It’s easy to take on too much work and
then try to multi-task relentlessly. Trust me it’s not a good move. It’s like a
juggler with too many balls or pins (or chainsaws if you have a wild
imagination) in the air. If one drops, it could seriously throw you off your
game (or cut your ear off). You should strive to take on fewer projects that
have more of an impact on your business and career. Baby steps. Baby bites.
Learn to say no if you want to be more productive and less stressed.
Be
a team player.
In the business world—especially the
publishing world—we all work in teams to complete projects for the good of our
companies. Think working with an editor, a cover artist, a book formatter, and
marketing or promoting with fellow authors and you get the gist. If you want to
be successful, you need to support your team, like I support my TEAM
by giving them credit and allowing for open communication. Let’s face it, most
marriages or partnerships break down because there is no communication. Be the
voice that rallies the team. You'll feel like a WINNER every time.
Acquire
more skills.
Skills that were important years ago
might not be as relevant today. Three years ago, I had no on-line platform with
the exception of Facebook, and even then I hardly used it because I didn’t know
how. I threw myself into the blogging pool and learned to create blog posts
(not very good ones at first) and as soon as I got comfortable with that skill
I tackled Facebook, then I moved onto another. Twitter, anyone? You need to stay on top of what the top
skills are now and project what the upcoming skills are going to be if you want
to be successful.
So, how about you? What do you NEED to
say no to? Are you a TEAM player? What SKILLS have you acquired recently? Love
to hear from you!
Sharon, this is an excellent post. I particularly like the "Be a team player" portion.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sloane! You're one of the best team players I know! Hugs!
DeleteAll very pertinent points, Sharon, as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Vonnie! My hardest one is the first tip. Must assess things before taking on more!
DeleteI've seen the over-committers and I'm never surprised when they have to dial back. But there are some multi-taskers who are simply geniuses! Great post, Sharon.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, Kai! The trick is to stop when you start to feel overwhelmed. Cheers!
DeleteGreat advice, as always. We've all been on huge journey since we first started writing. :-)
ReplyDeleteTrue that, Amaleen! And we're still moving toward bigger and better things in our writing lives! High fives!
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