When you first start a video business, you fight like crazy to get any kind of project that will help pay the bills. Then, once the ball starts rolling you realize that you are working 20 hours a day with no time to care for your health or nurture the relationships you cherish with family and friends.
Many of you may be thinking that you can't wait until you have more work than you can handle. In some cases, this is a blessing. But only if you take the time to make sure the workload is properly managed.
Here's 5 tips for how to handle a heavy workload:
1. Turn off your office phone and cell phone when you are editing.
This will help you stay 100% focused on moving a project forward instead of only being half in-tune because your brother, mom and several telemarketers don't understand that you are trying to get a job done.
You can check your messages every two to three hours or while you are waiting for the project to render but don't leave yourself open to interruptions when you are "in" the edit. If you aren't comfortable leaving the phone unmanned, give it to someone that you trust who can take the calls for you.
Just be sure they know that the only time you are to be interrupted is if it's a prospective client wanting to talk about a production or an existing client with an emergency. Everything else can wait.
2. Don't waste your time in worthless meetings.
Whether they know it or not, people will often steal your time by asking you to join them in a meeting that really won't do anything to grow your business.
When you have a lot of projects to work on in a short period of time, guard every minute! If the meeting will create a direct and measurable marketing/sales benefit for your business, attend it. Any other type of meeting should be rescheduled until your workload has eased up.
3. Don't push the envelope on every project.
It's okay to try new things when times are slow but when you are slammed, use the creative skills you have already developed to complete the projects.
This will help you move through projects at a much faster pace than if you download a new plug-in "just for this project." I'm all for on-the-job training, but be very careful not to waste any time when the work load is heavy.
4. Pick one night a week where you work all night long to get ahead of the curve.
No matter how hard you try to focus throughout the day, there will always be small distractions that keep you from being 100% efficient and productive.
I used to work all night on Wednesdays with just a few hours of sleep on Thursday morning. The extended "hump day" was all I needed to stay ahead of the game. The extra 12-14 hours of work a week worked wonders for knocking out the backlog.
Staying up all night certainly isn't fun, but the adrenaline of your new video business venture and a few cold mountain dews will be enough to get you through the busy times.
5. Drink plenty of water and grab power naps when you can.
Staying hydrated will help you stay energized....yes, even more so than a mountain dew or red bull. Those give you a quick boost but it doesn't last long.
Regarding sleep, I remember taking a nap while I rendered the timeline. I'd turn the audio on my computer up really loud so when the render was completed, the loud "DONG!" would wake me up.
It was amazing how just 10 to 15 minutes of sleep would keep me running when trying to complete projects with what seemed like at the time, ridiculous deadlines.
Okay, here's a bonus tip:
6. EXERCISE!
I don't care if you walk for 30 minutes around your neighborhood or if you go to the gym and jump on the treadmill or bike. This is food for your brain!
You need this in order to stay focused through trying times..a.k.a. heavy workloads! You don't think twice about maintaining your computers and production equipment. You know that if the tools aren't maintained, they will shut down when we need them the most.
Your body and mind are the same way. Drink water, eat sensibly and exercise. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. You'll be amazed at how much better you'll feel about everything.
Many of you may be thinking that you can't wait until you have more work than you can handle. In some cases, this is a blessing. But only if you take the time to make sure the workload is properly managed.
Here's 5 tips for how to handle a heavy workload:
1. Turn off your office phone and cell phone when you are editing.
This will help you stay 100% focused on moving a project forward instead of only being half in-tune because your brother, mom and several telemarketers don't understand that you are trying to get a job done.
You can check your messages every two to three hours or while you are waiting for the project to render but don't leave yourself open to interruptions when you are "in" the edit. If you aren't comfortable leaving the phone unmanned, give it to someone that you trust who can take the calls for you.
Just be sure they know that the only time you are to be interrupted is if it's a prospective client wanting to talk about a production or an existing client with an emergency. Everything else can wait.
2. Don't waste your time in worthless meetings.
Whether they know it or not, people will often steal your time by asking you to join them in a meeting that really won't do anything to grow your business.
When you have a lot of projects to work on in a short period of time, guard every minute! If the meeting will create a direct and measurable marketing/sales benefit for your business, attend it. Any other type of meeting should be rescheduled until your workload has eased up.
3. Don't push the envelope on every project.
It's okay to try new things when times are slow but when you are slammed, use the creative skills you have already developed to complete the projects.
This will help you move through projects at a much faster pace than if you download a new plug-in "just for this project." I'm all for on-the-job training, but be very careful not to waste any time when the work load is heavy.
4. Pick one night a week where you work all night long to get ahead of the curve.
No matter how hard you try to focus throughout the day, there will always be small distractions that keep you from being 100% efficient and productive.
I used to work all night on Wednesdays with just a few hours of sleep on Thursday morning. The extended "hump day" was all I needed to stay ahead of the game. The extra 12-14 hours of work a week worked wonders for knocking out the backlog.
Staying up all night certainly isn't fun, but the adrenaline of your new video business venture and a few cold mountain dews will be enough to get you through the busy times.
5. Drink plenty of water and grab power naps when you can.
Staying hydrated will help you stay energized....yes, even more so than a mountain dew or red bull. Those give you a quick boost but it doesn't last long.
Regarding sleep, I remember taking a nap while I rendered the timeline. I'd turn the audio on my computer up really loud so when the render was completed, the loud "DONG!" would wake me up.
It was amazing how just 10 to 15 minutes of sleep would keep me running when trying to complete projects with what seemed like at the time, ridiculous deadlines.
Okay, here's a bonus tip:
6. EXERCISE!
I don't care if you walk for 30 minutes around your neighborhood or if you go to the gym and jump on the treadmill or bike. This is food for your brain!
You need this in order to stay focused through trying times..a.k.a. heavy workloads! You don't think twice about maintaining your computers and production equipment. You know that if the tools aren't maintained, they will shut down when we need them the most.
Your body and mind are the same way. Drink water, eat sensibly and exercise. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. You'll be amazed at how much better you'll feel about everything.
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