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Work

Productivity at Home vs. Productivity at the Office

December 20, 2012 5 Comments

I’ve never had an office and have worked at home.  Whether it was while in my pajamas (the comfortable ones I might add) while sitting at the kitchen counter, on the couch or in bed, I somehow managed to write two books and start Chick Lit Goddess.  My husband would go  to work, I’d pick up around the house and maybe start dinner (thank goodness for Crock Pots), then get to work.  I’d work most of the day, with a few distracting episodes of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Friends” and of course, “Dr. Phil.”  My husband would come home, we’d have dinner, watch our TV shows – with the cat sprawled across our laps, then I’d work a bit more and then it would be time for bed.  The next day I would get up just to do it all over again.  I thought I was productive.  I thought I had it down.  I thought I did, I thought I did, I thought I did.  I thought wrong.

Since I’ve been in my office for about a month now, I’ve seen my productivity level increase a lot!  Now that I have to get out of bed, get dressed and look decent at the least, it makes it feel like I’m really someone, not just an upcoming Indie author.  I’m fortunate that my office is close to home, which makes for an easy drive into work, and I’m thankful that I’m not honking my horn at anyone or stuck on a freeway in stopped traffic.  You see, I’m not a morning person and have a tendency to be (a little)  grumpy.  Anyway, when I get in the office, I’m greeted by my new tea maker that my hubby bought me for Christmas.  Actually, he bought himself one too and plans to take his to work and wrapped mine, so I don’t get it until Christmas.  (I guess those are the joys of shopping together, right).

I’m digressing, so let me continue…

I’m not one who deals with silence well, though I’m not one who can be surrounded with a lot of noise either.  Pandora has become my best friend while working, specifically the sounds of symphony type music.  It’s because of this that I feel my fingers click, click, click  to the beat of the instruments.  See, it’s all about productivity.

Now, if you don’t have an office, but would like to be more productive, here are five tips that seemed to be help me back in the day when I needed to get stuff done:

  1. GET DRESSED – Yes, get out of those pajama or Yoga pants.  Believe me, I’d love to live in them too, but you’ve got a book to write and work to do.  Throw on a fancy (red) top and put on make-up.  Run a brush through that pretty hair of yours.  You’ve got a date with a Hero who is romancing you through your current WIP.
  2. TURN OFF THE TV – If you are one who can work with noise, that’s great, but I wouldn’t recommend it being TV.  Say your favorite show is “Friends” and you tell yourself that they’re all repeats and that you’ll be productive, you’re lying to yourself.  You know you’ll still watch it as if it’s the first time that Ross and Rachel take a “break?”  Take a break from them and get to work!
  3. SET HOURS FOR YOURSELF – Like for most, writing is a hard job and it’s not one that comes easy.  First you have to write the book and that can take a while, then you have to edit, then comes the publishing part that can take a long time as well, so it’s important to take being a writer seriously.  Whether it’s an hour or two a night, make the time you put into your book count for something!
  4. DETERMINE WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU – If you’re a partier and are one to go out a lot, your work might be slacking.  Am I right?  (It’s okay to nod if I am).  If you get a call from someone urging you to come out with them, make the smart choice and decide to work because it’ll pay off in the end.  Now, I’m not saying to ignore your friends, family or significant other, but I’m just saying to think about what’s really important in the big picture…
  5. THINK POSITIVE – I know that it’s a lot easier said than done, but thinking positive really can get you somewhere!  If you’re one to be hard on yourself, turn that thought pattern around.  There are thousands of positive quotes you can find online and in books.  When you stumble upon one that you like, read between the lines and think about what it’s really saying.  Most of the time it’s saying, “Yes you can!”

 

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Chick-Lit, Jobs, Productivity, Work, Working at an office, Working from home, Writing

Random Sunday Ramblings

November 18, 2012 2 Comments

Happy Sunday, y’all!  I not supposed to be working on the weekends, but I wanted to share a few random thoughts with you.  In a way, I guess it’s just me venting because I’m a little stressed about the holidays coming up.  Speaking of holidays, why is everyone putting up their Christmas tree this weekend?  It’s not even Thanksgiving!

