Janelle Baine of Inkee Press has been working her graphic design magic for us over at Oz Baby Trends for some time now. I often send her half a dozen jobs in a week and wonder how on earth she keeps up and keeps organised. I mean, it’s not as if we’re her only client! And most graphic design jobs have deadlines… so how does she do it? I asked her.
Janelle’s Tip: “When I find myself feeling overwhelmed with the projects and deadlines I have on, I write a list on a pad sitting next to me at my desk so I can physically cross them off as I complete them. This helps me to keep focused and I feel a sense of achievement for the day; otherwise hours can go by with only answering emails and doing errands.”
Janelle is someone I genuinely admire, both for her friendly way of dealing with clients and for her talent in graphic design.
I love that her tip focuses on “the list”. A physical list helps us to stay on track, pulls us back when we do become distracted, and gives us something to “check off” – a real sense of accomplishment.
As solo-preneurs, the list method can hold us accountable. Accountability keeps us productive.
I love lists and I particularly like the 3 MITs concept. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s the method by which you list your three Most Important Tasks (or Maximum Impact Tasks) each evening, ready to tackle the next day. This method can be really helpful for multi-passionate entrepreneurs because it helps us to maintain singular focus. If it’s not an MIT, it doesn’t get done! Simple.
Are you a list person? Do you prefer pen and paper or an electronic method?
