Reading: The Wannoshay Cycle by Michael Jasper
Music: Salty Dick
TV/Movie: The Big Lewbowski (again and again)
Link o' the Day: The Comic Book Resources website



Gotta love my To Do lists. I'm just saying. They really keep me on track. There have been a number of sites online talking about freelancing--probably because with the nature of the economy at present, more people are going freelance. These sites are full of great advice, but if I were to put in my two cents, I'd have to make sure that you all considered the benefits of scheduling your work. Whether your freelance revolves around writing, design, landscaping, accounting, carpentry, eBay sales, or whatever--starting the day by outlining the day's tasks seems to me paramount in a having successful day.

I'd recommend not trying to do an hour-by-hour schedule unless your type of freelance relies on other peoples' schedules. I think that would be too limiting. My personal method is to make a simple "shopping list"of tasks that need to be performed. On the left side are very work-specific items such as book and magazine projects that need attention and authors/editors/publishers that need to be contacted. The right-hand side are mostly those ever-important real-life tasks that cannot be ignored either. Household chores, paying bills, running to the post office, groceries, laundry, and so forth.

The daily list can be written on whatever works best for you. I have a small notepad that fits easily in my pocket that's held in a case which also holds a small pen and a place to slide in notes. I use a whiteboard to write out important dates for the month and will often refer to that while creating the daily list. A 3 x 5 index card works just as well, as does a letter-size sheet of paper folded into fourths. Some people will prefer to use small bound datebooks. Some will prefer to use desk blotter calenders or large Day Planners. Some keep their list simple, some will keep it very detailed.

It's all good. What it comes down to is what seems to work best for you--what you are sure you can check often during the day. And it's important to use the list.

Other folk may write about the importance of setting up the perfect home office, choosing between self-incorporating or LLC'ing, networking luncheons, and productive aromatherapy. I push the importance of the To Do list.



Now pardon me as I check this off.

There! Next up... a photo layout.

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Today's link goes to a fun site for comic book fans: The Comic Book Resources website - Daily Comic Book News, Previews, Reviews, Commentary and Message Boards. There's some fun stuff here. In addition to loads of comic book news, there are some great little forums and columns to explore. It's a good surf site, though a little mainstream. Still, it's worth surfing about in an exploratory fashion to see if it's a place for you. I recommend checking out Comic Book Legends Revealed.

(The comic book image here is just because I needed a comic book image...and it caught my eye.)

Cheers!