When I was a freelance writer, my clients always had deadlines for me. Given that the writing comes at the beginning of a project my deadlines were usually tight so that there was wiggle room for the delays that occurred later.
I never missed a deadline, even when the interviewee was reclusive or there was a winter storm that prevented an interview in person. It’s a personal record that still makes me proud, although I stopped freelancing a long time ago.
It’s the same with various appointments. My hair stylist, my family practice physician, and my dermatologist all send reminders, but it’s unnecessary. If I’ve made an appointment with some service provider, you can be sure I’ll be there on time. Same goes for Pilates, my personal trainer, and my friends. None of them send me reminders, and I always show up.
Unfortunately, this trait does not extend to my self-imposed deadlines. For example, I’d hoped to finish my book in November; it’s still languishing at the holiday season. I’d hoped to put up my daily blog at noon each day; you can see how that’s going. I also hoped to make time each day for piano practice. But all these good intentions are paving the way to you-know-where.
I’m not sure what to do. At my age, it could be an old dog/new trick sort of thing. But I would really like to treat my commitments to myself with the same respect as I treat my commitments to others.
Please send suggestions to anne@annebrandt.com. I’ll be eternally grateful, especially if something you suggest works.
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