Planning, Meetings and Delivery - Feb 21, 2017

I agreed to undertake some work that was not in my usual line of business. So there I am, the day before the meeting:
Planning:

• Note book to take down the information which the "client" will provide.
• List of questions in writing in the notebook to ask the client.
• Receipt book as I intend to issue a receipt for the documents which I am accepting and any equipment which I will receive.

Meeting day:

The potential client  came on time after a day of rain falling bucket a drop and my living on a hill so everywhere is damp.

Notes were taken in my notebook; much more than were planned. Discussion over expectations went well.

Receipt was issued for the documents and the equipment which was accepted. Price and payment terms were discussed.

Work in Progress:

I started the work on the day when I received it, partly because I wanted to get into the complexity of the work, see how challenging it would be and because I wanted to make a dent in it.   Night came and I am still at it, partly listening to music from Sunday Carnival in St. James while I work. In one particularly long document, I jump to the end of it and start typing the last page, then I move to the second to last.

By then  I realised that I am slowing down and I have to have a strategy... Either I focus on attaining the goal which is to have  all of the documents completed by the due date or I focus on getting the first set ready for delivery.

 Thus I create another file and start typing another document. Complete  it. Then I create another file and type another document. Complete it. 

I look at my clock and aha I have been at this typing for close to four hours and  I need to stop for the day or rather the night.

On the second day I return to the document which I started the previous day and I complete it.. By now I am looking at pages to complete, thus

• I create about three files for different pieces of work.. Type up the information
• Then I look at a pad with documents to type and I am groaning inwardly.. Time to get something to eat... Some of those cookies with oats and peanut butter, protein  which I made on Saturday evening will keep me going....
• I type a few more pages and I need more food... This time it is potato salad from Sunday... No warming of food, just put it on the plate and have it near enough to you. Side bends come in handy to keep the food from being near to the lap top.
• This time I start at the bottom of the note pad and work my way forward.. Three documents and I am done...

Then I update one of my copies of the receipt book with each day's activity, so that I know how much I have "earned" per day.

I prepare my "payment voucher" with the information on what I am returning to the client. 

I cross reference the information in my note book with details from the receipt. I now have to enter the details of my payment voucher in my note book when that is completed.

Lessons Learnt

• A Bible can come in handy as a reference book... Thanks Nick (nephew) for leaving your New Jerusalem Bible, I could not find my copy as I had gotten accustomed to googling stuff and I thought I would not need it. 
• In typing some of the pages I checked references to see how it was that  I did not know all of those things in the Bible...
• I realized that Abraham or was it Moses may have had a sense of humor and may have been a kind old man with some amount of wisdom...
• I realized that I wanted to re read some parts of the Bible as I had focused on the Good News for a long time.
• Referencing can be learnt in a variety of ways... This can be as simple as identifying a book on  which a  "Reflection is done" just because you know the name of the character or just because you get lucky :)
• Having your own tools can be great, however sometimes you may need assistance
• A price can be flexible if you treat the work as something that you will learn from and schedule it for hours outside of the norm.
• Consider meeting clients on weekends "in regular times" to  receive work.. In that way, you can start it right away and not lose time during your day. This is important during the busy  period of your life.
• When  there are public holidays either before or after the weekend, then you may need longer delivery dates for work, so that persons are not stressed immediately after the holiday.
• I can use my accounting and auditing knowledge in other areas of my life... When things get too much for one book, then I can diversify my books into lines of business.
• I am able to meet due dates. :)
• I can enjoy work....

copyright Jennifer N Bailey
email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com