Since I gave in a began working on this website, I have taken a long look at how I actually operate as a writer and an entrepreneur. I have to admit, I was rather adhoc with how I organised my time, working from lists after lists and forever going in circles. I have to now swallow the humble pie and admit that during the last week or so I have found numerous ways that I not only procrastinate but cheat on my to-do lists!
So let's have a look at what I thought was working but actually wasn't:
Time management - I always called a win if I achieve anything through the day and while that isn't technically wrong, I was actually fooling myself.
Listing tasks that were so easy to delegate to my teens or outsource for a better end result.
Adding things that really didn't add value to my project, day or even my life.
Setting large tasks and expecting myself to perform miracles all in one day.
Talk myself into feeling substandard and an imposter.
Get far too stressed at not achieving an entire list of tasks.
Allowed myself to get burned out far before I should have been.
Put off those harder or longer tasks because, 1. I was too tired, 2. It wasn't quiet enough, 3. the teens needed me. All of which were just excuses.
Now, since building this website I have learned some important and rather simple lessons:
My teens are willing and able to help with almost anything on my lists, even fairy chores around the house.
My photographer son is willing and skilled enough to do my candid shots for me, just because he wants to help and support me.
I don't have to achieve a thousand things in one day, or even two days.
Setting my lists in to 'like' projects makes more sense and easier to achieve.
Being tired is not going to be productive.
Early mornings are my best times to focus.
Having no more than 10 items per list is sufficient.
Rewarding myself for each list completed is like giving a 5 year old a gold star to wear.
Deleting tasks that are on a rotary basis does not need to be on every damn list.
Outsourcing graphic designs is much more professional, stylish, workable and cost effective.
People are correct when they say that a writer/entrepreneur needs a website.
Whilst the basics of the website are completed, I am moving on to the next list, the meat of the site. This week I have set daily tasks only for the content of the website and not for future plans I have for it, that means I am only working on this stage of the progress! Yay me for that light bulb moment ;)
This week, along with completing some free download stuff, I will also be working with my son to do a photo shoot, get to know a new editing software for the YouTube videos and practice. I shall also be shooting an intro video for the home page and introducing some info on the books I have currently written and the ones to come. Another task is to increase the items in my shop, update all the notebooks, journals and bullet journals that I have available and make them all available from here with one click. Oh, and I have to think about what I'm going to blog about next week!
Anyone want to see more of my boys, Titan and Taylor? ;)