Freelance Tips: How to Cope with
Spring Fever When There's Work to be Done
BY
DINA GIOLITTO
EDITOR'S NOTE: It's summer
now, and these tips work just as well!
We all know how glorious those
first warm days of spring feel. The trees are blooming, the
birds are singing... boy, it's sure hard to keep your head out
of the clouds when the skies are blue and the sun's shining
brightly.
But if you're outside enjoying
the warm weather... who's running your business?
Spring fever is a notorious
distracter for those of us trying to earn a living on our own.
There's no stern manager telling us we'd better hurry back
from lunch. There's no one to stop us from cutting out early
and cruising down to the local outdoor restaurant, slipping on
our jogging shoes and heading off to the park, or venturing
over to the mall for a reckless afternoon of shopping for
spring fashions. So with no Big Brother to scold us, how can a
freelancer keep springtime distracters from affecting
productivity? Here are seven tips.
1. Shift your schedule
forward or back a couple of hours. If you normally sit
down to work at 9 a.m., try getting up a couple of hours
earlier. You can wind down at about 3 p.m. and have the
afternoon/evening for yourself. Or, if you're not a morning
person, ease into your day with some mindless activities;
spend some time out of doors. Settle down to business at about
11 a.m. and work through to 7 pm. While you're doing this,
remember all those poor nine-to-fivers who can't enjoy such a
flexible schedule!
2. Break up your work day
into sections. Feeling blocked, and/or restless? Don't
fight it. Sitting there for hours trying to get things
accomplished when you just can't concentrate is only going to
make the problem worse. Spend a couple of hours doing work,
and then if you need to, take some time out to clear your
head. Chances are, when you return, you'll be primed for
productivity. And don't forget that sometimes the greatest
ideas are born when the sun goes down!
3. Take a vacation.
Sometimes you just have to give your body what it's asking
for: a rest! If work is overwhelming you to the point that you
just want to get in your car and drive away, then maybe that's
what you should do. Even just a few days away from the
computer will do wonders for your mind, body and spirit. Take
a long weekend for a scenic retreat. You'll be amazed at how
much better you feel when you get back!
4. Start setting goals on
paper. If you aren't doing this already, the spring season
is a great time to get into the habit of setting practical
goals. Having that list you can check off is a really handy
way to be efficient. It's sort of like being in the grocery
store when you aren't in the mood to go shopping! Write down
the things you need to accomplish and set a completion date
(or time) for each task. Set small goals over the course of a
work week, and bigger goals over a span of a month or two.
Refer back to your list frequently, and don't forget to reward
yourself for your accomplishments. You'll soon come to
realize: goal-setting really helps keep you on track!
5. Designate a time to
check email. How many times have you set your mind to a
task only to find you've lost an entire hour because you made
the mistake of checking email? Email is by far the biggest
time waster, especially when the weather is warm and
everyone's preoccupied with frivolity. Don't give in to the
temptation! Instead, designate two or three hours of your day
to checking and responding to emails as well as deleting old
ones that take up space in your mailbox. And NO, that forward
your Aunt Millie sent does not count as a work-related email!
6. Take it outside. Who
says you have to sit in a dark room staring at the monitor for
9 hours straight? If the weather is balmy, why not enjoy it
while at the same time keeping busy! Print out your documents,
grab a beach chair and choose a nice, quiet spot where you can
work quietly and enjoy the warm sunshine. Don't forget a
paperweight of some kind in case the wind picks up!
7. Do some spring cleaning.
Sometimes, the best way to rid your mind of clutter is to rid
your workspace of clutter. Grab the paper shredder, go through
those old dusty files and clear away all that needless
paperwork you'll never use again. Organize your office so that
everything you need is within reach, such as paper clips,
folders, pens, pads; and of course, your Springline stapler.
Junk those useless computer files littering your computer
desktop. Take a trip to Staples for a Rolodex and some
stacking file holders. Once you're done reorganizing, you can
finally get down to business!
Copyright © 2005 Dina
Giolitto
Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey
based copywriting consultant with nine years' industry
experience. Her current focus is Web content and Web marketing
for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of
her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like
Toys"R"Us. Visit
her site for rates and samples.
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