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Monthly Planning

Leapers Accountability Pods - August

Leapers Accountability Pods - July

Leapers Accountability Pods - June

Leapers Accountability Pods - May

Leapers Accountability Pods - April

Leapers Accountability Pods - Open Week

Leapers Accountability Pods - March

Leapers Accountability Pods - February

Leapers Accountability Pods - January

Leapers Accountability Pod

Hello again,
The theme we’re thinking about this month is workload management, something that makes many freelancers pull their hair out.
The unpredictable nature of freelance income means that it can often feel difficult to say no to projects even when we know we have reached, or are approaching, capacity. There’s a voice in our head that says: “What if another opportunity doesn’t come along?”
How do we balance that tension of needing a steady income and not over-committing ourselves?
We’ve had a few conversations over time in the Pod about this and here are some of the things we’ve found help us to manage our workloads:
Viewing projects through a variety of lenses — Create systems that allow you to see both the big picture (what work you have on for all clients) and the nitty gritty of your daily/weekly tasks (for any one client at a time).
Setting boundaries with clients — Clear boundaries help clients to understand how you manage your workload and the implications if anything changes. Some things to consider are making agreements around what happens if the scope creeps or the client misses their deadlines.
Communicating early and often — Regular contact with clients, especially progress updates, helps you to identify potential challenges ahead of time and agree how you will manage them.
Tracking time — Even if clients don’t ask you to track your time, it can be helpful to take a snapshot of the time you spend on different tasks or types of work. You can use this information when planning your workload or pitching for, and pricing, projects in future.
Delegating or collaborating — These are two approaches to help you free up time to do the work you love. Perhaps a virtual assistant could take some admin, finance or marketing tasks off your hands. Or maybe there’s another freelancer who has complementary skills that you could partner with to pitch for future projects?
What would you add? Let us know by replying to this email or responding to the question and tagging us on Twitter or Instagram.
Until next time,
Emma
Upcoming events
Our next monthly planning session is coming up on Monday 27th March. Join us to review what has happened in March and preview what’s on your schedule for April.
We’ll also be back with another virtual co-working session on Tuesday 4th April.

View our free events - https://lu.ma/leapers

More support for getting things done
The Leapers Accountability Pod is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 7-day free trial...

Explore the Pod - https://leapers-pod.circle.so/home

<div class="mirror-content">​Hello again,​The theme we’re thinking about this month is workload management, something that makes many freelancers pull their hair out.​The unpredictable nature of freelance income means that it can often feel difficult to say no to projects even when we know we have reached, or are approaching, capacity. There’s a voice in our head that says: “What if another opportunity doesn’t come along?”​How do we balance that tension of needing a steady income and not over-committing ourselves?​We’ve had a few conversations over time in <a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/home" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">the Pod</a> about this and here are some of the things we’ve found help us to manage our workloads:​Viewing projects through a variety of lenses — Create systems that allow you to see both the big picture (what work you have on for all clients) and the nitty gritty of your daily/weekly tasks (for any one client at a time).​Setting boundaries with clients — Clear boundaries help clients to understand how you manage your workload and the implications if anything changes. Some things to consider are making agreements around what happens if the scope creeps or the client misses their deadlines.​Communicating early and often — Regular contact with clients, especially progress updates, helps you to identify potential challenges ahead of time and agree how you will manage them.​Tracking time — Even if clients don’t ask you to track your time, it can be helpful to take a snapshot of the time you spend on different tasks or types of work. You can use this information when planning your workload or pitching for, and pricing, projects in future.​Delegating or collaborating — These are two approaches to help you free up time to do the work you love. Perhaps a virtual assistant could take some admin, finance or marketing tasks off your hands. Or maybe there’s another freelancer who has complementary skills that you could partner with to pitch for future projects?​What would you add? Let us know by replying to this email or responding to the question and tagging us on <a href="https://twitter.com/leaperspod" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/leaperspod/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a>.​Until next time, Emma<h2>​Upcoming events</h2>​Our next monthly planning session is coming up on Monday 27th March. Join us to review what has happened in March and preview what’s on your schedule for April.​We’ll also be back with another virtual co-working session on Tuesday 4th April.<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/leapers" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">View our free events</a></div><h2>​More support for getting things done</h2>​The <a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/c/welcome/leapers-accountability-pod" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Leapers Accountability Pod</a> is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 7-day free trial...<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/home" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">Explore the Pod</a></div></div>

The theme we’re thinking about this month is workload management, something that makes many freelancers pull their hair out.

The unpredictable nature of freelance income means that it can often feel difficult to say no to projects even when we know we have reached, or are approaching, capacity. There’s a voice in our head that says: “What if another opportunity doesn’t come along?”

