Internet Inconvenience

13 Apr 2012 | 3 Comments | posted by Megan Onions | in Colleagues, CPD, Me, The Business of Translation

The internet connection goes down: disaster!

While you are scrabbling around for the instructions for your wireless router, what can you do, without the internet, to further your business while the problem gets fixed? This actually happened to me a few days ago, so I was very glad that I had read this post on Freelance Switch.

Although the break from online work was forced upon me, I took the opportunity to get some other tasks ticked off my to-do list, which the constant access to emails, reference material and social media sites sometimes make it difficult to do. It seems strange how just a few years ago (well, more than a few years, but you get my point), the internet was a rare tool. It is now an integral and vital part of so many lives, and businesses. Despite this, it is so important to know when to shut down that laptop and take a break. In addition, the break from online activities can result in other progress.

I took the time to write some content for my upcoming website, as well as sort out some of the less thrilling aspects of my business, such as updating my expenses spreadsheet and offline research (yes, it does still work!). One area that I do enjoy, rightly or wrongly, is updating and reworking my CV and portfolio. I recently read Marta Stelmaszak’s ebook with interest and I have taken a lot of her tips on board.

The third main activity that I managed to complete before the internet problem was fixed, and my online distractions caught up with me, was updating my business to-do list. As well as a paper notepad, I use Anxiety, which I love. Being able to physically tick things off on my screen is satisfying (geeky, I know!) and the tasks are synchronised with iCalendar and Mail, which is another useful feature.

How do you cope in situations where there is no internet access? Do you manage your tasks with a to-do list or a whiteboard? I’d love to hear from you. One of the main things I love about this industry is that we can always learn from each other.

Oh, and happy Friday!