The Ultimate Freelancers Distraction
Feb 8th
I have been able to pinpoint several things which send my procrastination points through the roof.
Some people say that if there are things which distract you, that you should completely cut them out of your day, in order to be more productive. But I’m one of those inclusive types that thinks that all distractions are welcome, just not all the time.
Everything in moderation.
So facebook, is a highly valuable tool, brilliant at generating business leads and showcasing work etc.
Farmville is an activity on facebook which neither brings me visitors nor sales generation, but an activity that allows my mind to drift while I’m wrestling with a logo concept, and sometimes it’s just what I need. Ditto for Bejewelled Blitz. What I have to do is limit myself to a certain amount of time per day to do these activities. In the case of Farmville, I will only plant crops in the morning before “work hours” that will be ready for harvesting “after work hours”. Bejewelled Blitz I allow myself 10 games (each game is 60 seconds long) all day. I can choose for myself whether I want them all at once or spaced throughout the day. If I hit a high score before my ten games are up, then I stop immediately.
The other thing I tend to do, is day dream about planning vacations. Again, this is fine in moderation, and I have to keep browsing for Florida Keys rentals to the minimum or else I end up fantasizing about picking up and working from an exotic island somewhere (all I need is my iMac and high speed broadband).
Interestingly enough there are some bloggers out there who specifically fund their travels through blogging, and at times, it’s sorely tempting to do the same.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Website Sprucing
- Resolutions
- Car Industry Woes
- The Fascination with Things
- Decking Out a New Office Space
Website Sprucing
Feb 4th
When I finally get around to sorting out my own online projects as opposed to designing stuff for other people, I really want to ramp up the look and feel of this one. It has so much potential, and as my graphic design-related blog, I want to have a ton of stuff to be able to give away, and offer a section with daily deals and that sort of things, using affiliate products that I have tested myself and know to be of exceptional quality. Kind of like the Darren Rowse book in my sidebar (it is all kinds of awesome).
I will get there eventually.
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Resolutions
Feb 4th
Why do New Years Resolutions have a way of biting you in the hiney? Because people rarely stick to them. I intended to return to this blog daily, with a design daily snippet of something that I had created – and there I went and got all busy with real work (okay so the money is very welcome) and didn’t find the time to update here.
I still want to replace the background here as well and tile the image to make it seemless. So many of my own projects that I’d like to get to, but never seem to find time for.
Not easy when you’re a wahm. Not easy when you have two gorgeous boys who demand the lions share of your available time. Not easy when you’re a mature student and have studying to do. Not easy when you’re flitting back and forth between the house and the hospital to see your dying father.
No sympathy required, just keeping it real.
Possibly Related Posts:
- The Ultimate Freelancers Distraction
- Website Sprucing
- Car Industry Woes
- The Fascination with Things
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Car Industry Woes
Jan 29th
The second hand car industry in this country is in a serious slump.
So they should be, with the unjustifiably high prices that they are attempting to keep the market buoyant with.
People aren’t buying. Even armed with cheap auto insurance, buyers are holding out for better deals and refusing to pander to the unrealistic demands of the dealers. Yes, everyone has a living to make, but there is a difference to making a living, and making a rip off.
It’s gone on too long in this country and now the dealers are suffering, sometimes they’re offering what appears to be a ludicrously good deal i.e. buy this BMW and get a citi golf for free (not a real deal but they exist in a similar fashion), when really what they should be doing is simply lowering the prices.
But will they?
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- Website Sprucing
- Resolutions
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The Fascination with Things
Jan 29th
There appear several things, for a man, which are symbols of success. I have yet to meet a man who does not associate certain items with the idea of luxury, refinement and class.
Good whiskey, whether single malt or blend seems to be one of them. Leather wingback chairs. Wood paneled studies or libraries if you’re lucky. A selection of good quality White Owl cigars on hand, for I don’t know, some dignitary to visit. I would go so far as to talk about silk smoking jackets too, if they didn’t remind me so vividly of Hugh Hefner!
