As a soul proprietor, there are few things I can outsource. When it comes to the researching, writing and editing, it is all me and that is exactly how I want it. But freeing up time for work doesn’t mean you have to outsource work-related tasks. When looking at my daily to-do list, house cleaning was always on it, but I never had quite enough time to get it done right. So, I’ve outsourced it. Yippee! For $70 every two weeks, someone else comes in and takes care of the cleaning so I can devote that extra time to work or my kiddos. Of course, I still have to straighten and organize things before they get here. I’m working on outsourcing that to the rest of the family, but so far they’ve shown little interest. When I first hired a cleaning service I felt a little spoiled, but the numbers make sense. When I look at my hourly rate versus what I pay for the cleaning, I can justify the expenditure. Plus, I love knowing that for at least two days out of the month every room in my house is clean. Sometimes outsourcing just makes sense.
Avoid Jealousy to Gain Confidence
Whether you're running your own shop or working in an office, to be happy you have to make your career your own. Set your own goals, focus on your strengths and take charge as the captain of your own ship. As captain, you need to be confident in where you're going and what you're doing. Gaining confidence can take time, and the surest way to crush it is to compare yourself to others.
It is easy to look at what someone else is doing and wish you were there, too. Believe me, I get bitten by the jealousy bug from time to time. But all jealousy will do is make you lose sight of what you already have. I'm making my living as a writer while working around my kids' schedules. This is what I've always wanted, yet I am guilty of looking at projects other freelancers are working on or books others are publishing and feel like I'm not doing enough.
When I find myself wishing I had more time in the day or that I was doing work more like someone else's, I try to take a step back and simply be grateful for what I already have. The truth is, it doesn't matter what others in my field are doing. My career goals and priorities are different from theirs, so it is only logical that my achievements will be as well. More importantly, their accomplishments won't keep me from being successful. So when jealousy rears its ugly head, I simply acknowledge it and remind myself that I'm charting my own course at my own pace. In turn, I can be truly happy for someone else's achievements and use them as inspiration. They say a rising tide lifts all ships and another writer's success may ultimately increase mine.
Photo by Robert Linder from stock.xchange
Mummy and Pumpkin Oreo Pops
Last year I posted a little how-to on Oreo pops. Thanks to PInterest, I've been getting a lot of hits on that original post. A few people have emailed questions about the eyes for the mummies. I've always ordered mine in bulk from a bakery supply store, so I decided to host a giveaway!
Halloween isn't far away, so there is a short window to enter. Just leave a comment by 8:00 a.m. Thursday (Eastern time) about your favorite childhood Halloween costume (mine was either Pippi Longstocking or Ernie from Sesame Street). I'll select a random winner and drop a set of twelve eyes in the mail that afternoon. Hopefully they'll arrive in time for you to whip up a dozen mummies for your Halloween celebration.
About the Oreo Pops:
This is a great kid activity. Evan and I spent a few hours making these one day and he was in heaven. You need are Double Stuff Oreos, candy melts, lollipop sticks and green Tic Tacs for the pumpkins or candy eyes for the mummies.
Here is what I did:
1. Remove the top cookie from your Oreos. I did a bunch at a time and my little helper and I were happy to eat the broken ones.
2. Insert a lollipop stick and close them back up. If you want to be sure they stay closed, you can melt your candy melts at this point and dip the stick in some candy before putting it in the Oreo.
3. Melt your candy melts in the microwave according to the package directions.
4. Dip the Oreo into the candy and make sure to cover the whole cookie. Lay the dipped cookie on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
5. For the mummies: add the eyes now. For the pumpkins: after it sets just a little insert the green Tic Tac into the top. Since the Tic Tac on the pumpkins is balancing on top, you want the candy to have hardened just a bit.
6. Once the cookies harden all the way, place some of the melted candy in a baggie, snip the end and drizzle some candy back over the cookies.
Oh, and, if you don't win the eyes, you can order them online. Amazon has 1/4" eyes that look similar to mine.
UPDATED: The winner is Kelley! Thanks for reading and for entering. Send me your mailing address and I'll get them on their way. I also sent you an email.
Movement Versus Action
“Never confuse movement with action.” – Ernest Hemingway
It is easy to be busy. Whether we’re reading blogs, cleaning the house or wrapping up a feature story, there are plenty of ways to fill our days. The key is identifying our end goal and then determining if what we’re doing is simply movement or if it is action. Differentiating between the two can add to our success in our professional and personal lives alike.
I do better at focusing in on action in some areas than others. For example, as a writer and entrepreneur, I have set income targets I need and want to hit each month. That means every paying project puts me a step closer to achieving my goal. As my business has grown, I’ve been able to take on higher paying projects while cutting back on others. Both qualify as “action.”
Determining our goals and focusing on the actions necessary to achieve them also helps with time management. Unfortunately, I frequently find myself bouncing from blog to blog with no real goal in mind, which equates to only movement. I’ve switched to Google Reader and added primarily writing blogs to my subscriptions. Reading targeted, career-related posts gives my online reading purpose and also inspires me to write.
Goals don’t always have to be big picture. On weekdays, my first goals of the day including getting lunches and school bags packed, kids dressed and everyone loaded in the car by 8:50. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve woken up at 5:30 a.m. yet still had to rush out the door at 8:55. Those mornings are filled with far more movement than action. Now I’m trying to focus on the most important tasks first and save playing and reading for after my kids are presentable and the school bags are prepped and waiting by the door.
I first read Hemingway’s quote in Papa Hemingway by A.E. Hotchner about twelve years ago. Whenever I think about it, it helps me keep the big picture in mind. As I wind down 2011 and begin plotting goals for 2012, I’m going to ask myself if the steps I’m taking are action or simply movement. How about you? Are there ways you can turn movement into action? I'd love to hear about it!
