Comments on: What’s On Your To Do List?

By: Amy Derby

Amy Derby — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:57:37 +0000

I’m probably one of the only freelancers I know who doesn’t make lists. I can’t stand lists. I tried very hard to be the kind of person who could make a list, check things off, and be satisfied. It doesn’t work for me. For work, for life, for groceries. Nothing. In my head I know what needs to be done, and I do it. I do mostly the same thing every day, as at this point I have regular clients I work for daily rather than one-off projects. I get up in the morning, make my coffee, and do things in the same order. If someone has an emergency, I work that in and then get back to the next thing. But I don’t have a list. I also don’t have a bookshelf. Piles of books everywhere. Organized, I can find nothing. I thrive in chaos. To each his own, I guess.

By: Jean Gogolin

Jean Gogolin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:17:18 +0000

I’m exhausted just reading Brian’s list! I’ve been keeping a to-do for years, at one time in one of those “organize yourself” books and now on both my Palm Pilot and hand-written on a steno pad. Somehow, I need that hand written list — maybe because it’s so satisfying to cross things off.

The first thing on my list every morning is to spend 20 minutes or so writing, either about work or personal things or both. Over time, it really helps make you a better writer. I do writing exercises too, like “what if?”

As for cleaning my office – maybe someday.

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:33:13 +0000

Exercising, eating, appointments, errands are a different kind of to do list for me. I like to keep my freelancing goals to be separate from my real life goals because I want to be able to escape work mode and go into home mode. It also looks less overwhelming when itemized on two separate lists.

By: #6

#6 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:10:29 +0000

I would be lost without my daily To-Do list.

Since a big part of freelancing is time management, my weekly and monthly calendars also play a big part in my level of organization (and thus, efficiency) as well. I use a color-coded system, with yellow for things that are due.

One tip for moms and dads who write — I used to keep my kids’ schedules separate on the family calendar in the kitchen (because I had grand and noble ideas about separating my personal and professional lives.)

However, after a few months, I realized I was putting off many things with the intent of doing them on the weekend, unaware that we had an all-day tournament, etc. pending on that date.

So now I put my kids’ big obligations on my work calendar, and color code those orange. This lets me visualize that I need to consciously budget time earlier in the week for activities (usually administrative), and not plan to get caught up ‘later.’

By: Calee Lee

Calee Lee — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:30:13 +0000

Ooh this hit home. I am such a bad procrastinator and I have a very short window in which to accomplish work. My mornings are for getting the toddler going, checking email, responding and heading off to a summer teaching gig. Toddler stays with husband at house-he’s a freelancer too, and I get home at lunch. We eat, little one takes nap. I can work for 1-3 hours. Then she’s up, no more writing, but can read blogs or what not while standing at kitchen computer. After she’s in bed I’m usually pooped but I’ll make progress on projects if needed.

A list might help with the prioritizing. Usually, I can only juggle one client at a time but the next month will be very very busy…

By: Valencia

Valencia — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:50:51 +0000

My problem is that I need to create a list. I can normally complete my usual assignments without a schedule or list. But I need to make time for personal projects (updating my personal blog, querying magazines, writing a children’s book, etc.) Making a schedule (and actually sticking with a schedule) might help.

By: Damaria Senne

Damaria Senne — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:34:34 +0000

Normally I would have a lot of parenting duties included in my list, but my daughter is visiting her gran for the Spring holidays. So my list looked like this:

* Check email; read trade pubs
* Final prep for interview for corporate profile
* Phone interview main source for profile (lasts 1 hour); clean up notes
*Weekly meeting with writing partner; brief each other on new projects including approach and timelines; (meeting lasts 2 hours; travel time 1 hour);
*Get home, eat salad lunch while checking/responding to emails;
* Meet handyman for progress report on renovation
* Make phone calls to track down sources for feature article;
* Finalise weekly column idea, research, set up interviews with 2 expert sources for tomorrow
*Check emails, read online writing pubs incl FWJ
*Call sisters to discuss arrangements for family; set up lunch with friend for next week
* more phone calls to nail down sources for feature. Done all I can, so email client to explain dearth of new research on subject; will have to work around problem
* Send email to pitch news article to monthly mag;
* Go for walk;
* Prep dinner;

By: Roberta

Roberta — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:16:41 +0000

Great post. I don’t really have a to do list. But, I’m going to make one. I usually get up, post some stuff on the four sites that I maintain, check my email, then look for writing jobs (here mainly). After that, if I have time, I work on social media marketing for those sites. Then I go to work, blog some more (which I know is baddddd), then I check some more places for writing jobs, go home, and blog some more. Rinse, repeat.

By: Hazel

Hazel — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:42:38 +0000

My routine has changed over time but at the moment it looks like this:
-Check email and respond as needed
-Read daily news sites that apply to my specific client list
-Read FWJ (always) and (sometimes) others on my Potential link list
-Projects (fill up the morning)
-Go to the Gym
-Lunch
-Projects (sometimes this includes business development, if I don’t have paying work)
Before I had enough work, I used to spend at least one hour at the beginning of the day on business development. I still try to spend at least 2-3 hours each week on that, plus at least 1 hour a week on bookkeeping, contracts/invoices, etc.

I’m interested in how everyone else spends their time. I may have gotten some good ideas here, so my current practices are open to change. Thank you!

By: Ann G.

Ann G. — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:42:37 +0000

I’ll admit that there are days I don’t always have time to hit FWJ until much later. I do try to visit in right after the morning comics with my cappucino or coffee, but it all depends on the work I have going on. Plus, if I visit here once and then start reading, before I know it too much time has passed by. Getting an earlier start today helped me finish up work early so I can come here and read posts now.

Of late, I landed a new job that requires teleconferences from time to time. So I’m spending more time on the telephone than I’m used to, especially when most of the members are on the west coast and I’m east coast so the 3 hour time difference eats into my afternoons.