A Freelancer’s New Addiction: The Power of 15
March 4, 2009 by Shelley DeLuca
Filed under Jobs
If you missed Jenny’s great post about the Power of 15, or if you don’t remember reading it in December, I highly recommend you give it a second read.
As I prepared to write my post for today, I was struck with an acute case of stage fright. I mean, this is a big job. Bizzia.com is about to revolutionize the blogosphere, Jenny’s regular readers adore her, and then there’s me.
I am talking blank Word doc, staring back at me, blinking with an unsympathetic eye of a cursor. What do I have to say? Who am I to be writing this blog? Surely I have nothing to say that could possibly interest these readers. I set it aside and decided to hit it fresh the next morning.
Fortunately, I was able to catch up with Jenny for a little reinforcement. Her advice? Try the Power of 15.
The funny thing is, I happen to have an egg timer with a rooster on top. Its ding is pretty basic—no fun crowing sound at the end like Jenny’s cell phone—but it seemed like kismet anyway. Bright and early the next morning there I was: me, my computer, and my rooster. I set it to 15, and off we went.
My first observation was that when I stopped typing, the ticking of that timer quickly reminded me that my fingers weren’t ticking along. It made me laugh! And off I’d go again. Next thing I knew, I was typing along with the rooster like it was a metronome.
The words were coming, and perhaps I had some inner demons to release, because they started coming fast and furious—even faster than that infernal ticking. This Power of 15 technique is pure genius.
In fact, my first 15 minutes went so fast and were so much fun I reset that timer and did it again. By the third 15 minutes I was having a ball—in fact, I was pretty much addicted. An interesting drug!
After nearly 3,000 words had poured through my keyboard and onto the screen, I had to move on to other tasks. But I’ve got to tell you, that creative spurt powered me through the rest of my day. I found that I had energy, confidence, and a sense of purpose unparalleled since I’ve been trying to make a go of it on my own as a freelancer.
Catharsis, perhaps? I’m chalking it up to starting my day with an immediate and tangible sense of accomplishment. Because there’s a certain wind that goes out of your sails when your hubby heads off to work and you have nowhere to go, nothing “real” to do. No one to make you accountable for your time but yourself. No opportunities except for those you are going to create for yourself that day. Without coworkers, meetings, ringing phones, and dinging emails, it can be easy to get lost in the abyss of a full day alone with your computer and the prospect of finding work in this economy.
It’s an amazing exercise, in my opinion. A mere 15 minutes, and I stayed motivated, focused, and on task the rest of the day. So, seriously, if you haven’t yet, I hope you will try it. And let me know how it goes.
Enjoy your day,
Shelley
Photo credit: Author
Great post Shelley. You know I’m a closet writer at heart that hides behind my graphic designer shell. I love your writing and am excited about reading more in the future.
And who knew you were such a photographer…couldn’t have art directed it better myself!!
Thank you, Jennifer! It’s a powerful tool that could help you unleash that inner writer.
I’m doing this first thing every morning now, and no matter what I am writing about the exercise really helps me sort out my thoughts and priorities for the day.
15 minutes flies by—a useful investment for writers and non-writers alike.
Try it and let me know what happens!
I’ve been using this little trick for years to get through difficult not writing tasks as well. Cleaning the house gets done much more quickly and easily when broken into small time segments – I even give myself timed breaks to play online between work shifts and I still get the house clean faster and more thoroughly than if I tried to work straight through. I just don’t get distracted while I’m working the way I used to
Great tip, Judy, thanks! I’ll have to try it out for some of my least favorite household tasks.
I’ve taken to racing the sound of the ticking, so maybe I’ll be able to get those toilets cleaned faster!
The timing of this post couldn’t be more perfect. Lately, I’ve been frustrated by my ability to waste an entire day that could have been filled with words–some brilliant, the rest, ok, the majority, not so much. Having space & time alone isn’t always the most conducive environment for being productive. But 15 minutes might just be what I need. I know once I get started I’m pretty good at sticking with it. But when I look at getting started on 2-3 hours of work I find a million other things I could be doing. Perhaps, just starting 15 minutes a head of me will be less intimidating.
Thanks.
Hey, Alison, I know just what you are talking about. And you hit the nail on the head! The 15 minutes pumps me up and makes me feel as though I’ve accomplished something already. And instead of putting off getting started on the larger task, I’m finding I am primed and ready to get started. Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you!
Hi Shelley,
Thank you so much for the great information. It’s given me an extra push. I’d like to share with you the first fruit of my labor.
Well, I’ve been challenged by The Golden Pencil to write for 15 minutes each day, and a great challenge that is considering the fact that beyond by daily journaling, sometimes I just don’t feel like writing. Well here goes. As with any task that I undertake, I believe the outcome from this commitment will be a positive and productive one.
I love to write, but noticeably since I have made the decision to freelance, I don’t seem to have much that I want to pen. That buck stops here. I have a lot of thoughts I therefore have a lot of things to write about.
One of the things that have been on my mind lately is the love I have for the outdoors, particularly for flowers. This year is the year that I garden again, it’s been three years since I potted and grew outdoor plants on a serious basis. I don’t mean the run of the mill plant in a pot on the porch. That’s a given for me as well as an abundance of house plants. Got greenery? I do, and lots of it. But my next adventure must take place in the yard, both the front and the back. Once I accomplish the work that comes with gardening I will be able to enjoy the foliage and flowers that will surround me. I can see myself sitting in the yard in my lawn chair, with my ice water in hand, shades on, and my favorite book. I think the dogs will like it too. I can even envision myself writing for hours in the yard. Nothing is more relaxing to me than journaling at Martha Rivers Park or on my front porch. I know that freelancing in the back yard will be quite a treat.
With all of that said, I am going (or will hire someone) to begin the task of preparing my yard for beauty. Am I going to plant seeds and all of that? Yes a little, but mostly I will start out with buying plants to adorn my yard, and taking the time to care for them. I am interested particularly in perennials. They say to me, “Hey you won’t have to work so hard at this next year”.
Roses, a couple of elephant ear plants, some flowers that will attract butterflies, a variety of flowering bushes, and a path to walk on is more than enough to get me started. I will keep the tasks simple so that I don’t become overwhelmed with the process, as I aspire to create a zone that will act as my “at home retreat”.
Yvette Carey
20 Minutes March 11, 2009
Yvette, thank you so much for your beautiful post! I’m so glad you were inspired to do more writing. You’ve made my day. You mentioned journaling—do you or have you thought about keeping a gardening journal?
I also have to tell you that you’ve inspired me in return—your timing was amazing, actually, because I’ve been working today on an upcoming post about gardening! And just before I read your note, I was wondering if it was even a good idea …
Thank you so much for sharing what you’ve done, and I hope you’ll keep letting me know how it’s going. With both your writing and your garden!
All my best,
Shelley
Shelley, thank you for your response. I have not done nor thought of a gardening journal, but it is a great idea. I just might try it.
I am looking forward to reading your gardening post. Will it appear on this site or another? Do you have a website? I would also like to read other things that you have written.
I will keep you posted on my progress.
Have a great evening,
Yvette
Hi Yvette, I hope that you do try a gardening journal—let me know!
My post will appear right here on Bizzia.com this Saturday, 3/14, and you also might enjoy an upcoming Freelance Spotlight on a garden writer. Stay tuned.
I don’t have a Web site yet. So far just Twitter—I’m @shelleydeluca if you would like to connect with me there.
Thanks again for writing in, and I look forward to staying in touch on your progress.
Best regards,
Shelley