How do we balance that tension of needing a steady income and not over-committing ourselves?

We’ve had a few conversations over time in 

 about this and here are some of the things we’ve found help us to manage our workloads:

Viewing projects through a variety of lenses

 — Create systems that allow you to see both the big picture (what work you have on for all clients) and the nitty gritty of your daily/weekly tasks (for any one client at a time).

 — Clear boundaries help clients to understand how you manage your workload and the implications if anything changes. Some things to consider are making agreements around what happens if the scope creeps or the client misses their deadlines.

 — Regular contact with clients, especially progress updates, helps you to identify potential challenges ahead of time and agree how you will manage them.

 — Even if clients don’t ask you to track your time, it can be helpful to take a snapshot of the time you spend on different tasks or types of work. You can use this information when planning your workload or pitching for, and pricing, projects in future.

 — These are two approaches to help you free up time to do the work you love. Perhaps a virtual assistant could take some admin, finance or marketing tasks off your hands. Or maybe there’s another freelancer who has complementary skills that you could partner with to pitch for future projects?

What would you add? Let us know by replying to this email or responding to the question and tagging us on 

Our next monthly planning session is coming up on Monday 27th March. Join us to review what has happened in March and preview what’s on your schedule for April.

We’ll also be back with another virtual co-working session on Tuesday 4th April.

 is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 

Workload management

Hello again,
Our theme this month is long-term planning, something we like to keep a check on in the Pod. In all the work I’ve done with fellow freelancers around long-term planning I’ve noticed a tension…
On one hand there’s an understanding of the benefits; an appreciation that having something to work towards can help make the day-to-day activities count or that we can use a long-term goal as a lighthouse and a lens for decision making.
On the other hand, there’s a resistance to commit because the future seems too uncertain or because we’re scared of getting stuck or failing to make progress.
Here are a few ideas for how to ease that tension:
Rebrand it as “longer-term” planning — this allows you to choose our own timeframe. You don’t need to look three, five or 10 years into the future. Longer-term could mean a month, a quarter, a year… you decide!
Make it actionable — dedicate some time to breaking the longer-term plan down into smaller time pockets. If you’re thinking a year ahead, identify milestones for each quarter, then activities you need to do each month, and finally what tasks need to happen each week. Try out this framework for quarterly planning we’ve used in the Pod.
Hold your plan loosely — don’t be afraid to change things as you go along. Revisit and review your plan regularly to make sure it’s still appropriate or if it needs updating.
What is your relationship to long-term planning? We’d love to hear how you approach it. To get in touch, reply to this email or find us on Instagram.
Until next time,
Emma
Upcoming events
Our next monthly planning session is coming up on Monday 27th February. Join us to review what has happened in February and preview what’s on your schedule for March.
We’ll also be back with another virtual co-working session on Tuesday 7th March.

View our free events - https://lu.ma/leapers

More support for getting things done
The Leapers Accountability Pod is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 7-day free trial...

Explore the Pod - https://leapers-pod.circle.so/home

<div class="mirror-content">​Hello again,​Our theme this month is long-term planning, something we like to keep a check on in the Pod. In all the work I’ve done with fellow freelancers around long-term planning I’ve noticed a tension…​On one hand there’s an understanding of the benefits; an appreciation that having something to work towards can help make the day-to-day activities count or that we can <a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/c/resources-bffa3b/more-metaphors-for-goal-setting" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">use a long-term goal as a lighthouse</a> and a lens for decision making.​On the other hand, there’s a resistance to commit because the future seems too uncertain or because we’re scared of getting stuck or failing to make progress.​Here are a few ideas for how to ease that tension:<ul><li>​Rebrand it as “longer-term” planning — this allows you to choose our own timeframe. You don’t need to look three, five or 10 years into the future. Longer-term could mean a month, a quarter, a year… you decide!</li><li>​Make it actionable — dedicate some time to breaking the longer-term plan down into smaller time pockets. If you’re thinking a year ahead, identify milestones for each quarter, then activities you need to do each month, and finally what tasks need to happen each week. Try out this <a href="https://ekcragg.co.uk/reflective-practice/a-framework-for-quarterly-planning/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">framework for quarterly planning</a> we’ve used in the Pod.</li><li>​Hold your plan loosely — don’t be afraid to change things as you go along. Revisit and review your plan regularly to make sure it’s still appropriate or if it needs updating.</li></ul>​What is your relationship to long-term planning? We’d love to hear how you approach it. To get in touch, reply to this email or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/leaperspod/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">find us on Instagram</a>.​Until next time, Emma<h2>​Upcoming events</h2>​Our next <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-planning" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">monthly planning session</a> is coming up on Monday 27th February. Join us to review what has happened in February and preview what’s on your schedule for March.​We’ll also be back with another <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-coworking" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">virtual co-working session</a> on Tuesday 7th March.<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/leapers" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">View our free events</a></div><h2>​More support for getting things done</h2>​The <a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/home" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Leapers Accountability Pod</a> is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 7-day free trial...<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/home" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">Explore the Pod</a></div></div>

