It's a Notebook, Silly!

My quest to stay organized and productive as a freelancer is never ending. I've created folders, designed spreadsheets, tried to set reminder alarms, etc, etc. What does all these tactics accomplish? Another tab open on my computer, one more thing to organize and keep straight, more confusion and nervousness, a slower computer -- and less actual writing.

So I thought I would break things down to what was really important.

• What do I need to do?
• When does it need to be done?
• Who is it for?
• What are they planning to pay me.?

I could have opened up Excel and made another spreadsheet but I opted for a more primitive approach. A notebook -- no not a notebook computer, and actually notebook with paper made with real trees and everything. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't mean we always have to use it. How many times when working in an office was I handed literature about the importance of looking away from the computer from time to time? Using a notebook to write down my assignments is a perfect excuse to look away. When I pick up a new assignment I write it at the end of the list. When I finish an assignment I cross it off the list. Brilliant. I wonder why no one has thought of this before.

If I wanted to I could get fancy and use different colored inks each day so I could track which day I picked up an assignment and which day I turned it in. If I were making a spreadsheet these would be column headings, along with what was turned in just in time, what was early, assignments missed because there was no room in a particular queue to take more. All sorts of information in which to make bar graphs and pie charts. I could schedule a meeting with myself to discuss it.

Sometimes, you just need to simplify wherever you can. There are still more things I'd like to write down in my notebook. More things I would like to cross off my list, and I will add them when lines run through all the necessary things, when deadlines are met and bills are paid.