I’m not a big fan of birthdays. Apparently, I’m not alone…a search of “I don’t like birthdays” resulted in many hits.

To me, birthdays are often like other holidays in which a lot of anticipation, planning and preparation lead to pressure to have a great time.  To be happy, whether you are or not.  While I appreciate when friends reach out and wish me a happy day, I took the reminder off Facebook.  I don’t usually post on friends’ walls for theirs; I prefer to send good wishes in a more personal way.

On the other hand, each birthday is a milestone, and I think worthy of acknowledgement and celebration.  So I’m going to set my full plate aside and take most of the day off.  Which, even though I know we all deserve time off in general and in particular on our special day, still induces twinges of guilt.  It’s hard for me to set aside my feelancer drill, “The more you work, the more you’ll work.”  Intellectually I know that even going on a vacation won’t undermine my career or bring the flow of auditions/jobs to a screeching halt.  I know that we all need to refill our creative wells.  But it’s a challenge for me to let go of the need to keep moving forward. 

I’ll ignore approaching deadlines, a growing to do list (including contest entries to judge, lines/songs to learn for a musical revue performance, manuscript revisions and publicity/promotion preparation for my soon to be released co-authored non-fiction project) and enjoy the fun events I’ve planned. 

How do you choose to celebrate your birthday?

Asking for a raise can be a daunting process whether you’re Gainfully Employed or Gainfully Unemployed. We all need to get up the nerve, choose the right time and the right words in order to achieve the desired outcome.

Some questions to consider:
–How much of an increase is appropriate to ensure we’re earning what we’re worth but not pricing ourselves out of the market?

–Do we raise our rates across the board, for certain clients, or only new clients (in which case we can tell our current clients they’re grandfathered in and so now receiving a discount)?

–What factors do we take into account…how long we’ve worked for the client, the state of the economy, what we know about the market, what other feelancers make?

–What evidence should we prepare…client testimonials/accolades, proof of accurate and timely project delivery, any added value we provide?

–How do we make sure we come across as confident, but not off-putting?

–Do you want to make and follow through with some sort of ultimatum if your raise request is denied?

–Is there anything you’re willing to accept in lieu of money?

How to ask for a raise:
Freelancewritinggigs.com
About.com
wikiHow
Your Office Coach®

Despite today’s sophisticated technology, weathermen can’t always accurately predict the forecast. With many factors coming into play, Mother Nature is often unpredictable.

So far, today’s Chicago snowstorm is on track with posted weather advisories. But will the bulk of the snow really fall during the afternoon rush hour, and at the rate of one inch per hour? Will winds gust up to 35mph and the wind chill plummet to zero? Time will tell.

There are no models or programs or a Farmer’s Almanac to help us predict the future of our day to day lives. Freelancers rarely know when the phone will ring, or if a scheduled project will show up on time. We can’t be sure that just because last January was busy, this one will be, too. We can run through “what if” scenarios, but we can’t know which, if any, will come to pass. Which makes putting things on the calendar and setting schedules very challenging, especially for a planner like me.

No one can be sure any new venture will work out, whether it’s a new position or getting married. We evaluate decisions based on the information we have.

Often I’ll audition for something that records on, say, the 17th or 18th. Sometimes the shoot date is TBA. Or I’m asked to give my availability for the entire week. As I audition for a couple or even several projects that may shoot or record on the same day or days, I can’t know if I’ll book one or more, or what dates. I might get put on first refusal (meaning if I book another job I have to let the first one know before accepting it) or on ice/on hold (meaning I need to keep that day open), and then not know when I’ll know if I did or didn’t get the job.

At times I still think about what might happen, for example if I book a job that isn’t as good when I might also book another at the same time. Or if I don’t get anything after many auditions in a row.  Usually I can go with the flow, knowing as things change I can make adjustments to others. If I book a job for a day I’d told someone I was available, I can call and say now I’m not. But then that person has to contact whomever he/she gave my availability to, and perhaps that person has to contact others….

As I watch the snow stream past the window, falling harder and heavier, accumlating in the streets below, I’m glad that I don’t have to be out in the storm.  Another day, I might.  And the weather might be better or worse than expected.

Remember the Lay’s potato chip slogan, “Betcha can’t eat just one?”  They presume that once you taste the salty goodness, feel the crunch, a single chip won’t satisfy, and you’ll be tempted to keep popping chips into your mouth…and probably more than a single serving’s worth.

Nowadays we face a huge temptation during the workday: the Internet.  From Facebook to Twitter to online shopping to reading articles/blogs, watching videos/movies/TV shows and playing games, many of us could entertain or educate ourselves for hours.  Throw in emails and texting, and you could fritter your whole day away.  You could spend more money than you planned because of the ease of one-click purchasing or buy things you don’t really need because the sale price is so low.