Our theme this month is long-term planning, something we like to keep a check on in the Pod. In all the work I’ve done with fellow freelancers around long-term planning I’ve noticed a tension…

On one hand there’s an understanding of the benefits; an appreciation that having something to work towards can help make the day-to-day activities count or that we can 

On the other hand, there’s a resistance to commit because the future seems too uncertain or because we’re scared of getting stuck or failing to make progress.

Here are a few ideas for how to ease that tension:

What is your relationship to long-term planning? We’d love to hear how you approach it. To get in touch, reply to this email or 

 is coming up on Monday 27th February. Join us to review what has happened in February and preview what’s on your schedule for March.

 is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 7-day free trial...

Making long-term plans

Hello,
Last week I watched The Farewell which centres around the relationship between Billi and her grandmother Nai Nai. Towards the end of the film, Nai Nai imparts this wisdom on her granddaughter:

These words stuck with me, as the relationship between what we do and how we approach it is a common conversation topic in the Pod. Thinking about how we work, and the freedom that freelancing gives us to craft this, feels especially relevant as we reassess and reset our priorities at the start of a new year.
Deciding how we want to be or the way we want to approach things can feel a bit vague or difficult to pin down. It’s about defining a direction of travel rather than a destination. Creating a vision rather than setting a goal.
An activity I like to do to help with this is inspired by Julian Rothman’s annual more/less lists…


What would your list look like?
Reply to this email, or tag us on Instagram (@hey.ekcragg @ecekurtaraner), to share it with us.
Upcoming events
Our first monthly planning session is coming up on Monday next week. Join us to review what has happened in January and preview what’s on your schedule for February.
We’ll also be back with another virtual co-working session on the 7th of Feb.

View our free events - https://lu.ma/leapers

More support for getting things done
The Leapers Accountability Pod is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 7-day free trial...

Explore the Pod - https://leapers-pod.circle.so/c/welcome/

<div class="mirror-content">​Hello,​Last week I watched <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-farewell-2019/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Farewell</a> which centres around the relationship between Billi and her grandmother Nai Nai. Towards the end of the film, Nai Nai imparts this wisdom on her granddaughter:<blockquote>​Life isn’t just about what you do, it’s more about how you do it.</blockquote>​These words stuck with me, as the relationship between what we do and how we approach it is a common conversation topic in <a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/c/welcome/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">the Pod</a>. Thinking about how we work, and the freedom that freelancing gives us to craft this, feels especially relevant as we reassess and reset our priorities at the start of a new year.​Deciding how we want to be or the way we want to approach things can feel a bit vague or difficult to pin down. It’s about defining a direction of travel rather than a destination. Creating a vision rather than setting a goal.​An activity I like to do to help with this is inspired by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm5EmJqBPq6/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julian Rothman’s annual more/less lists</a>…<img alt="Image" class="image" src="https://cdn.lu.ma/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,dpr=2,quality=85,width=800/editor-images/p0/79bd2f39-aa00-4714-ab78-6428c0d4d457" style="display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:400px;margin:24px auto"/>​​What would your list look like?​Reply to this email, or tag us on Instagram (@hey.ekcragg @ecekurtaraner), to share it with us.<h2>​Upcoming events</h2>​Our first monthly planning session is coming up on Monday next week. Join us to review what has happened in January and preview what’s on your schedule for February.​We’ll also be back with another virtual co-working session on the 7th of Feb.<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/leapers" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">View our free events</a></div><h2>​More support for getting things done</h2>​The <a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/c/welcome/leapers-accountability-pod" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Leapers Accountability Pod</a> is a friendly group of freelancers meeting weekly to help each other get stuff done. Find out more about joining the Pod and get a 7-day free trial...<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://leapers-pod.circle.so/c/welcome/" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">Explore the Pod</a></div></div>

 which centres around the relationship between Billi and her grandmother Nai Nai. Towards the end of the film, Nai Nai imparts this wisdom on her granddaughter:

These words stuck with me, as the relationship between what we do and how we approach it is a common conversation topic in 

. Thinking about how we work, and the freedom that freelancing gives us to craft this, feels especially relevant as we reassess and reset our priorities at the start of a new year.

