“I have a sore throat,” announced Hayley.
“WHAT?” I exclaimed, nearly spitting out my coffee.
I began backing away slowly.
My three-year-old Eli came toddling over. “Mama, I want to play with—”
“G-GET BACK!” I spluttered, diving across the room toward him and bundling him into my arms.
“Oh come on, it’s probably fine … I think it’s just a cold I got from the kids,” Hayley said, rolling her eyes.
I wasn’t listening. I was already at the hand sanitiser, vigorously lathering my hands.
“Anyway, since I’m a doctor I’m technically supposed to get a test,” she continued. “So can I leave the kids with you?”
By this point I had already scooped up both kids into my arms protectively. “Of course,” I said. (As if I was letting her touch MY kids right now.)
Yet then the thought hit me:
What if she’d ALREADY spread the virus to the children in my arms?
I looked down at my six-month-old daughter in horror.
She gurgled at me.
An adorable gurgle of potential DEATH.
“I’m, uh, leaving now,” said Hayley, picking up a face mask and some hand sanitiser, and pushing past me. “I’ll see you later.”
Wait … I’m alone?
In this house?
With two infected little zombies running and crawling around?!?
Okay, so maybe I’m overreacting just a little.
Still, for now, got to play it safe and assume she has indeed got the coronavirus.
That means I am likely in charge of meals, kids and chores for the next couple of days, till we get the test result.
Had I had any projects due in the that time, I would have been in a pickle.
Thus, the very simple and obvious lesson of the day:
Always get your work done early before a deadline.
Because your clients shouldn’t have to deal with not getting their work when you promised … no matter how sad your story is.
When I heard this explained to me by a very experienced copywriter, it was like a slap-in-the-forehead moment.
Seems so obvious … yet I know WAY too many writers who need the deadline to tell them to get something done.
It’s all well and good till your wife gets coronavirus the day you’ve got a project due …
Anyway, if I stop emailing you, you know why.
(Just kidding, you’re not getting off that easily … for that you’ll need to do the arduous task of clicking the unsubscribe link below.)
And if you’re looking for a guy who doesn’t miss deadlines, that’s SUCH a crazy coincidence, I actually happen to know one:
Just a word of warning though, he’s a bit busy atm. I hear his wife got sick …
Take care,
Daniel