How Many Hours Do I Really Work?
  Written By Raven

I think I sit at my computer, working, twenty-four hours a day.

Knowing that is a patent lie, I decided to keep a diary log of how much time I actually spent working on income-producing projects. Since I have no children living at home, my major distraction is our five dogs, who want to be let out, individually, every half hour or so. They never go out at the same time. I realise I allowed them too much individuality; but, they are past the point of changing. Doggie doors are not feasible where I live, for that would invite dangerous critters of all sizes and shapes.

While this is a fairly accurate representation of my day, there are always events that occur to throw off my timing. I found, as a sanity saver and an excellent time management tool, that, keeping a text file on my desktop, called "To Do List", allows me to write down that which I did not complete. I can also list due dates, so I don't feel quite as overwhelmed when I'm thinking about what needs to be finished. Being very deadline oriented, having that list saves me from going into panic mode quite often.

This industry travels at it's own pace. Ideally, a routine is the most efficient method of conducting one's business; however, most employees and employers are rarely able to adhere to a strict time lined schedule. There will always be something that delays, obstructs, or completely throws 'all to hell' the perfectly planned day for optimised production, be it personal or professional.

Many webmasters have children or ailing parents or any number of outside influences which will disrupt the work day. When mapping goals, those factors must be considered. Planning the day's tasks gives me an idea of what needs to be accomplished, so I can realistically meet deadlines, build sites, return phone calls, and complete the myriad tasks in a reasonable amount of time. If, at the end of the day, my goals are not met, they are rolled over to the next working day. I have a list of long term goals on the board behind my desk, which includes a prioritised breakdown of present projects, clean up projects from past endeavours and future projects. By making my “To Do” list, I prevent that “Where Do I Start” syndrome. Tackling small bites is far more digestible than trying to eat the entire pie.

7 a.m.
Eyes open, then shut again. Morning comes very early in our business. We operate our business from our home. Since we do not shut down every night, each of the sixteen computers in our network is on and ready for us. I spend approximately five minutes wondering where the night went and why I don't feel rested. The answer is partly because we run our business from home. My office is about ten feet from my bed, in what should have been a sitting room. The advantage to working from home is I don't have to get dressed. The disadvantage is I never leave work.

Within moments of awakening, I am in the bathroom, doing those bathroom things most people do. I will not go into detail here, as it is not germane to our current discussion. Since my college days, I've learned to "wake up" fairly alert, with the ability to think somewhat coherently.

7:15 a.m.
Coffee. The Nectar of Life.
We have our coffee maker set for automatic brewing, which makes life much easier at oh dark thirty. With mug in hand, I am in front of my computer, updating my virus scanner. Usually, that involves a restart. I take the time to sip my coffee, as I wait for my computer to re boot. We actually bought two coffee makers and they run most of the day, saving us some precious moments. There is more coffee in my veins than actual blood; but, it gets me through the day!

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Email.
I receive scads of emails, mostly spam. I am one who doesn't write to the spammers, nor do I report them. I learned that responding to the "remove" only confirms my email address. I read some of them. I get ideas from a few. At this point, I have a text file open and I am jotting down my responses to the marketing presented to me. My mouse hand is very busy, deleting mail, as I go through each one.

I spend a portion of every morning, putting pertinent information letters into their proper folders. Otherwise, I would not find anything. I have had to learn to be organised with my mail and I take the time to keep my inbox and sent box empty. Every piece of mail I keep is placed into its corresponding folder. This does take some time; but, in the long run, it saves time. One of my businesses is very service oriented, so I must keep their correspondences efficiently filed. It is not unlikely that the phone will start ringing, even this early. Since my clients live in different time zones, they do not adhere to my schedule. Every email that has come in during the night receives a response. Even if I do not have the answer desired, I write back to show I have received it and I am working on whatever I've been asked.

9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Resource Boards.
While I do not post on every single board, I have a folder that lists just about all of them. I read them, too. There are so many boards; but, I have found gems of information, ideas and solutions, just by taking the time to read. I spend a good part of my day, reading and posting to boards for many reasons. Networking is essential for everyone in this industry. I also have friends who are online and this is a way to keep in touch with their lives. The information I garner from reading the boards is priceless.

