Edit This with Steve Gamel

Ask The Expert: Edit This 5 FOR WRITERS TIME MANAGEMENT HACKS

by Steve Gamel, Owner of Edit This

Iwrote the majority of this blog while sitting in a waiting room before a big presentation. I used a notes application on my phone to do most of the work, too.

More often than not, that’s the way it goes aspects of running my business, spending when you are a self-employed writer. time with my beautiful family, and even There are a ton of projects to keep up carving out a little time for myself. with, so you have to make the most of your time! In fact, some might argue Below are hacks that work for me: being really good at time management is THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ON more important than being good at your “OFFICE HOURS” craft. Take advantage of times during the day If that means knocking out an article – or night – when you typically have your while in a waiting room, or on an airplane, creative juices flowing and there’s less you do it. chance for interruptions. I’ve been a writer for nearly 20 years and have come up with a myriad of clever ways to divide my time efficiently to cover all IF THAT MEANS KNOCKING OUT AN ARTICLE WHILE IN A WAITING ROOM, OR Typically, that’s not the middle of the day! I get most of my bigger articles done at night or very early in the morning. KEEP “STUFF” HANDY ON AN AIRPLANE, My family teases me YOU DO IT. because I constantly have my computer with me in the backseat of the car – even if I have nothing going on. I also have my phone, a pen, and a pad of paper. Keep that stuff handy because you NEVER want to be caught unprepared as a self-employed writer. That’s not to say you always have to be in “work mode,” but when inspiration strikes, you’re ready for it.

PLAN AHEAD

Use a calendar to plan things out. It doesn’t matter if it’s a paper calendar or the one on your phone. At the beginning of each month, I map out everything I know I have going on and when I plan on writing those projects. As the days and weeks go by and more projects come my way, I simply add them in.

FOCUS

You’re going to need to stay focused on those days when it seems like too many projects are coming in at once. With the right focus, you will be able to slow down and prioritize each project in your head. Cutting target goals into smaller and more immediate pieces will help you accomplish more than you thought you could.

KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO DELEGATE

I made this the last one on the list because there will come a day when a one-person show can no longer do the job on their own. You have to be able to recognize that before it happens, and when it does, be able to step in and delegate some of that extra work to someone else.

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