Time to make a change.
What I've learnt from my recent audiobook productions and ways I want to improve.
Phew.
It’s been a busy few months. But I’ve learned A LOT!
Firstly, Shay The Brave was released! My first foray into children’s fiction and now I am desperate to do more, because this was a pure joy to narrate. The word play was brilliant and I just adore the main characters, both human and animal. Riley Kilmore has done a phenomenal job with this story, it’s so heart warming that I was a little gutted when I recorded the last line.
Secondly, I delivered Kate’s War. This was another first for me, with a wartime fiction. While this was probably the most difficult audiobook production I’ve worked on to date, for many reasons, it was also extremely rewarding. This book challenged me in so many ways and I am so proud of the finished product. I can’t wait for it to be released into the wild! The protagonists character arc in the this story is just *chef’s kiss*.
So, what have I learnt?
Well, I am truly awful at taking care of myself when I’m busy.
I make sure that the girls are taken care of (and Tim of course), but the house definitely got neglected somewhat and I was only getting the bare minimum of sleep that I could scrape by on. This is not something that I recommend and actively tell others off for. So why do I let myself do it?! I have no idea, but I do know that it’s something I’m still trying to recover from now.
I let myself get so heavily sleep deprived, that over a week later I’m still struggling. I can’t tell you how annoyed at myself I am.
My problem is that I become so hyper-focused on getting my work done, that I won’t stop what I’m doing until the task is completed or I’m about to pass out. I actually fell asleep whilst sat up writing. Who does that?!
I’m determined that I will not be doing this to myself again. It was all through the girls’ Summer Holidays and that is just not fair on them or me. Tim really stepped up during this job and I simply would not have been able to cope without him. So big love to Timmy, because he didn’t complain once. Love ya!
So, my plan for combatting this in the future? Simple. I’m going to get organinsed. It’s time for me to step it up. I’m going to start trying out different times of the day for me to dedicate to audiobook narration. Rather than the “I’ll fit it in when I find the time” plan that I’ve been working with up until now. I’m hoping to carve a bit of time out 5 days a week.
I’m also planning on doing this with other areas of my life, so that no matter what, everything that needs to happen still gets done and not just the bare minimum.
Something that I really missed was going to the gym. So again, I want to do the same and have set times each week that I go to the gym.
Who knows, I’m hoping that it will lead to greater productivity all round for me, not just with audiobook narration.
Look at me, I’m adulting!
