Juggling for Fun and Money
I don’t know about you, but I’m sporting just enough attention-deficit disorder to get bored right in the middle of a project. Case in point – today I’m typing out notes from two interviews that will go into an article. While I’m interested in the topic (despite it being analytical in nature), I found myself midway through a sentence wanting to go to the shore and forget work today. Alas, I cannot. Freelance doesn’t necessarily mean “free” in that sense.
So what to do when boredom, or lack of attention, hits? Well, I come to my weblog and type! Actually, that’s exactly my point. I find something else to do. I allow my mind to wander, but I let it go places that are somewhat constructive. For example, I go to my weblog or I go to my favorite freelance writing forum (About Freelance Writing) and I chill out for a few minutes. Or if I’m really busy, I open up another project and chip away at it – like the ever-evolving big project I’ve been married to for the last month. It may be small progress or even a small break, but it’s something that keeps my head from bouncing off the keyboard.
It’s juggling, actually. It’s what I propose for your next boredom or burnout moment. Get thee to the next project or to the next constructive thing ASAP. Sometimes spending time on something else is all you need. It also helps you to get used to juggling multiple projects at once. Think not? Think about what I’ve done already this week (and hey, it’s only Wednesday) – I wrote eight captions for one company’s marketing photos, wrote a software review the same day I received the software, wrote eight more quality pages on the big project, assigned four articles for the October issue of Risk Factor, edited two more articles for the September issue, interviewed two folks for an article for a financial trade mag and now I’m about to update my weblog. Oh, and I cleaned the top of my desk while I had five minutes before my next interview.
Juggling is a great way to stave off boredom, or to shake things up a bit. While I’m still overwhelmed with work associated with the big project, I don’t feel like I’m having the juices drained out of me because I’m jumping to something else for a change of scenery. Give it a shot – if nothing else, you could get used to being able to do a bit more than you’re used to.
how well I know! I try to keep several writing projects going so I can move between them when one gets too deadly… and of course, I can always comment on blogs or even add an entry to my own at http://www.thegoldenpencil.com
Thanks for the forum plug.
A
Anne, your tie is amazing! 😉
Thanks, toots. Always happy to plug my second home!
Anne, who on earth is that?
Lori, multitasking is how I get through my days. When I get tired of editing, I work on a writing assignment. When I can’t stand that anymore, I move on to marketing. I just keep moving, and it all gets done. It’s when I stop that things slip!
Kristen