Research

I can always tell when I'm just putting out fires (moving from one "urgent urgency" to the next). "What? A client needs help with an über pressing concern, and it has to be handled right now or his website will explode? I'll get on that right away!" "What, Ms. Prospective Client, you have the ultimate web project, but you need a quote within the hour? No problem." It starts with checking email first thing in the morning. Open, read, react, and an hour later, reply. Open, read, react, and an hour later, reply. On and on it goes, until it's two o'clock and not one smidgen of paid work has been done, or if it has, it's been done in a haphazard way, usually at the client's demand instead of using my own tried-and-true schedule and system. By the end of the day, I'm zapped and feel like a heel for allowing my work to control me instead of the other way around. There has to be a better way, and you know there is.…