Well, I did it! I made it through a year of working as a freelancer. A year of working from home. A year of setting my own hours. And I am happy to report that I am still very happy with how it’s going. A lot of my day-to-day has changed since I first started doing this (and started this blog) a year ago, and while some of those changes have been overwhelming they have mostly been exciting.
First off, I admit that I have never been much of a procrastinator. I never pulled an all-nighter in the library during college to finish a paper due at 9am the next day. I like to think I’m a pretty efficient worker. Even so, when I worked in an office, I developed a routine of work avoidance—things I would do, sites I would go to in order to procrastinate. However, in the months I’ve been working from home, I’ve noticed that I no longer do this. And I think I know why. Continue reading
It’s 4:00pm on a weekday and I’ve hit a wall with my work. I want to take a break, but with what? Should I watch a DVR-ed episode of one of my shows? Should I pick up the memoir I’m reading? Should I read an article in one of the magazines filling up my shelf? Should I listen to a podcast? Should I work on one of the writing projects I’m not (yet) getting paid for? Should I just turn the TV to a random channel and scroll through Instagram on my phone? I know this may seem like a silly conundrum to some, but it is one I deal with frequently, and I often find myself ultimately unhappy with the decision I make. Continue reading
Admittedly, I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to work and office supplies. I strongly believe that if you’re using supplies that make you smile, as opposed to the basic, simple notebooks you used in school, you’ll feel more motivated, more productive and better about your work in general. This is speaking from experience, of course, but I think it’s true. So here, I thought I would share some of my favorite pretty notebooks and what I use them for. Continue reading
I’ve always wished I was a morning person—having more awake, alert hours in the day would mean I’d have more time to accomplish things I need to accomplish and enjoy the things I enjoy. By morning person, I mean someone who can set an alarm for any time, no matter how early, and when it goes off be completely awake and ready to start the day. Jeff is like that, and I don’t understand it—if we’re getting up early on a Saturday to go on a hike or go snowboarding, he’s usually out of bed and dressed before I’ve finished rubbing my eyes. But lately, I’ve started to realize that this may not be the definition of a morning person, and that, gasp, I may finally be turning into one!
I love clocks. I think they can be beautiful decorations in a home. Growing up, we had a massive clock over the mantle in the living room. It didn’t even work, but I always loved the piece. But clocks obviously do something besides hang on the wall: they keep time. And some of them tick to do so. I have a clock on my desk that ticks, and as I’ve been working from home, I’ve realized that, at least in my view, ticking clocks tend to get a bad rap. Continue reading
Working from home can be a challenge. Being in my apartment all day (on most days), I feel the need to do various household chores throughout the day, at times probably when I should be working. There are also distractions, with no threat of a boss walking by my cube and seeing what I’m doing and forcing me to refocus. However, over the last two months I’ve developed a relatively consistent schedule that works well for me, so I thought I’d share it in case it can be helpful! Continue reading
My senior year of college, I wrote an English thesis on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s nonfiction. Probably my favorite part of writing my thesis was that I had a thesis carrel in the library where I could keep books and work on my paper. It was on the top floor in the back corner in a section that few people used, next to a window overlooking the quad, and I thought it was lovely—but I’m someone capable of finding a desk lovely. Continue reading
Those who know me know that I love making lists. I will get things done just for the satisfaction or being able to cross them off of a list. But it also keeps me organized, especially when I’m dealing with different deadlines and need to figure out how best to go about completing my assignments. Continue reading
Lyss on Life 