I’m still in transition from the offline world of work to the online one, so I have a lot to learn, to put it mildly. Mastering the intricacies of WordPress, getting used to Google Docs, finding online photo-editing tools that work, and creating a Facebook page (not going there yet), are eating up my days.
The way I was working added to the problem. I would have to do something I didn’t know how to do. I went to find a tutorial. I lost an hour tutoring myself. I forgot where I was in the original task.
So the way I update my skills has had to change.
It was lucky I ran across this post by Fiona Cullinan, a print sub-editor who reinvented herself as digital editor and producer.
As a freelance, she is responsible for her own professional development and has limited budget. True for all us freelances.
This is what I learned from her -
- Stop buying expensive tutorials-in-a-book
- Find free online resources instead
- Use Workflowy to organise and prioritise training needs – watch the video
- Go to Friday School (which means going off to a quiet café with wi-fi on Fridays to study).
- Reward yourself for a module completed with a gooey cake.
No 1 – done. I’m working on No 2, and I’ve started using Workflowy. But no cake yet.
Photo: bittle on flickr
![3547091313_6433d6e795_z[1] Role of the editor](http://lizimcp.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/3547091313_6433d6e795_z1-role-of-the-editor.jpg?w=70){kind=small}
Any excuse to eat more cake is welcome, although with summer about to expose those extra kilos, maybe a little self control is called for in my case. I enjoy reading your blog and comments on FB and have learnt a lot from them. This one is no exception. Thank you for leading the way!