I’ve been thinking about deadlines a lot. As a writer, I typically have a lot of deadlines. And I always meet them. I’ve never disappointed a client (or myself) by being late. In fact, I’m pretty conservative with my turnaround time because I want to make sure I have a buffer in case some emergency pops up. You just never know…

But for my own projects…my deadlines seem to come and go. It’s pitiful!

So what I’ve done is impose on myself the idea that every single day is the day before vacation. Whether you work for yourself or you work for “the man,” you know the crazy dash to get stuff done before you head out the door to go on vacation. Somehow, you manage to scramble around and get countless things done in an insane timeframe that you would never think possible. And of course it is possible. It’s just not the norm for day-to-day work.

So here at Casa McAllister, every day is the day before I go off on vacation. Of course, I really would love to head off to some tropical destination. But until that time comes, I can pretend. I’m a writer, for heaven’s sake. I’ve got imagination to spare!

So instead of really cool vacations, the next best thing? Really cool contests! If you haven’t come across the Freelance Folder, you should check it out. I take a look several times a week to see what kind of tips they come up with. And right now, they are kind enough to be running a contest. Check it out and enter! You never know, it could be your lucky day!!