Inbox alerts can be such a trap for busy people!

Ignore Inbox Alerts

Inbox alerts can be such a trap for busy people! We know that email is arriving almost all the time and it takes a lot of willpower to stop checking emails. Turn your emails off, and only check emails at specific times during the day. Obviously, if you’re   running your own translation business you need to check emails throughout the day, but ideally, you’ll check every hour or two, then answer all emails in one go at the end of the day. Either way, do whatever works for you, but keep email alerts off while you’re working.

Set Aside a Specific Time of the Day for Catching up

This time period will be different for different people. Some people work most effectively in the morning, while for other people this is a very busy family time of the day so their effective time is late in the evening. If you have small children, working at night (but not too late) when children are in bed can be a quiet and productive time for many translators.

For Long-Term Projects, Work in Small Daily Chunks

Waiting for a large amount of uninterrupted work-time is simply a fantasy because there’s so much else that needs to be done. So, logically you know that large chunk of uninterrupted time is never going to happen! Resolve to work on your large project for a certain period of time every single day: don’t keep waiting for that block of time to magically appear. Work with the time you do have and it won’t be long before your large translation project is completed. Of course, this works for other large projects in your life as well – by doing just a little bit every single day you’ll get through your work, exercise program, study, or whatever it is that’s challenging you at the moment - but just start! Every small bit count - and adds up to the final finished product.

Make the Most of Your Time

There are certain tasks that require your attention during the day, but they don’t require your undivided attention. We’re definitely not suggesting here that you multitask because multitasking means that nothing gets done to the best of your ability. What we’re referring to here is that there are some things that can be done at the same time; such as talking on the phone to a friend whilst putting the washing in the dryer; or perhaps sitting with your child whilst they catch up on homework and you check your emails.

No-One Said Working at Home Would Be Problem-Free!

No-one said that working at home would be easy. Everyone has to compromise, and even then there are always going to be problems. But what’s the alternative! You wouldn’t be translating from home if what you really wanted was a 9-to-5 office job, so you simply need to accept that this is the life you chose, and it can work very well. Certainly some days are going to test your patience but, generally, running your own successful translation business from your home office is pretty much the ultimate lifestyle. If you have a family then you’re always there for your children; the money you earn is determined largely by the number of hours you choose to work, and you can work the hours of your choice. Many, many people would love the opportunity to enjoy this type of work situation, but you already have it! So make it work for you!