One of the hardest things for me freelancing is staying organized and on schedule. Did I remember to write this today How many did I submit here? Have I met my quota there yet?
I was pulling my hair out and trying a ton of different things. Most organizers assumed I had more on my plate than I really do. I’m not running carpool to soccer games or sending invoices to a dozen or so clients. I kept a dry erase board for a while, but it always seems to get smudged and crowded by little fingers and family notes. I needed something private, simple, and mine.
So I made one.
Now first, yes I’m one of those moms that keeps a home management notebook. Mine isn’t big and bulky, it’s just a simple folder where I can track what’s going on at a glance and plan out my days. My first page is the daily docket from Simple Mom, which is great on it’s own. It’s got a section for work/blogging that works fairly nicely. But I needed something bigger.
I started with a list of the top places I try to write each day. Beside each is a series of boxes, for the max I plan to write each day at each site. When I write one article I check a box. I also included some blank lines underneath for additional assignments that pop up and the ones that are weekly rather than daily. At the bottom I left a blank space for notes that I may need to make.
Write, check, done.
I keep all of my pages in clear page protectors and use dry erase markers on them. So far I haven’t had any trouble with the pages rubbing each other wrong, but I do try to be careful with it. My book sits on my kitchen counter, next to my cookbooks. Each night I erase my checks and fill out my daily docket for the next day. Then as I go through the day I open it up periodically and see what is left to be done.
I plan on adding soon some pages for tracking my income and expenses, as soon as I figure out exactly what I need. Again, most of the ones I’ve found track too much or too little to fit me. Until then I’ve got some printouts from Dave Ramsey.
