One thing that can sometimes be tricky for home-based professionals is figuring out how to deal with those times when you simply cannot do it all. Try as you might to manage and schedule your workload so that you are never double-booked, it can and does happen anyways. Sometimes everything looks good on your schedule and then the unexpected happens – a meeting gets rescheduled to another day, a client calls and asks if there is any way that you can complete her project before the deadline, or something drastic happens with your home, family or health. It’s time to call in the reinforcements. You do have a back-up plan, right?
Today I was reminded of the importance of having a back-up plan and of being connected with other professionals that do similar work. Today, I helped out a friend who had been double booked by no fault of her own. A couple of weeks ago, she had called me to see whether I could help her out and I was very happy to say that I could make it work. Not only was I grateful for the opportunity to do some extra work, I know that if I ever get in the same situation in the future, I could call upon her or one of my other professional friends to help me out. It is wonderful to know these professional friends for many reasons, not just when I need a pinch-hitter. Sometimes when I am confused by a situation that I have come across in my work, I can ask one of them for advice. They know that they can call me, too. We also sometimes contact each other for a “reality check”, to keep ourselves true to, well, ourselves. Knowing the other professionals that I know is absolutely essential to my well being and my professional success, and I never feel like I am alone in my work.
It is also reassuring to know that I have a back-up procedure in place for my other line of work as well. I know who to contact in the event that I need a little help getting all of my work done within a specific time period. Other people that do the same work are also able to have the same back-up plan because we can pitch in to help out whoever needs help at any given time. Not only does this plan ensure that all of the work gets done, it contributes to a spirit of teamwork. How do you get extra help with your home-based work when you need it?