What is it about these things that men find so fascinating? Can anyone tell me? Is it from a childhood spent watching James Bond movies, sitting behind the leather paneled desk, flicking open a secret compartment to press a button, to have famous painting spin in place on the wall revealing a hidden screen on which you could watch the cold war play out in real time?
Beats me.
I’m more of a Star Trek girl myself.
Ha ha.
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Decking Out a New Office Space
Jan 23rd
We may have found a new rental today! After months of searching this new area that we like, we have found one that totally suits our purposes for the next 12 months at least.
But it does mean one thing.
The ‘M’ word.
You know.
“Moving”.
I don’t mind moving *so* much, in fact I wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity to ‘purge’ all unnecessary stuff that just seems to accumulate when you live in one place for more than a year. The good thing is also, that although we will be moving our home office as well (if we get the house) but that the room we will be using for our home office already has roller shades installed, so at least that’s one less thing we’ll have to worry about. In fact we have enough curtaining, and such to suit the new place, but I am seriously considering ditching our old furniture in favour of something a little more updated.
But first, I suppose we have to wait and see if our application is accepted! Fingers crossed!
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Working on Your Own Projects
Jan 23rd
I’ve been developing a website on a subject that is very close to my heart.
Being a freelancer, or more particularly, a work at home mom that is a freelancer seeking to support other wahms.
No one can fully understand the stresses that work at home moms go through, aside from other work at home moms! Nearly ever task of every day comes with a beautifully wrapped present which turns out to be first class tickets to Guilt-ville. Not spending enough time on that crazy hectic project that requires so much of your closest concentration? How about not finding the time to strap the littlest one into his Bob stroller when the weather clears and actually take that walk, because the project is calling you? How about not getting all the household cleaning, shopping or cooking done? Or more likely, getting only parts of each of your tasks done, leaving you feeling guilty about absolutely everything.
Yes, being a work at home mom is extremely tough, and it takes a very special breed of person.
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Drawing the Line
Jan 19th
Drawing the line between me-time and work-time can be really difficult as a freelancer and a wahm.
Particularly if like me, you’re planning on embarking on a work out program.
Just today I was looking at the website of a company that offers thrice-weekly workout groups locally. Their meeting time is 8h15am and it would be perfect for me to swing by there right after the school run. But naturally the temptation is to come home to get straight to work. Time is money. Time is productive.
One has to factor in post-workout shower and changing time as well, and all that eats into the few hours that I have available to work. However, I have to consider that working out will keep me sane and healthy and keep stress levels down too, and the website I visited had really inspiring weight loss stories, so I’m sorely tempted to sign up.
How do you balance work vs work-out time on limited hours?
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Are You Brand Loyal?
Jan 18th
Branding is used to convey authenticity, a sense of class, quality and worth.
How much has the global economic meltdown altered our perspective on global and local brands?
These days, with so many lay-offs and retrenchments by big corporations, the branding of those corporations is no longer inspiring trust and loyalty in its consumers, and in many cases it is the complete opposite.
Are you a brand conscious person?
Are you still able to afford the very top brands that you used to enjoy? Does having the best anti wrinkle cream still seem as important to you as having those extra dollars, cents, euros and pounds at the end of the month? I would be interested to hear the answers to these questions.
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Kids and Freedom of Expression
Jan 18th
My kids are loving this song right now.
It’s hilarious, given they have no idea what it is about, but boy do they dance to it! They look a bit like the people in the video when they’re dancing down the passage toward the camera. It’s wonderful to watch them, they are so unselfconscious and just move the way they feel to the music. Even my little 21 month old boy bops away swinging his hips and dancing on the spot, giggling like mad.
I’m sure if I could just catch them on video tape, dancing to this music, I could probably make a fortune and get it to go viral on YouTube! It really is the cutest thing!
I always laugh like crazy when they’re dancing, because it is the most joyful thing to behold. So question, if laughter is the best medicine, and keeps you young? What about all the wrinkle cream you need to use for the laugh lines?
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