Are you Too Busy?

by Melanie Haynes

As voice over talent, we feel most secure when we’re super busy!  We have a stack of e-learning to narrate, an audiobook or two in the wings, ISDN and phone patch commercial and corporate sessions scheduled, and maybe even an “in town” booking or two scheduled via our agent.  True, we might feel overwhelmed or a little frazzled, but we are secure in knowing there are projects carrying us through the next week or beyond.  And then, the projects are finished, the email and phone inquiries slow down, and even though we might even feel a bit of relief and know it’s just temporary, there is a bit of emptiness.  That old “will I ever work again?” whisper snakes it’s way into our thoughts.

Of course, we know it will get busy – even crazy – again.  So, this is when we get to work on all those projects that we just don’t seem to be able to make time for in our normal schedule.  Being self employed and usually without other employees to help, this is a good opportunity to :

•  Double check our bookkeeping – have we categorized everything correctly, so that when we run those quarterly and end of year reports everything shows up that belongs in the report?
•  Check those web site listings that we’ve been ignoring to make sure our correct and latest demos are actually on the sites.
•  Get in touch with clients we’ve been meaning to email or call.
•  And while we’re at it, send those emails inquiring about any overdue invoice payments!
•  Set up some new organization tools so that they are in place, familiar and already functioning when things get wild.
•  Record and send those auditions that we just haven’t been able to get to, yet.
•  And since it’s the season:
•  Order any holiday gifts for clients and schedule delivery dates
•  Send notes or work on holiday cards
•  Take time for personal education, work, meditation, exercise!
•  And last, but not least, take time to focus and be grateful for all of the work, clients, friends, and family in our lives and visualize all the wonderful things to come!

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