Exactly seven nights before Christmas Day. Kids are getting giddier with each passing no-school day. Office workers are bursting the doors of malls to ransack their shelves for sales. As for me, I'm starting to feel the Holiday Buzz. My brain and my hands are slowly getting colder by the minute and curling into Holiday Hibernation mode. For freelancers like me, it's easy for people to think that we can just drop everything in a snap and go on vacation right then and there. Even indefinitely. I wish I could do that but sadly, no. At least for now. But of course, Christmas around the world, for most people, is an opportunity to rest, reflect, and recharge. So I will definitely take a break from writing for a living within the next few days. However, because I take my job seriously and always strive to be professional about it at all times, there are a few things that I would need to do in order to prepare my writing-at-home life for a quick Christmas break. Here goes...
- Quit procrastinating.
Otherwise, you will find yourself with a bunch of unchecked items on your To-Do List... on Christmas Eve.
- Work extra hours, spreading them over several days.
To make sure that your targets are still met and your income stream won't be disrupted by the holidays, work a few extra hours each day over the next few days before Christmas. NOT after, as based on experience, it can be a bit harder to cut your vacation short just because you have to go back to work.
- Learn to say "No."
Something difficult to do for projects, especially when "the price is right". Or when close family members ask for it, in the case of favors. Weigh your options. Predict the consequences. Use your best judgment if saying "No" to something will make you a little bit happier this coming holidays.
- Prioritize accordingly.
Guided by the same principles you used in the previous item, list down your priorities - personal and professional, in their order of hierarchy. This helps you identify which ones are non-negotiables, which ones can be completed later, and which ones you can say "No" to without any grave consequences.
- Maintain, or better yet, exceed quality standards.
Once you've identified which projects or tasks you are going to finish before the holidays, have a concrete plan on how to complete each one efficiently and effectively. I'd like to use the term "perfectly" but then again we may have different definitions of the word. Make sure that everything that comes out of your keyboard or pen is stamped with the highest quality you can offer. Doing this will minimize, if not totally eradicate, the need for revisions.
- Avoid multitasking.
I used to pride myself in my innate ability to multitask. Oh, they say all women have it. I say yes, in a way. But multitasking only works if you try to do at least two things which are not of equal "weight" (e.g., sweeping the floor while waiting for the water to boil, washing the dishes while thawing the chicken). Multitasking only leaves me with more than one half-baked accomplishments. As for writing, I tried to pair it with some other task but unfortunately, it just doesn't work. The only other thing I can do while writing is THINKING or IMAGINING. But then again that doesn't count because that's part of the writing process. And when I start imagining, things can go overboard too so...
- Maximize planning and organizing tools.
Spreadsheets, checklists, planners, timers, digital organizers - we all have varied tastes in planning and organizing tools. Whatever it is that you feel comfortable with, maximize it. And make sure it REALLY works for you and you're not forcing yourself and your personal working habits to conform with the tool's system.
- Know when to stop.
Let's say it's a couple of hours before your family's Christmas Eve dinner and you still have stuff left undone on your list. Let it go for now. Perhaps you could go back to it tomorrow evening or the day after Christmas. There are some things that are worth more than all the cash you'll earn from squeezing in extra work at the last minute. And of course, this wouldn't happen if you planned well and managed your before-holiday time.
This list pressures me and at the same time excites me. The reward of even a short vacation is so tempting! Reading til my eyes pop out, sleeping until noon, daydreaming all day. Oh yes! Go on and tempt yourself too. It will be worth it... ;)