Yesterday was a complete wash. I was feverish, achy, and I couldn’t sit upright for any length of time. When that happens, I put up the “away” message and listen to the body. The doctor tossed one more antibiotic into the mix, and within two doses things were beginning to clear up. Today, mostly rest. I’ll work if I’m feeling better, but I’m not pushing it. The one deadline is a week away and I’d rather hand in good stuff than hurry to do a mediocre job ahead of schedule.
Since I’m not up to anything too taxing, I decided today is a day of slow movement and minor admin work. We all have days where either we’re not well enough to tackle mind-boggling stuff or we’re between projects. Here’s how I spend my time on days like today:
Clean the office. Good grief, did I really let it get this bad? It’s a dedicated study, I have half of it, and while my half is still much better than his half, the papers and stacks are still looking a bit like the randomness following an atomic blast. Time to dust, file, toss out what doesn’t need to be there, and sort through the stack on the desk.
Read a business book. Mind you, I choose one chapter at a time, and not always in order. If I have a particular situation or want to know something specific, I’ll skip to the place in the book that has that. Then I’ll mentally chew on it for a week or so.
Brainstorm new client potentials. Why not spend a little mental energy trying to expand beyond my current borders? I love what I do, but what more could I be doing? What touches on my current work skills but still throws in some challenge?
Organize my genealogy files. I have reams of papers on ancestors that correspond with (or complement) my online files. It’s the paper pile I want to look through. The slow, methodical browsing is relaxing, and it helps me come up with new ideas on where and what to look for next.
Get in touch with more former clients. Days like this may be a good time to open Outlook, sort by name, and scroll through to see who hasn’t been reached out to in a while. It’s also a good time to make a spreadsheet with their names on it, crossing out those who aren’t going to be contacted and noting why (high maintenance? low pay? boring projects?).
Round up referrals and kudos. It’s also a good time to go back to the most recent batch of clients and ask if they were satisfied. If so, do they know anyone who needs a writer? Would they be willing to write a short recommendation for the website or brochure?
Tweet. I’ll admit I’ve let my tweeting lapse. So maybe it’s time to get active a bit, spread some news for another tweeter, and share some cyberspace with friends.
How do you fill up those slow days?
I could swear you're in my mind, Lori. Other than the genealogy project, you've mentioned pretty much everything I do on those kinds of days. Sometimes I'll sort through a junk drawer, too.
Is it bad to admit I've never used Outlook? Until recently I didn't understand why I'd want to read e-mail off-line, since I'm online about 99% of the time my computer is on. Now that price hikes have me pondering a different ISP, I realized I would lose all my old e-mail sent to that address.
Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. We had a bout of norovirus in our schools and therefore in MY house. I missed the AWP conference because of it. 🙁