Deciding how we want to be or the way we want to approach things can feel a bit vague or difficult to pin down. It’s about defining a direction of travel rather than a destination. Creating a vision rather than setting a goal.

An activity I like to do to help with this is inspired by 

Julian Rothman’s annual more/less lists

Reply to this email, or tag us on Instagram (@hey.ekcragg @ecekurtaraner), to share it with us.

Our first monthly planning session is coming up on Monday next week. Join us to review what has happened in January and preview what’s on your schedule for February.

We’ll also be back with another virtual co-working session on the 7th of Feb.

Creating a vision for how you want to work

Hello again,
Thanks for sticking with us while we’ve been quiet over the past few months. We’ve been using this time to work on a refresh of the Accountability Pod and we’re excited to tell you a little about it today.
What’s new?
Free events
Every month we’re running two free sessions open to both our members and the wider freelance community.
Monthly planning is dedicated time to review the month just gone and preview what's to come.
Virtual co-working is a quiet work session using the Pomodoro Technique.
Regular newsletter
Our newsletter will return on a fortnightly schedule with a new articles on themes related to getting things done as a freelancer as well as updates on the Pod and our free public events.
Community hub
We’re moving out of the Leapers Community on Slack to a new hub dedicated to the Pod. Here we’ll have member-only channels to support activities in the Pod as well as public channels for sharing resources related to working well.
Flexible membership
With our new monthly membership plan you can join the Pod or cancel your membership at any time. Membership is £45 per month and all new members get a 7 day free trial.
What’s staying the same?
The Pod remains part of Leapers, the team for people without a team, with your hosts Ece Kurtaraner and Emma Cragg.
We’re sticking to our tried and tested weekly schedule for live sessions:
intention setting on Monday morning
co-working on Wednesday afternoons
reviewing and reflecting on the week at Friday lunchtime
What’s next?
We’re opening registration for the Pod in January, and you’ll be the first to know about it.
In the meantime, you can register for the first of our free virtual co-working and monthly planning sessions.
As ever, if you have any questions you can get in touch with us via email to pod@leapers.co
Until next time…
Ece and Emma

<div class="mirror-content">​Hello again,​Thanks for sticking with us while we’ve been quiet over the past few months. We’ve been using this time to work on a refresh of the Accountability Pod and we’re excited to tell you a little about it today.<h2>​What’s new?</h2>​Free events​Every month we’re running two free sessions open to both our members and the wider freelance community.​<a href="https://lu.ma/pod-planning" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Monthly planning</a> is dedicated time to review the month just gone and preview what&#x27;s to come.​<a href="https://lu.ma/pod-coworking" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Virtual co-working</a> is a quiet work session using the Pomodoro Technique.​Regular newsletter​Our newsletter will return on a fortnightly schedule with a new articles on themes related to getting things done as a freelancer as well as updates on the Pod and our free public events.​Community hub​We’re moving out of the Leapers Community on Slack to a new hub dedicated to the Pod. Here we’ll have member-only channels to support activities in the Pod as well as public channels for sharing resources related to working well.​Flexible membership​With our new monthly membership plan you can join the Pod or cancel your membership at any time. Membership is £45 per month and all new members get a 7 day free trial.<h2>​What’s staying the same?</h2>​The Pod remains part of <a href="https://www.leapers.co/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Leapers</a>, the team for people without a team, with your hosts <a href="https://ecekurtaraner.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ece Kurtaraner</a> and <a href="https://ekcragg.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Emma Cragg</a>.​We’re sticking to our tried and tested weekly schedule for live sessions:<ul><li>​intention setting on Monday morning</li><li>​co-working on Wednesday afternoons</li><li>​reviewing and reflecting on the week at Friday lunchtime</li></ul><h2>​What’s next?</h2>​We’re opening registration for the Pod in January, and you’ll be the first to know about it.​In the meantime, you can register for the first of our free <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-coworking" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">virtual co-working</a> and <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-planning" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">monthly planning</a> sessions.​As ever, if you have any questions you can get in touch with us via email to <a href="mailto:pod@leapers.co" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">pod@leapers.co</a>​Until next time…​Ece and Emma</div>

Thanks for sticking with us while we’ve been quiet over the past few months. We’ve been using this time to work on a refresh of the Accountability Pod and we’re excited to tell you a little about it today.

Every month we’re running two free sessions open to both our members and the wider freelance community.

 is dedicated time to review the month just gone and preview what's to come.

 is a quiet work session using the Pomodoro Technique.

