behind the scenes

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? ;)