Ok, so as I’ve been prepping for this year and all that it encompases, I’ve re-realized something about myself. I need systems. I need rules. I need a schedule.
People will often comment on how great it must be, being your own boss. Well, yes. It is kinda nice–not gonna lie. (Like that Christmas-bonus I got of buying myself a new laptop.) However, it brings up challenges that, for me and my personality, can make it very difficult; which is the reason I need systems, rules and a schedule. So, this year I am trying to implement more of those things in my life and my business. As my business has grown — for which I’m SO grateful — I am now at a place where I cannot try to keep up with everything with mental notes or even sticky notes, helpful as they are.

The Systems:
When I use the word ‘System’ I am talking mainly of workflow. What I do after a shoot. My goal is always to download the images the same day, and back them up. This takes the stress off me of the possibility of losing images. What I do after that, is what I’m now trying to figure out. I need to sort, cull, edit, load, blog, design, etc but without a System, I procrastinate. Also, how/when do I follow up with potential clients. These are all things that will fall through the cracks or I will procrastinate if I do not have a system in place.

The Rules:
Rules give freedom. Ironic, isn’t it? But when I know my boundaries/rules, I am free to do what needs to be done, within those rules. Right? When I know my weaknesses, as I’ve expressed above, then I can set up rules to help me. Example, as I’ve mentioned before, if I don’t have a plan for my blogs, then I don’t blog. So one of my new rules is that by the end of a Friday, I have planned out my blogs for the following week. Committing myself to this, frees me from the guilt/stress of going MIA on the blog every once in awhile.

The Schedule:
If I have a system, and I have rules, then I can set a schedule that helps me do my job to the best of my ability. If my schedule says Tuesday is my day for editing… then I have total freedom to NOT edit on Monday. Because I know I have time set aside for it on Tuesday. Again, that gives me freedom to catch up on other things on Monday. Or if I know I give myself x-amount of time for coffee/lunch with friends, then I don’t feel guilty for closing my laptop to spend time with the people in my life.

These 3 can seem like the same thing, but each is a little different. However, if I slack on any one of these, the other’s won’t work either. I can set up a system, but if I don’t have a schedule, then I will be having coffee with friends all week long. If I have a schedule/office hours, but don’t have rules or a system, I will procrastinate because I won’t know where to start on my to-do list. So, in light of it still being January, these are some of the goals I have for 2013, to grow my business by having systems, rules and a schedule because I believe by doing that I will get to enjoy my job, my life, and the people that are a part of that.