Sunday, November 25, 2007

handy lessons

Although the final stages of building a (very comprehensive) website is slow going...the organisation and preparation appears to be never ending...then there's the testing, the continuous changes and re-evaluation of functionality...did I mention the testing???
Anyhow...while such things can be laborious and frustrating, actually being part of such a creative process is really very exciting and extremely fulfilling. I have loved everything from drawing each page of the site freehand (in crayons no less!) and discussing the look and feel with the web designers to the fashion shoots, and the endless hours of editing and preparing text.
And most importantly, this last few months has taught me a few very valuable personal skills that may have been lacking in the past:
1 . Patience! A handy lesson for me has been to always over estimate the time it takes to get things done...and not to freak out about things that are fundamentally out of my control. Timeframes blow out...just use the extra time wisely!
2. Prioritise! Spending time working out what my priorities are and focusing on what needs to be done and in which order is soooo important! As is not getting bogged down in the details and wasting time on insignificant things.
3. Support! I have finally learned to network and to ask people for help and advice. The support of a great mentor, which I now have, and the help of a team of experts has made the process so much easier
4. Enjoyment and down time is essentail for a healthy, happy life - And it's your right!
Working from home and for myself is the ultimate reward! I am more disciplined and focused and work much harder now but I have also learned to take some time out each and every day to appreciate how great life really is...and I've never been more relaxed!

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