DreamerHelen's New Diary - "Ad Astra per Aspera"

DreamerHelen

Hi Beccie....thank you for Posting....I agree with what you have said....I feel like I have just been Coasting along, borrowing money, living beyond my means and feeling deprived at the same time....

I actually thrive when I'm busy....so maybe I should remember that....and be grateful when I'm busy.

It's very difficult to eat while I'm logged on because if someone DOES Call and I've got a full mouth it's not a good sound....But I will only take a half hour break instead of an hour....so that I can have something to eat and then get back to it....

Crimson hun...I've read your PM and replied....I'll wait to hear from you when you have the time hun....x

Thank You everyone....I am £5 away from my morning Target...

PestoPasta

Ok, Helen, reach your £30 target. Half hour lunch - very quick shower - then back on the phones. OK, so it might be boring and soul destroying, but lots of jobs are. You need the money so you need to keep at it.

Looking forward to your progress reports.

DreamerHelen

PestoPasta wrote: »

Ok, Helen, reach your £30 target. Half hour lunch - very quick shower - then back on the phones. OK, so it might be boring and soul destroying, but lots of jobs are. You need the money so you need to keep at it.

Looking forward to your progress reports.

It IS soul-destroying but it's how I earn my Money so I need to start to love it....And I think that's important....

I'm going to Work until 1.30pm and then take a half-hour break and then back on the Phone's by 2pm....If I don't have time for a Shower then so be it....I don't have mix with anyone today!! LoL....

I'll Report back throughout the day....

catandy

Helen

you are my naughty twin - or as good as

I work from home like you in a job as shaky and unpredictable as you and one that requires you to 'put the hours in' just like you.

I'm also in debt up to my eyeballs as you can see from my signature.

I also procrastinate and make every excuse going to why I don't hit target or things don't go to plan or why I fall short, and why my plans always fall short, but I seem to be a step ahead in that when I know I've got to 'get my head down and get on with it' I do just that.

working on your own from home is anti-social and yes I go stir crazy and I find it hard to motivate myself and keep going (even more so when the sun is shining outside or I've got money in my purse and just want to go and buy something to cheer myself up). having said that for me to earn what I want and need to make I need to put x amount of hours in, same as if I was sitting in an office with my boss sitting across from me.

to work from home and be self employed you need to be even more motivated and organised than someone that works employed at a place of work cos you've got to do all of it yourself.

Here's what works for me:-

* work out a budget and that has to be realistic (covers my living costs and bills plus debt repayments and a bit of money left over for me to treat myself when I do everything I need to do.)
* work out how long in work hours that is going to take me to achieve, I have more productive hours in my line of business same as you do - so its a trade off more hours worked at sociable hours to earn the same amount of money I can in a shorter timespan at ungodly hours. then I work out how many days/ shifts I want to work a week / month and divide it all up that gives me my target per shift and some idea of when im working days/ shifts.
* work to my routine, yes my systems go down and I have issues with internet and phone so there's got to be some leeway in there but wherever possible stick to it (even when I want to take the day off and skive).
* have set breaks (I'm sitting at home talking to people so its not exactly tortuously hard work) that said I do need to get off my ever expanding !!! to get a drink/ go to the loo/ eat/ see that there is someone else alive in the world (I think you get the idea).
* do something when I'm not working - get out of the house, get some fresh air on my lunch break, go for a walk, go and have a natter at the local shop when I go and buy a pint of milk - anything just to prove that im not alone in the world (which is how it feels when you are that cut off from everyone) cos talking to people on the phone does not count as human contact.
* treat it as a job, when I've done what my target is then its my choice if I stay on and earn more 'cos im in the groove' or I go and chillax with a nice cup of tea and a good book but my job / earnings are in place and one less thing to worry about.

Basically what I'm trying to say is I think you need to treat it as a job - this for now is how you earn your money. So put some structure in place with targets and timescales and then stick to it - once that falls into place then everything else gets easier.

None of that is meant to sound harsh - its just some ideas from someone that has now worked self employed from home for the last 12 years on the phone and has worked out what works for me and what doesn't.

oh and as an afterthought I hate what I do as well - its officially the rubbishest (is that even a word?) job going but its what I and you do to earn a living.

DreamerHelen

Thank You for that Catandy...Sounds like we are very similar but you are already doing what I want to be doing....And it sounds good to have boundaries and rules and a schedule....

It's funny....talking about boundaries....In my Work as a Psychotherapist we have to be very strict with boundaries so as to protect the Client AND ourselves...so why can't I do that in my Professional Life as well?

I'm nearly there....another half hour to go....and then logging off for a half hour for Lunch....

catandy

you can do it - if you worked for a company in a formal setting it would be done for you and you wouldn't even think about it - its just cut it down to bite size chunks and then tackle each chunk at a time. before you know it its second nature and then it doesn't seems such a battle

DreamerHelen

catandy wrote: »

you can do it - if you worked for a company in a formal setting it would be done for you and you wouldn't even think about it - its just cut it down to bite size chunks and then tackle each chunk at a time. before you know it its second nature and then it doesn't seems such a battle

Thank You hun....and thank you for believing in me....I am starting to believe that I CAN do it....

I want to prove to everyone AND myself that I can hit my £460 Target this Week....And that will be THE most I have earned in ANY Week by far in about 12 months.....

Nearly there...and I'm over my Morning Target by a few Pounds...so that's good....

DreamerHelen

Right....Had something to eat....Didn't manage a Shower but that can wait until later....or tomorrow....

So I'm all logged on again....

I'm Working until 7pm....and then taking a short break....and then Working the Night Shift....

Not sure exactly what I will earn between now and 7pm but whatever I earn will be wonderful....I would like to earn £38 to take my Overall Total for the Week to £200 so far....But that depends on what Calls I get....I can't control that....but I will be Online until 7pm....so hopefully it will be busy....

catandy

Helen

have you ever thought of 'branching out' into other areas of your industry - ok you work on the phones and cant control if people decide to chat to you or someone else but why not look at using your creativity in other areas of the same market?

text chat work (rubbish pay but its steady and doesn't take much concentration) in other words you can manage to do it around the chat line stuff
writing for blogs or websites (you've obviously got an imagination)
promote yourself as a chatline worker to get more calls to you - I take it you work for a company so you've got your own PIN number or call number - promote yourself and drum up some business

DreamerHelen

That's not a bad idea Catandy....thanks hun....The Company I work for does Text Chat and you can do it while you are logged on....and apparently it CAN get quite busy...and would be extra money....

I'll look into that....My Manager is away today and for the Weekend but I'll drop her an Email for her to Reply to on Monday....

We're not allowed to go on Websites to Promote ourselves...but we DO have a Customer Website and I need to Change the Picture on that to keep it fresh and maybe change my FAQ's as well...That's another good idea....

It's going quite well since 2pm....Got a few long-ish Calls which is better than the 2-Minute Wonders....LoL....

Feeling really positive here....And ALL of Everyone's advice is great and very welcome....