Our newsletter will return on a fortnightly schedule with a new articles on themes related to getting things done as a freelancer as well as updates on the Pod and our free public events.

We’re moving out of the Leapers Community on Slack to a new hub dedicated to the Pod. Here we’ll have member-only channels to support activities in the Pod as well as public channels for sharing resources related to working well.

With our new monthly membership plan you can join the Pod or cancel your membership at any time. Membership is £45 per month and all new members get a 7 day free trial.

, the team for people without a team, with your hosts 

We’re sticking to our tried and tested weekly schedule for live sessions:

We’re opening registration for the Pod in January, and you’ll be the first to know about it.

In the meantime, you can register for the first of our free 

As ever, if you have any questions you can get in touch with us via email to 

The return of the Leapers Accountability Pod

Hello!
With September on the horizon many of us are contemplating the return to work after a break, or the restoration of calm when the kids go back to school. And perhaps you're wondering how to make that a smooth transition?
On the first day back to work after a holiday I usually spend a couple of hours trying to remember what it is I actually do and how I do it. The body is present but the brain is still sitting on a beach somewhere.
Over the years I’ve tried to pre-empt this by putting some things in place before I go away. These are a few things I do to help get me back up and running after a break are:
don’t schedule any meetings for the first day at least
keep my out of office on for the first couple of days
write my first day’s to do list before I leave
warm up with an easy task
What have you tried?
If you’re looking for ideas, here are some recommendations to help you get back into the swing of things:
Seven ways to get back into the swing of work for September (Leapers)
A creative freelancer’s guide to getting back to work after a summer break (Creative Boom)
Join the next Pod
Previously we’ve opened a new Pod every month. However, we’re looking to make some changes over the next few months ahead of a refresh for 2023. As a result we’re opening the doors for one last time this year. The Autumn Pod will run throughout September, October and November.
We’re starting this 3-month extravaganza with an optional planning session on Friday 2nd September followed by our first intention setting call on Monday 5th.
We then meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.
Visit the Pod homepage to find out more about the schedule, our community guidelines and how to sign up.
Send any questions about Pods to pod@leapers.co and one of the team will get back to you.
Emma

<div class="mirror-content">​Hello!​With September on the horizon many of us are contemplating the return to work after a break, or the restoration of calm when the kids go back to school. And perhaps you&#x27;re wondering how to make that a smooth transition?​On the first day back to work after a holiday I usually spend a couple of hours trying to remember what it is I actually do and how I do it. The body is present but the brain is still sitting on a beach somewhere.​Over the years I’ve tried to pre-empt this by putting some things in place before I go away. These are a few things I do to help get me back up and running after a break are:<ul><li>​don’t schedule any meetings for the first day at least</li><li>​keep my out of office on for the first couple of days</li><li>​write my first day’s to do list before I leave</li><li>​warm up with an easy task</li></ul>​What have you tried?​If you’re looking for ideas, here are some recommendations to help you get back into the swing of things:<ul><li>​<a href="https://www.leapers.co/articles/2021-09-02/seven-ways-to-get-back-into-the-swing-of-work-for-september" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seven ways to get back into the swing of work for September</a> (Leapers)</li><li>​<a href="https://www.creativeboom.com/tips/a-creative-freelancers-guide-to-getting-back-to-work-after-a-summer-break/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">A creative freelancer’s guide to getting back to work after a summer break</a> (Creative Boom)</li></ul><h2>​Join the next Pod</h2>​Previously we’ve opened a new Pod every month. However, we’re looking to make some changes over the next few months ahead of a refresh for 2023. As a result we’re opening the doors for one last time this year. The Autumn Pod will run throughout September, October and November.​We’re starting this 3-month extravaganza with an optional planning session on Friday 2nd September followed by our first intention setting call on Monday 5th.​We then meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.​<a href="https://leapers.notion.site/Leapers-Pods-Home-e449e09109ff405dad6a61303948c72b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Visit the Pod homepage</a> to find out more about the schedule, our community guidelines and how to sign up.​Send any questions about Pods to <a href="mailto:pod@leapers.co" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">pod@leapers.co</a> and one of the team will get back to you.​Emma</div>

With September on the horizon many of us are contemplating the return to work after a break, or the restoration of calm when the kids go back to school. And perhaps you're wondering how to make that a smooth transition?

On the first day back to work after a holiday I usually spend a couple of hours trying to remember what it is I actually do and how I do it. The body is present but the brain is still sitting on a beach somewhere.