Anyway, back to my rambling…

I got up to write this post to avoid watching the Cowboy game.  I could no longer watch a train wreck, nor could I stand to listen to the announcers bash a team I grew up with.  I grew up and live in Dallas, so the Cowboys will always be my home team, but there comes a point where I just shake my head, wondering how much more of this we can take.  Cowboys Stadium (a.k.a Jerry’s World) is huge, so we should have a great team, right?  Oh, that’s right because we all live in Jerry’s World, which consists of being obsessed by the unreliable and unqualified quarterback, Tony Romo.  Speaking of Romo, why is it that everyone (even some announcers) think he’s so good and talented, and that the real problem is not having enough or good protection?  Well, Tony can’t throw good, and when he makes a great pass, it’s usually to another player — on a different team!  Just today, I heard that he’s thrown more interceptions than any other active QB in the NFL.  Not surprising!  But back to Jerry, the owner of the team…he needs to fire himself from being the GM of the team and bring someone in to help bring this organization back to what it was when Jimmy Johnson was coach!  And people wonder why I’m a Green Bay Packer fan…GO PACK, GO!  Oh, did I mention that I own that team?
Like I’ve mentioned before, and that I’m still so excited about, I have a new office!  Tomorrow will be my second full week to actually get up to go to work.  I’m loving it!  Another blog post will be up tomorrow about how it’s changed my productivity, but for now, here are a few positives and negatives about not working during the weekend:

Positives

  • More free time to spend with my family and friends
  • More time to spend on household duties, mainly laundry and dishes
  • Giving myself a well-deserved break
  • Finding new hobbies and TV shows, (like Dr. Who, for example!)  **Thank you to my awesome hubby for introducing me to this great show, and to Netflix who provides hours upon hours of great episodes!
  • The peace and quite
  • Not drinking as much the night before, so that I can be productive the following day!  (Okay, this might seem like a negative, but it’s not)

Negatives

  • Waking up early
  • Not being able to wear my pajamas all day
  • Deciding what to wear!  I’m not a clothes lover and HATE shopping! 
  • I miss my writing companion — my cat
  • Not drinking as much the night before!  I guess I should start drinking more SmartWater!  Hmm, that might just be a New Year’s resolution!
  • The peace and quiet — sometimes quiet, is a little too quiet!

Okay, I guess that’s enough rambling for today!  Thanks for letting me vent…

Oh, and here are the final scores:  20-23, Cowboys won!  (Maybe Jason Garret, the head coach, is pleading to keep his job!)  Also, the Packers won, with a final score of 24-20!

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Work, Writing

I’m A Tired Bear

June 4, 2012 2 Comments

Sometimes it’s okay to just take a break…

This past weekend I took off Saturday and Sunday.  I’ve been so caught up in my work that I’ve barely spent any time relaxing.  Work is all I think about.  I guess this is a good thing because I love what I do, but sometimes it’s necessary to take a vacation, like my parents and brother have been telling me — especially my husband.  When I came back to work today, I felt refreshed and ready to take on what I had waiting for me.

How do you deal with taking a break from your work?  Do you handle it well, or are you a worker bee?

Here’s my message to you…

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Images, Isabella, Random, Work, Work quotes, Working, Writing

Vacations Are “Research” For Writers

April 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’ve written about this before, but since summer is almost here, I thought you might want to get started thinking about summer your summer vacation(s)!

You’re at the point where you either know you need a vacation, or you’ve got people telling you to take one.  “Okay,” you say.  You then buy a ticket to your desired destination, pack your bags, and are prepared to do nothing except relax…and do “research” for you next book.

Example: Your desired vacation...(The Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach, Florida)

Sigh!  You’ve made it!  you’re officially on vacation, and are required to do little to no work!  You’re only required to sleep in, order room service, lounge and relax by the ocean and/or beach, while drinking a Pina colada or  strawberry daiquiri.  It’s okay to even ogle over lust after the ultra-hot surfer dude, who would never be your type.

As an author, it’s okay to break the rules!  As authors, we are trained to observe our surroundings, and we can’t help it.  We’ll look, we’ll listen, and if interesting enough, we just might write about it.  (Go to a beach, and you’re guaranteed to find something/someone who gives you inspiration for your current WIP, or your next book).

Your "vacation" awaits...

When I’m on “vacation,” it I’m often so relaxed that I want to write, so I do.  I write whenever I can, but don’t set any time or word limits on my work.  I just see how far I get, and know that it’s okay — I’ll write when I get back home.  (Writing outside of your comfort zone might even help your creativity).

So, if you get a chance to take a vacation, whether it’s a beach, mountain, or countryside vacation, go!  You’ll be glad you did!

Have you ever gone on a “vacation” that has strictly been for research?  If you’ve not, where would you go, and why?

...all you need is a daiquiri!

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Florida, Hot Men, Images, Isabella, Link, Palm Beach, Random, Romance Books, Summer, The Breakers Hotel, Vacations, Work, Writing

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