Some Weekend Reading
Are you busy weekending? We are, but I still manage to find some time to sneak in my favorite blogs. If you have some time to fit in a little reading, here are some of my favorite reads (either new or new-to-me posts) from the past week.
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Make editors love you by offering solutions not problems from Linda Formichelli.
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Interesting post on SEO for writers by guest blogger Erin MacPherson on agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog.
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I love this post on how following a dream can help your career from Alexis Grant.
- Writer mamas everywhere can relate to this comic by Debi Ridpath Ohi.
- This cute pumpkin garland is a great way to keep the kiddos busy while you wrap up an article on deadline or clean the house.
Bribing Kids with After-Dinner Treats
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I am not above bribing my kids. I was back before I had kids, but now I know that the promise of a lollipop or a cookie can work wonders. Homemade ice cream sandwiches can do the trick too.
One graham cracker + two tablespoons of low-fat ice cream = very happy kids who didn’t even notice you served leftovers for dinner. This somewhat healthy treat will also keep them busy while you shoot off a quick email, especially if you put a few chocolate chips on the plate and let them decorate the ice cream before putting another graham cracker on top.
What are your favorite bribes and/or mommy magic tricks?
Be a Partner
When it comes to landing and keeping clients, the key is to position yourself as their partner. Yes, you are a writer, editor or [insert profession of choice here], but moreover, you are someone your clients can turn to when they need an extra hand. It is important to be flexible and easy to work with, and I’ve always said my job is to make my clients’ jobs easier.
My motto was tested this week when I reached out to an editor about a story he assigned me a few months ago only to learn he had forgotten to list me on his editorial calendar and assigned the story to someone else. He apologized (several times, actually), and promised to touch base with the other writer to determine who was further along on the piece.
I took a few deep breaths and thought about what losing the assignment would mean to me. For this paper, I get paid by the word and typically earn $1,200 or more for a feature. This is a heck of a lot of money. I also love the front-page byline this piece will have. Plus, I had several hours in on the project.
Then, I thought about my editor, the sources who had already shared time and information with me and all of the leg work I’d done on the piece. As a partner, there was no reason to let that work go to waste. I’ve been writing for this paper since I started freelancing three years ago and value the long-term relationship we have.
I emailed my editor and let him know that if he went with the other writer, I’d share my notes and the dates and times of pending interviews in addition to an overall status update.
Minutes later, my phone rang. My editor was confirming that I’d just offered to share my info, apologized again and thanked me for being so willing to help. He also offered to pay me for the work I’d done so far, give me credit on the story as a contributing writer and put me on the editorial calendar for an upcoming feature.
Was it the right move? Part of me wonders if I shared my info a little too easily. But overall, I think I showed my dedication to my client. My editor knows that I put the story first and he rewarded me with compensation for the time I’d spent and, more importantly for a soul proprietor, future work. I'm still a firm believer that putting the client first is the first step in building trust and securing repeat business.
Save Time with Google Reader
Do you use Google Reader yet? You probably do. I’ve always been a bit of a late bloomer. I just subscribed to all of my favorite blogs and I love how easy it is to read everything all in one sitting. I save so much time by logging onto one site versus visiting each blog individually. If a post strikes me, I click on it and leave a comment. Super easy! If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot. And, whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned Google Reader veteran, if you like my site, add me to your subscriptions!
Taking a Leap
Often when people talk about striking out on their own, they’ll refer to it as “taking a leap.” I’ve used the phrase myself when talking about my own freelance adventure. But, in truth, I really don’t like it. I think it negates the amount of advanced planning that goes into a solo venture, especially a successful one. Yes, there is a certain amount of faith involved in entrepreneurship, but there is a whole lot more strategy.
Freelancing had always been part of my “someday” plan. While working full time, I freelanced on the side, conducting telephone interviews for stories from my car on my lunch break and writing in the evenings. Those small side gigs paid dividends when I called the editors to let them know I had become my own boss and could take on more work.
I also spent months researching what set successful freelancers apart. I was even able to get paid for some research by writing an article on freelancing for my alumni magazine, which ran three years before I put my own plan into action. Learning what worked for others helped me create my strategy prior to quitting my full-time gig.
That being said, many of us need a catalyst that prompts us to put our plans into action. My freelance dream became a reality when I wanted to work around my son’s (and now my daughter’s) schedule. While that first move may have felt like a leap at the time, it really was just the first step in a well-crafted plan. Advanced planning and the determination to live the lifestyle I wanted have made my successful freelance venture my new reality.
Photo by kebb via iStockphoto.
The Time Trap Known as Target
Hello. My name is Mindy and it has been three days since my last trip to Target. Before that, it was four months. It only took one Target-induced hangover (pounding headache and all) to make me remember why I quit shopping at most bricks-and-mortar stores. I browse, I wander, and I end up spending way too much time with my four year old on the toy aisle (because I am not about to spend my kids' precious preschool hours running errands). In other words, I waste valuable time. What’s more, I walk out with a Star Wars t-shirt and a two-foot tall light-up jack-o-lantern that weren’t on my shopping list.
Online shopping is a key time management tool for me. I’ve had everything from root beer to mouthwash delivered to my front door over the past few months. Don't get me wrong. I used to enjoy shopping, but that was before I had two kids along for the ride and my own business. Now, I shop via computer screen and wait for UPS to deliver my treasures.
Sometimes I think I miss browsing the shelves at retail stores, which is why I fall off the wagon every so often. But the fact is, online shopping saves me time that I can invest in other places.