Over the years I’ve tried to pre-empt this by putting some things in place before I go away. These are a few things I do to help get me back up and running after a break are:

If you’re looking for ideas, here are some recommendations to help you get back into the swing of things:

Previously we’ve opened a new Pod every month. However, we’re looking to make some changes over the next few months ahead of a refresh for 2023. As a result we’re opening the doors for one last time this year. The Autumn Pod will run throughout September, October and November.

We’re starting this 3-month extravaganza with an optional planning session on Friday 2nd September followed by our first intention setting call on Monday 5th.

We then meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.

 to find out more about the schedule, our community guidelines and how to sign up.

 and one of the team will get back to you.

Tips for returning to work after a break

Hello there,

This image captures our thinking behind the Pods. We wanted to make clear at the outset that we’re not gurus, teachers or evangelists for any single approach to getting things done. We’re here to encourage and support you as you find what works for you.
What I’ve noticed over the course of the eight months we’ve been running so far is that this relates both to the approaches we take and systems we use as well as how we define and measure things. Our ideas of what it means to be productive are different. Our ideas of what counts as work are different. Our markers of success and what is enough are different.
We need time to find these things out for ourselves. Often it’s about letting go of expectations and pressures of what we should be doing and allowing ourselves to experiment.
On that note, I’ll leave you with this quote from the author of I Didn’t Do the Thing Today...

More to explore:
Time Well Spent with Madeleine Dore
Is there a perfect productivity system?
Join the next Pod
We’ve opened the doors for June’s four-week Pod which starts on Monday 6th June. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.
Visit the Pod event page to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.
Or if you’re ready to commit right away...

Register now - https://lu.ma/pod-june22

Send any questions about Pods to pod@leapers.co and one of the team will get back to you.
Until next time, 
Emma

Image credit: Slow Growth on Instagram

<div class="mirror-content">​Hello there,<img alt="Image" class="image" src="https://cdn.lu.ma/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,dpr=2,quality=85,width=521/editor-images/bn/2c8834f4-92ee-4f0f-b632-fbfbbdc568cb" style="display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;margin:24px auto"/>​This image captures our thinking behind the Pods. We wanted to make clear at the outset that we’re not gurus, teachers or evangelists for any single approach to getting things done. We’re here to encourage and support you as you find what works for you.​What I’ve noticed over the course of the eight months we’ve been running so far is that this relates both to the approaches we take and systems we use as well as how we define and measure things. Our ideas of what it means to be productive are different. Our ideas of what counts as work are different. Our markers of success and what is enough are different.​We need time to find these things out for ourselves. Often it’s about letting go of expectations and pressures of what we should be doing and allowing ourselves to experiment.​On that note, I’ll leave you with this quote from the author of <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/books/i-didn-t-do-the-thing-today-on-letting-go-of-productivity-guilt/9781922351500" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">I Didn’t Do the Thing Today</a>...<blockquote>​Remember: it’s okay to flounder and figure it out as you go. — Madeleine Dore</blockquote>​More to explore:<ul><li>​<a href="https://www.getharvest.com/time-well-spent/season-1/madeleine-dore" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Time Well Spent with Madeleine Dore</a></li><li>​<a href="https://nesslabs.com/perfect-productivity-system" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Is there a perfect productivity system?</a></li></ul><h2>​Join the next Pod</h2>​We’ve opened the doors for June’s four-week Pod which starts on Monday 6th June. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.​Visit the <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-june22" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pod event page</a> to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.​Or if you’re ready to commit right away...<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/pod-june22" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">Register now</a></div>​Send any questions about Pods to <a href="mailto:pod@leapers.co" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">pod@leapers.co</a> and one of the team will get back to you.​Until next time, Emma<hr/>​Image credit: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDuhiShJW0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Slow Growth</a> on Instagram</div>

This image captures our thinking behind the Pods. We wanted to make clear at the outset that we’re not gurus, teachers or evangelists for any single approach to getting things done. We’re here to encourage and support you as you find what works for you.

What I’ve noticed over the course of the eight months we’ve been running so far is that this relates both to the approaches we take and systems we use as well as how we define and measure things. Our ideas of what it means to be productive are different. Our ideas of what counts as work are different. Our markers of success and what is enough are different.

We need time to find these things out for ourselves. Often it’s about letting go of expectations and pressures of what we 

 be doing and allowing ourselves to experiment.

On that note, I’ll leave you with this quote from the author of 

We’ve opened the doors for June’s four-week Pod which starts on Monday 6th June. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.

 to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.

Or if you’re ready to commit right away...