Often we say, “I”ll just check Facebook.”  Or, “I’ll just read the latest about [current issue].  We make one comment or click on one link, then we might need to comment on the comment or click another link.  Soon we’re so engrossed that we might not notice how much time has gone by. 
Some sources say that too much time on the Internet can negatively impact our brains.  There’s a lot of interest in whether it’s actually an addiction or disorder. How do we resist the temptation of all things online?  Or at least stick to a certain amount of time and not let it interfere with productivity?

Some of us might succeed with the work before play approach, and reward themselves with online time at the end of the day.  Some might allocate a certain amount of time, say during a break or lunch, and use a timer.  Others might not be able to rely on their self-control, and could benefit from an accountability partner or utilize an app such as keepmeout and SelfControl, which block you from accessing sites you choose at certain times.

Other ideas:

How to spend less time online
Spend less time on Twitter and Facebook
How to spend less time on e-mail

At this time of year, it’s hard to avoid at least thinking about new year’s resolutions. Friends will undoubtedly ask, or you’ll see articles in print or online about how to make resolutions that last, such as this article in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune. 

Percentages vary, but according to many articles and sites, the vast majority of people who make resolutions don’t keep them.  Why do so many of us give up or fail, when most of us know we could make changes to improve or enhance our lives? From changing jobs or careers, losing weight and/or exercising more stopping smoking, saving more/spending less or even frittering less time on Facebook and the Internet, there’s very likely at least one thing we think will make us happier and/or more productive.

If we say we want to change, why don’t we? Because the grooves of our habits are so engrained? Or perhaps because eating fattening desserts or trolling online are fun. Discipline and self-control, or maybe the learning curve and time needed to fulfill the resolution, not so much. On the other hand, the expectation of accomplishment after doing what we say we will, getting something off our plate that’s been hanging over our heads, not procrastinating or getting into our skinny jeans could motivate us to stay on the wagon. Of not letting ourselves down and self-sabotaging our success in not only keeping the resolution but the ripple effect in other areas of our lives.

For example, many actors I know rely on agents to get them work. They say they’ll do more self-marketing to get their name out there and find other opportunities, but either don’t or only make one attempt. They may do a few online auditions. But in my experience, most don’t keep at it, nor do they follow up. If no bookings result from that effort, they feel defeated and give up. A job hunter may be waylaid by a bad interview or a few rejections. A dieter may consider her entire diet blown if she eats one piece of cheesecake.

Who said achieving our goals would be easy?  That life was fair? That we wouldn’t work hard, stumble, need to dust ourselves off and keep moving forward?

Consider the alternatives.

It’s up to us to make the most of our lives, even if sometimes we have to make lemonade out of lemons or push ourselves. Giving in to our every whim, want or desire may be fun at the moment, but can lead to feelings of guilt, lower self-esteem and dissatisfaction, which may further the downward spiral that leaves some of us with extra pounds, credit card debt, missed deadlines, etc.

Make yours a Happy New Year.

Freelancers, independent contractors and those who own their own businesses can work with many clients, each having a different approach to projects and payment.  We can establish procedures and rates.  We can ask colleagues or friends if we have concerns or aren’t sure of the best way to proceed with a given client request.  But if something doesn’t work out as planned or if clients ask for things that seem unreasonable, setting the matter to rights to the satisfaction of all parties can be a challenge.  The Gainfully Employed may be able to appeal to a boss, manager, or HR department for assistance.  The GU is on her own.

What would you do in this situation? A returning client recently sent a project. They wanted it turned around in approximately half of the usual time, which also meant I’d need to do most of the work over the weekend.  My options were: Say no, and displease and possibly lose the client.  Say yes, and rearrange my life and work harder than usual to get the job done instead of fitting in the work when convenient for me.  Say yes, but ask for additional compensation as a rush premium. 

On the one hand, I wanted to retain the client and show I could be accommodating.  On the other, I deserve to be treated and remunerated fairly.     

Awhile ago I proposed an Extras Bill of Rights for those who work as extras in films, commercials and TV shows.  In my experience, for $65 for 8 hours, plus time and half minus mealtime, extras can be expected to freeze in cold weather, fry in hot weather, stand for long periods of time or go up and down many stairs, wait in not so pleasant conditions including (inufficient light to read and/or cramped space), or watch as the cast/crew is fed snacks while they’re not.  To some, especially in this economy, eight or 12 and change dollars an hour may be enough to endure some discomfort.  What would your price be?

The Freelancers Union has been working on a Freelancer Bill of Rights.  Here’s another from the renegade WRITER.  I’ll have some additional thoughts soon.  Stay tuned.

Asking for a raise can be tricky whether you’re Gainfully Employed or Gainfully Unemployed. We all need to choose the right time and figure out what to say to achieve the desired outcome. The differences are that the GE usually receive a salary or work on commission, perhaps supplemented by a bonus, and usually only have one boss/manager. Freelancers often establish a variety of rates for different clients and projects. So if we want a raise, we may have to ask one client at a time, and may have more factors to consider.

