Your Typical Work Day?

[aunice1]

Wow. My typical workday varies, but since my 5 y. o daughter is out of school for Christmas break, its a little different than usual. I'm actually just getting started writing for the day @ 4:00pm PST. I've got easy work ahead, needing very little research anyway.

On most days I'm up at around 4 or 5am getting started working. Carpool my daughter to school, come back home, get coffee, read emails and the news. Then I work until 2:55pm, go pick up my daughter from school and that's pretty much where it ends. I take a couple of short breaks in between to do some chores/housework, etc. Sometimes I go to sleep real early and wake back up about 2 or 3am to finish up something.

Generally, I try to take a couple days each week to just look for new work. Today was one of those days.

[Kelly2809]

On a typical day I end up writing during the mid morning. If I don't finish up by noon I write more during the evening after my little one has settled down until about 10 or 11. I try to spend the early afternoon and evening with my daughter and then my husband, depending on what's going on. If I have a tight deadline he will help me with watching our daughter until I'm finished for the night. Most days I only work a part-time schedule unless finances are tight.

[funmom91]

I start my day at 5:30. My hubby has to leave at 6am. So, usually my 2 year old will go to daycare - lately he hasn't because he is sick - and my 5 month old will get up around 7. I check my emails from 6-7 and scout for jobs. Then when he wakes up I change him and feed him. I work on and off throughout the day - stopping for feedings and changing - until 2pm. We get dressed then at 3:30 or 4ish we go pick up my 2 year old from school. I usually get back around 4:30 or 5ish and give him a snack and squeeze in 2 hours of work. At 7 he eats dinner and the hubby usually arrives around 7:30 or 8 and takes over from there. If I have school work I will do school from 8-10 then if I have extra work I will work from 10-12. Of course, this is based off if I have no more errands or surprises pop up.

[JJB]

Originally Posted by karmicwindows

My day doesn't start until around noon, 1pm. Mostly because I'm a night owl and do my best work in the wee hours. I often see my hubby off to work at 5 am.

Originally Posted by inkkognito

I have to force myself to wake up early because I'm a night owl by nature.

It's good to see more "creatures of the night" alive and well! Ever since I was 17, I've operated at my best overnight. Back in college, I'd wait until 3 AM the day a paper was due to get on it. I think it was a combination of the last-minute nature and the adrenalin rush that had me performing at my peak level.

I don't keep a consistent schedule... at all. If I tried, I'd probably "fall off" two weeks later. Part of that is likely due to the "sleep debt" I've accumulated over the last decade or so, but I've done this for so long that I know when I'm at my best (and worst). Waking up at 5:30 AM and dragging myself out of bed to have a cup of coffee never worked for me. Even then, with my clients in different time zones anyway, there's no need to be awake wasting time doing nothing. I'm always doing something... always. Whether it's professionally (most of the time) or personally (rarely), I don't find solace or need a break. I don't need "quiet time" and the idea of going on vacation just doesn't appeal to me, especially when most people are two weeks behind after they return from that two-week vacation.

Still, everybody is wired differently.

I mostly edit now and rarely write as much as I used to, especially since I make much, much more editing than I do writing. The rare moments I write now, I'm able to write for pleasure or take lower-paying assignments that will lead to consistent work, instead of just going with the highest bidder.

It's kind of like a "rockstar" lifestyle... except for the fact that I'm not in a band, can't play an instrument, and have stage fright. Some days I'll edit and write for a good, consistent 16 hours. I might stay awake for 1.5 or two days straight. When I'm deeply involved and firing on all cylinders with assignments, sleep just gets in the way sometimes. It's that necessary evil!

One day, I'll wake up when the (stock) markets open so I can day trade (my favorite hobby and my other source of income), and another day I'll wake up at 3 or 4 PM and end up writing all night.

Sometimes it's based on availability as well. I find that the project manager for the site where I edit the most puts all of the work into the system in the late afternoon or early evening. I always ask him what's going to be available that day so I know. If he tells me it's going to be a slow day, I don't have to bother being around later. If he tells me he's going to put "tons of work" in the system, then I prepare for that.

Being that I am greedy and want them all to myself, I'm typically the only one awake overnight. The majority of freelancers (the ones that are "normal people" at least) are still morning people, so I'm able to complete everything before most people are able to log on the next day for those assignments. Still, I know many writers have a regular day job and/or children. I'd be the same way if I did.

By the time the client or project manager gets in the next morning and finds out that all of the assignments are complete, I make both of our "days" at the same time. Mine is made because I finished everything and made a boatload of money, and theirs is complete since they can send them to the client for approval barely 24 hours after they were submitted. The added bonus is that it proves my reliability and they have me do personal assignments for them (or other clients) as well.

Combine that work for just one of the sites with my private, local clients and I could probably work for 24 hours a day if I had the energy to do it. I just have to step back and make sure I don't burn myself out sometimes, because the desire to work hard and make great money will still eventually lose to my body and mind needing to recharge and rest, so yes... I sleep sometimes. I always say if there's ever a safe, "healthy" alternative to sleep, I'll be happy to volunteer and test it out. It's just a great motivator to be able to make money and succeed doing this on my own since it took me so long to get over the self-doubt that gets in so many of our ways.