What works for you

Hello there,
One of the things I love about the Pods is seeing people experiment with different approaches to help them work more effectively. Something that seems to come up a lot is how we manage our time.
Over the months we’ve had people try time blocking, daily highlights, days without meetings, artist days, pomodoros and more.
What strategies do you have for managing your time? Are they working for you? If not, what small experiment could you try tomorrow or next week to improve things?
Explore some different approaches to planning your time:
Why you need white space in your daily routine (Jocelyn Glei)
Choose a highlight to make time every day (Make Time)
The daily plan bar (Mike Rohde)
Join the next Pod
We’ve opened the doors for May’s four-week Pod which starts on Tuesday 3rd May. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.
Visit the Pod event page to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.
Or if you’re ready to commit right away...

Register for May's Pod - https://lu.ma/pod-may22

Send any questions about Pods to pod@leapers.co and one of the team will get back to you.
Emma

<div class="mirror-content">​Hello there,​One of the things I love about the Pods is seeing people experiment with different approaches to help them work more effectively. Something that seems to come up a lot is how we manage our time.​Over the months we’ve had people try time blocking, daily highlights, days without meetings, artist days, pomodoros and more.​What strategies do you have for managing your time? Are they working for you? If not, what small experiment could you try tomorrow or next week to improve things?​Explore some different approaches to planning your time:<ul><li>​<a href="https://jkglei.com/white-space/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Why you need white space in your daily routine</a> (Jocelyn Glei)</li><li>​<a href="https://maketime.blog/article/choose-a-highlight-to-make-time-every-day/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Choose a highlight to make time every day</a> (Make Time)</li><li>​<a href="https://medium.com/rohdesign/the-daily-plan-bar-357972361096" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The daily plan bar</a> (Mike Rohde)</li></ul><h2>​Join the next Pod</h2>​We’ve opened the doors for May’s four-week Pod which starts on Tuesday 3rd May. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.​Visit the <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-may22" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pod event page</a> to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.​Or if you’re ready to commit right away...<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/pod-may22" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">Register for May&#x27;s Pod</a></div>​Send any questions about Pods to <a href="mailto:pod@leapers.co" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">pod@leapers.co</a> and one of the team will get back to you.​Emma</div>

One of the things I love about the Pods is seeing people experiment with different approaches to help them work more effectively. Something that seems to come up a lot is how we manage our time.

Over the months we’ve had people try time blocking, daily highlights, days without meetings, artist days, pomodoros and more.

What strategies do you have for managing your time? Are they working for you? If not, what small experiment could you try tomorrow or next week to improve things?

Explore some different approaches to planning your time:

We’ve opened the doors for May’s four-week Pod which starts on Tuesday 3rd May. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.

The time trap

Hey there 👋
Does this look familiar?


It’s a frequent scene in my office throughout the day. Distractions come in many forms, some external and others the product of our own thoughts... for example:
pinging notifications
the cat/dog/pet plant
shiny new ideas that are exciting, but not urgent
that niggling worry about where the next client is coming from, or when your invoice will get paid
Each require a different approach to prevent them getting in the way of our progress.
What strategies do you have for dealing with them?
We’ve collected a few articles that may help you refine your approach:
Distraction free working with do not disturb mode (Leapers)
Rethinking procrastination (Rachel Botsman)
Keeping a distraction journal (Matt Ragland)
Join the next Pod
Our next four-week accountability Pod will start on February 28th and the doors are now open 🎉
Visit the Pod event page to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.
Or if you’re ready to commit right away...

Register your place - https://lu.ma/pod-mar22


Send any questions about Pods to pod@leapers.co and one of the team will get back to you.

Emma

Image credit: Focus Pocus by Worry Lines on Instagram.

<div class="mirror-content">​Hey there 👋​Does this look familiar?<img alt="Image" class="image" src="https://cdn.lu.ma/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,dpr=2,quality=85,width=424/editor-images/c5/3b351cde-7da8-491e-a019-c936b9e2a3d0" style="display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;margin:24px auto"/>​​It’s a frequent scene in my office throughout the day. Distractions come in many forms, some external and others the product of our own thoughts... for example:<ul><li>​pinging notifications</li><li>​the cat/dog/pet plant</li><li>​shiny new ideas that are exciting, but not urgent</li><li>​that niggling worry about where the next client is coming from, or when your invoice will get paid</li></ul>​Each require a different approach to prevent them getting in the way of our progress.​What strategies do you have for dealing with them?​We’ve collected a few articles that may help you refine your approach:<ul><li>​<a href="https://www.leapers.co/articles/2020-06-16/distraction-free-working-with-do-not-disturb-mode" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Distraction free working with do not disturb mode</a> (Leapers)</li><li>​<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-can-we-overcome-procrastination-rachel-botsman/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Rethinking procrastination</a> (Rachel Botsman)</li><li>​Keeping a <a href="http://mattragland.com/thinkers17" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">distraction journal</a> (Matt Ragland)</li></ul><h2>​Join the next Pod</h2>​Our next four-week accountability Pod will start on February 28th and the doors are now open 🎉​Visit the <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-mar22" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pod event page</a> to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.​Or if you’re ready to commit right away...<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/pod-mar22" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">Register your place</a></div>​​Send any questions about Pods to <a href="mailto:pod@leapers.co" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">pod@leapers.co</a> and one of the team will get back to you. Emma<hr/>​Image credit: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZwK4vOr8eO/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Focus Pocus</a> by Worry Lines on Instagram.</div>