How much of an increase is appropriate to request, after what period of employment? What evidence should you prepare to prove your value and contributions?

Some might wonder if anyone should ask for a raise in this economy. What do you lose if the employer says no? Perhaps you can have a backup plan. If he/she refuses to pay you more, can you ask for something else: more vacation time, flex time, etc.? At least you’ve gone on record that you want a raise, and documented the reasons why you should get one, laying groundwork for the next time you get up the nerve to ask.

Consider:

About.com
Yourofficecoach.com

npr.org–Women & raises
Artofmanliness.com–Men & raises

For many years I’ve performed in the Chicago Bar Association’s annual Christmas Spirits musical revue, aka “the bar show,” in which everyone on stage is a lawyer.

This year’s show, LawLawPalooza, parodies a wide range of famous people, from Rod Blagojevich arriving at prison to Lady Gaga to Kate and Pippa Middleton, and issues such as the state of the economy, all sung and danced to tunes including “Footloose,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “I Believe,” from the Tony Award winning Book of Mormon.

LawLawPalooza is at DePaul’s Merle Reskin Theatre.  Some of us have some very quick costume changes and dressing rooms on the 4th or 5th floors (There’s no elevator. I’m on the 5th floor, 56 stairs), so backstage is often a flurry of performers preparing for upcoming numbers. I have only a short song to return a microphone and change from a sequined skirt and top, jacket and boots into a policeman outfit. Another cast member helps with my shoes.

ChicagoCritic.com recommended the production, here.  We offered a Groupon (I’m to the left of the guy in the hat).  Some tickets are still available December 8 through 10 at http://www.barshow.org/, which also offers video clips from past shows.

I had a wonderful time from12 midnight to 8:00 am this morning participating in Nortonstufftheatre.com’s 24-hour live streaming event that brought real Facebook posts to life.

My shift’s amazing cast included an opera singer, a juggler (who among other things freed himself from a straight jacket while on a unicycle and walked barefoot on an elevated sword blade while juggling knives), a freestyle rapper, a balloon artist (who made, among other things, an incredible alligator head), a multi-piece band, several hosts and some improvisers who also improvised songs or were puppeteers. My contributions: speed talking and improv.  Other shifts featured graffiti and caricature artists and an auctioneer. 

For 50 minutes each hour (the other 10 minutes were intermission), we’d be assigned Facebook posts, whether status updates or pictures, to interpret or be inspired by according to our talents.  I made up some speed talking monologues on the spot, memorized or read actual posts, or did scenes based on the post. 

Topics included “my favorite athlete’s name is Bruce,” someone who was up late and wanted to chat with us, and someone who wanted to know if anyone had a tent she could use.  One poster requested that the speed talker list events that occurred his birthday, 9/17/1987.  One of my friend’s posts made it into the mix and was acted out by a green puppet.

A wardrobe and a props person were on hand to add suitable or amusing items to each visit to the stage, from an assortment of hats and wigs to a bicycle to a cardboard box I used. 

The event was covered in the New York Times Media Decoder blog, here.

Will I make the “Best of Stuff Theatre” coming soon?  Stay tuned…

December approaches, tolling the end of another year spent on this mortal coil (as Hamlet would say). Some of us will age well, remaining healthy, spry and active well into our later years. Others will be waylaid by medical issues that even today’s technology is unable to resolve satisfactorily, which can drain their energy and limit mobility.

We can’t know how long we have. So the older I get, the more I value my time. The more wasting and frittering it bothers me, because there are so many things I want to do and see. I want to make more room for fun without sacrificing productivity.

I’m finding ways to enjoy things that can be frustrating. If I have to wait in line, I can read a book on my phone. If I get stuck in traffic (driving home from the suburbs the day before Thanksgiving, the traffic report said from O’Hare to downtown was an hour and forty-five minutes!), I can listen to good music or call a friend. I can work on controlling my attitude and find something to appreciate about an otherwise not so pleasant situation.

A goal is to increase efficiency, so I’m keeping track of how long some tasks take to accomplish. For example, I can spend a good while coming up with exactly what I want to say in a business email. I might overthink each word and phrase. Plan: spend half the amount of time on each email. Savings: probably a couple of hours a week.

And while some activities are fun, perhaps if we evaluate how much time we spend on them, we might make room for things we like even more. Most of us enjoy browsing online, whether we’re partaking of social media, shopping, or looking for recipes or other information. But do you even know how long you spend trolling the Internet each day… how many hours is too many coming up with tweets, quips for or uploading pictures to Facebook? Plan: eliminate at minimum an hour a week. Savings: 52 hours a year.

Errands… from grocery shopping to dry cleaning.  Being Gainfully Uenmployed, I’m fortunate that I can often complete these tasks during the week or earlier in the day when stores aren’t as crowded.  I almost always run more than one errand, and often complete them on my way somewhere else.  What can you do to get more done in fewer hours? 

We can’t control the passage of time. But often we can control what we do with it.