Prioritizing

Freelancers often have to choose between many opportunities...some presented to them, others they'd like to pursue. It's exciting to have a variety of options, but when none of them are sure things in terms of producing income, what's the best way to prioritize?

I could work 12 hours a day and still not complete all of the projects on my current list. Examples include: a former co-worker has expressed interest in having me turn a screenplay into a novel. For weeks, I've been spending a lot of hours on a huge, paying VO project (yea!), so I haven't made time to market my voiceover services to production companies or finish final revisions on my latest complete so I can send it out. A friend who has been adding humor to the beginning of another manuscript at the request of an agent will soon return the pages, and I'll need to review those in a timely manner. (I'll save the discussion of "what is funny?" for another day.)

Now the flurry of holiday activities has begun. For example, I spent a lot of time last week rehearsing for and singing in at Navy Pier's Winter Wonderfest, but passed on rehearsing last night and singing again today.

As a person who thrives on productivity, I'm annoyed when I hear that nothing happens in the publishing and acting industries in December. If I submit or contact potential clients, will my efforts fall on uninterested eyes and ears, or will my stuff at least be higher in the pile on their desks when they get around to it in January? Should I push on with my projects or take off like so many other people do? Do I just write off the remaining days of 2008and focus on having fun, or press on and try to accomplish some things amidst the revelry?

I'd feel too guilty doing nothing but holiday activities. So for today, I'll press on.