It’s a frequent scene in my office throughout the day. Distractions come in many forms, some external and others the product of our own thoughts... for example:

Each require a different approach to prevent them getting in the way of our progress.

What strategies do you have for dealing with them?

We’ve collected a few articles that may help you refine your approach:

Our next four-week accountability Pod will start on February 28th and the doors are now open 🎉

Become the master of your distractions

Hello there,
Two weeks into January the novelty of the new year is starting to wear off. But before you slip back into your old routines, perhaps there’s an opportunity to think about your working habits, and how and when you work best.
Something that we’ve shared and discussed in previous Pods is how understanding our energy, and how it ebbs and flows throughout the day, can give a great insight into how we plan and approach our work.
Do you know when you’re most motivated during the day? Or what factors affect your ability to focus? Taking some time to observe what’s going on and identify patterns could highlight an opportunity to redesign your working day to help you be at your best.
Ready to give it a go? We’ve collected together a few articles that will help you do this:
Working with your energy (Emma Cragg)
How keeping an energy diary could redesign your day (Leapers)
Don’t organize your todos by project, organize them by mental state (David Kadavy)
Join the next Pod
We’ve opened the doors for February’s four-week Pod which starts on Monday 31st January. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.
Visit the Pod event page to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.
Or if you’re ready to commit right away...

Register now - https://lu.ma/pod-feb22


Send any questions about Pods to pod@leapers.co and one of the team will get back to you.
Ece, Emma & Matthew

<div class="mirror-content" data-reactroot="">​Hello there,​Two weeks into January the novelty of the new year is starting to wear off. But before you slip back into your old routines, perhaps there’s an opportunity to think about your working habits, and how and when you work best.​Something that we’ve shared and discussed in previous Pods is how understanding our energy, and how it ebbs and flows throughout the day, can give a great insight into how we plan and approach our work.​Do you know when you’re most motivated during the day? Or what factors affect your ability to focus? Taking some time to observe what’s going on and identify patterns could highlight an opportunity to redesign your working day to help you be at your best.​Ready to give it a go? We’ve collected together a few articles that will help you do this:<ul><li>​<a href="https://ekcragg.co.uk/productivity/working-with-your-energy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Working with your energy</a> (Emma Cragg)</li><li>​<a href="https://www.leapers.co/articles/2020-09-26/keeping-an-energy-diary" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">How keeping an energy diary could redesign your day</a> (Leapers)</li><li>​<a href="https://medium.com/getting-art-done/dont-organize-your-todos-by-project-organize-them-by-mental-state-328570f6b9fb" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Don’t organize your todos by project, organize them by mental state</a> (David Kadavy)</li></ul><h2>​Join the next Pod</h2>​We’ve opened the doors for February’s four-week Pod which starts on Monday 31st January. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.​Visit the <a href="https://lu.ma/pod-feb22" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pod event page</a> to find out more about the schedule and what to expect.​Or if you’re ready to commit right away...<div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/pod-feb22" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">Register now</a></div>​​Send any questions about Pods to <a href="mailto:pod@leapers.co" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">pod@leapers.co</a> and one of the team will get back to you.​Ece, Emma &amp; Matthew</div>

Two weeks into January the novelty of the new year is starting to wear off. But before you slip back into your old routines, perhaps there’s an opportunity to think about your working habits, and how and when you work best.

Something that we’ve shared and discussed in previous Pods is how understanding our energy, and how it ebbs and flows throughout the day, can give a great insight into how we plan and approach our work.

Do you know when you’re most motivated during the day? Or what factors affect your ability to focus? Taking some time to observe what’s going on and identify patterns could highlight an opportunity to redesign your working day to help you be at your best.

Ready to give it a go? We’ve collected together a few articles that will help you do this:

 which starts on Monday 31st January. We meet three times each week to set intentions, co-work, and review our progress. All with the aim of helping you to get stuff done and the added bonus of feeling like you’ve got a team around you.