2026-30: Time
If I’ve learned one thing in my almost eight months as a full-time freelancer, it’s that there isn’t nearly as many hours in each day as I would like.
Scheduling’s hard. That’s just the truth. We can estimate how long we think something is going to take, but we never really know for sure until we dive into it. Maybe you do a little test edit on the first ten pages of a manuscript to get a sense for how long it’ll take. Then, a hundred pages in, the verb tense blows all to hell and you’re cancelling plans and adjusting the time spent on your own projects to pick through the mess.
And this applies to everyone, not just editors on deadlines. We’ve all got things we need to get done, things we want to get done, and a limited amount of time for both. My advice for dealing with this is not all that different from my advice for most things: find what works for you, stick with it until that stops working, and then adjust.
For me, that means lists—not just of my main work tasks, but of every little thing I need to do, whether it’s knocking fifty pages off a developmental edit or taking out the trash. First thing I do each day is make a list, then try to look at it every hour on the hour to see if I need to pivot somehow.
It means putting myself in the right environment. Coffee shop, patio, or literally anywhere but my own apartment? You know it. Tunes? Bumpin’. Water? Always close at hand. Phone? Far enough away that it’s not a distraction, but not so far that I’m distracted by wondering where it is and if I’m missing messages that aren’t making it to my watch.
Experiment. Track your time. Have fun with it. And above all, give yourself some grace. We can’t do everything.
What else is going on?
I had to pitch in my new Sunday softball league. I am not a pitcher. Thankfully, we won, and I hit well, but I will not be taking the mound again if I have any say over it.
Glad to see my Red Sox showing some spunk! They look like a different team. I’m hopeful they can add another quality player or two at the trade deadline and make a little run into the playoffs.
I totally messed up the numbering on last week’s newsletter. But my streak is intact!
Til next time!
Lists are one thing, but scheduling us like writing a story outline. It's a guide that has to be constantly altered. Reality changes. Usually for the better!
Softball pitching is not natural. I pitched and played SS in high school. I could never throw a ball underhanded more than six feet accurately! Just enough to get it to second base. I admire all softball pitchers!
Good luck! Glad you won.