I don't always post at this time, because, by now, the phones are usually ringing, ICQ messages and emails arrive; and, this is when things begin to break apart in my well ordered world. That text file I mentioned above comes in very handy, right about now. By writing it down, I don't forget about it and can return to whatever project needs my most immediate attention when I return to normalcy.

11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Hell Number One.
If there is going to be a time for my day to go to hell, this is it. The west coast is awake; the east coast is well into its day. Europe is wherever it is, depending on the time zone; and, the pulse of the Internet begins to race. Having been in this business for a number of years, I have learned to keep this time open for such occurrences. If nothing is happening at this time, I will stand up from my computer and walk around. All of my clients have my cell phone number and both business numbers, so, reaching me is not a problem. I also have ICQ, email and AIM. I believe the people for whom I perform a service should be able to contact me at their leisure, since they ARE paying me for my availability. Being accessible can mean the difference between keeping an account and losing one.

As an aside, I never make doctor appointments during morning hours. I have a great aversion to being somewhere before the afternoon. I think it's because I work from home and the days of having to schedule my day around an outside appointment are not necessary any more. I am more likely to make and receive phone calls during this time. As a rule, I do not leave the house before 1 p.m. to shop for groceries, go to an outside appointment or run errands. This gives me time to contain whatever crisis is occurring, so I can get into my car. I've now had the time to email or call clients to tell them I'm on my cell phone and am reachable; but, I'm not in front of my computer.

3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Scheduled chats.
During the week, there are usually one or two scheduled chats, covering a variety of topics. I try to attend them, barring any major event that would interfere. It's a networking opportunity; but, that is secondary to learning about the industry in which I work. There are new things happening every day on the Internet, new marketing techniques, and spins on old ones. There is never a day where I don't learn something. Even though chats last for an hour or so, it takes some time to enter and leave the chat room. There are people who want to talk to me and I also want to chat with them.

4:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Hell Number Two
This is another one of those crazy times for me. There are three times a day when the phones will go nuts or emails arrive, needing urgent answers or I have twenty ICQ's open. Because there are certain rhythms to every business, after a few years, I've gotten a sense of others' timing and I make sure I am available.

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Dinner. I have to eat. Enough said!

8:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Work
For me, this is kind of a quiet time. Other than ICQ communications, the phones have calmed down. My "To Do" list is opened and I begin to finish whatever I had started, before the interruptions began. I work on each task, after prioritising them, according to their due dates. This will change because there are chats during these hours, so my schedule will have to be adjusted accordingly. Thursday night is the one night when, at 9 p.m., all work stops, so I can relax with my friends. If a client interrupts, so be it. Party time is fun; but, clients pay my bills.

10:00 - 12:30 a.m.
Hell Number 3.
Now is the the time for all hell to break loose for the third time, during my day. It is not unusual for me to be talking to ten different people, at the same time. Even though my email correspondence has slowed, the ICQ's increase. Last minute questions need to be addressed. Sites need to be reviewed for my other business. Stats need to be checked. Articles need to be written or started. Subcontractors are contacted to see how they are progressing on projects for my needs and my clients' needs. My "To Do" list is updated for the next day. Last minute details are noted in a text file. Each client has their own folder, where I put little "sticky notes" in the form of text files. When I walk away from my computer for the last time, everything is written down and organised.

Lest you think my day is over, my husband, Tev and I, before going to sleep, have a mini conference to discuss our day. Even though we see each other often, our offices are located at opposite ends of the house. We discuss pertinent subjects throughout the day; but, this is the time when we dream and plan and talk marriage talk. We do not have a television in our bedroom. It is our only real place for serenity. We watch very little television and now I see why. Having written down "my activities of daily living", I can see why I think I work 'round the clock. I do believe in sleep time, even though I go to bed thinking about my business and wake up the same way. At least, by getting into bed, I am resting my body, so I can begin again, somewhat refreshed.