Going Out to Lunch

"Going out to lunch" is an office workers escape. When I worked a "real" job, I often found myself at lunch with coworkers. This was our time to dish the dirt and all around relax our minds from whatever was going on at work. These lunches were especially necessary during the tumultuous and uncertain times of the recession when we experienced 3 layoffs over the period of only a few short months. Lunch was a time for camaraderie and fun. I enjoyed it - A LOT!

Now that I'm freelancing, I miss those days. Honestly, "lunch dates" are one of the few things that I miss about working outside of the home. I miss that opportunity to socialize over food. Now I sit at my computer and eat. Going out to lunch is not so much about satisfying hunger (certainly you're hungry) as it is spending time away from the office with people you've gotten to know through work.

At any rate, I was surprised today by two other people who work as contractors for the same company I work with. Needless to say, it was a very pleasant surprise. They live over 8 hours away (driving), so it's not like we see each other often. As a matter of fact, this was my first time seeing them. However, I picked up in conversation with them as if I'd known them for a while. I enjoyed being able to get out again and enjoy time with people who can "relate" to my work.

The moral of the story is: sometimes it's nice to go out to lunch. It allows you to escape the office and socialize a bit. Humans are very social creatures, thus we need socialization in order to thrive - even when it comes to our work.

How many of you have lunch groups you go out to eat with every so often? Do you think this makes your day run more smoothly?

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1 Surefire Way to Increase Your Productivity

Freelancers must learn to be as productive as possible. You have to juggle multiple responsibilities within your business, work with various clients, etc. If you aren't productive, you can easily fall behind and have upset clients within one week or less. 

However, there is one surefire way to increase your productivity: get ready for work.

You will be surprised at how much you can get done when you have shifted your brain into working mode. The quickest way to go from 0 to 60 (productivity style) is to get dressed for work - all the way down to putting on shoes. I explain more details in this video:

It works, believe me. If you don't believe me, try it, and if it doesn't work, you have full permission to give me a good cyberslap :-).

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Getting Your Loved Ones to Understand the Freelance Lifestyle

You're weird. You don't wake up every morning, rush out the house, fight with traffic, and sit in a cubicle (or maybe even a nicely-appointed office) all day long. Yeah, you're one of those...one of those...freelancers. It's almost as if you exist on your own little island or came from another planet. The point is, you're not like them, and that's a problem -- or is it?

Do either of these sound familiar?

• Your friends are planning to get together and they're comparing schedules, but you are conveniently left out of the discussion. After everyone else is all set, they let you know the time they've come up with. When you ask why you weren't involved in the planning, you're informed that you can come anytime. It's not like you work a real job anyway.
• Your significant other asks you to run an errand that will take at least a couple of hours. You mention that you have a few things you have to work on that day, and you're met with "I thought you made your own schedule."
• Your mom (or dad) asks you for a ride to the store, bank, etc. When you say you're just a bit busy with work stuff, they tell you that your job is on the internet and you can do that anytime.

If you can relate to any of the above, you are suffering from "freelanceritis" (not a real word). This is a condition that affects those who have friends and family who don't quite understand that you actually work for a living. They mistake freedom for not being required to work. They feel that if you work at home your job is "easy" and less pressing than their jobs or anything else they have/want to do.

So, how do you combat this thinking? Well, it's definitely not simple - especially if the person in question has never done any freelance work. Some have found success from disconnecting themselves from friends/family while working. Others have been able to find success in talking with their loved ones about their work and work schedule. Ultimately, though, the most successful approaches involve a bit of education (you may even suggest they read this post).

Make sure they know your work is important, your work is your priority, you really do work when you say you're working, you have a work schedule just like anyone else (though you set it yourself). Ideally, you should be keeping business hours where you focus exclusively on your work. This will lessen confusion because people will know that between 8-5, 10-6, etc. you are actually working.

At some point, I hope freelancing is a more understood and widely-accepted career choice. But, until then, keep educating the ones you love so that they can respect you and your work.

P.S. If someone referred you to read this blog post and you aren't a freelancer, they are trying to tell you something. Start taking their work seriously. Please and thank you. *smile*

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