
You want to eat? Then get used to the idea that you have to market your skills. There’s no way you can survive if no one knows you’re there. I spent one afternoon making a brochure that I sent to potential clients. I included a business card and a Rolodex card. Try it. Oh, and follow up with phone calls in about a week. You’d be surprised how much that personal contact can do for you. I send about 50 each week. Since I work in trade and business areas, my lists come from resource guides posted on websites.
3. Remind them you exist.
Let’s face it; you’re not top-of-mind with your clients. So make sure you’re reminding them once every six weeks or so that you exist. I send out emails asking if anyone needs help. Doesn’t have to be a lengthy note reiterating why I’m so fabulous – it’s just a “Hi, hope you’re well. Anything I can help with this week?” kind of reminder.
4. Organize your work day.
Like I said in earlier posts, make sure you have something to do the moment you sit down in the morning. Nothing gets you into your work day like a small to-do list. I usually jot something down as I’m shutting down the computer at night, and I stick it between the keys of the keyboard so it’s the first thing I see in the morning. If you are staring at a seriously slow day, a list would have “Search for jobs” on it. If that’s too general to get you moving, make a list of where you’ll search. Other things to include on your list those slow days – learning new functions within your current software, shopping for shareware that could solve a problem, updating your website, calling people you’ve sent brochures to, getting in touch with current clients, or putting together queries for a magazine or two. There’s always something to do. If you’ve filled that list and are still looking for things to do, clean that office space.
5. Organize your files.
I’m the best at organizing a work day, but my papers were going to bury me. I have developed a simple system involving file folders. Now I have a folder for current invoices, one for accounts received and another for accounts paid. Each time I send out an invoice, I print it and stick it in the Current Invoices folder. When the check arrives, I do my little dance (yippee! cash!) and I mark the invoice paid and move it to the Accounts Received folder. All of this is backed up with my Quicken program, but it’s my way of keeping myself sane.
6. Take your lunch hour.
We all need, and deserve, an hour to ourselves in the middle of the day. Take it. Allow yourself the freedom of walking away from your desk. Go for a walk. Hop on your treadmill. Sit on the patio and read. Do something that’s just for you and not work-related.
All great ideas. Thanks for posting them!
My favorite has to be “remind them that you exist”. I need to jump back on that wagon! A quick “hello” email has been quite successful for me in the past.
Great tips Lori. Thanks for the kudos. Mike.
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