Poll: Have you ever used the motto 'I have work to do' as an excuse not to do something?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Mar 20, 2016

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever used the motto 'I have work to do' as an excuse not to do something?".

This poll was originally submitted by Natalia Pedrosa. View the poll results »



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:26
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes Mar 20, 2016

Not as an excuse (sounds childish) but as a reason or as an explanation. People think that freelancing isn’t quite like having a proper job: you have no obligations whatsoever, you can take time off whenever you want and are ready to leave everything behind at the first “wink”…

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 14:26
English to Italian
and let me add... Mar 20, 2016

Teresa Borges wrote:

Not as an excuse (sounds childish) but as a reason or as an explanation. People think that freelancing isn’t quite like having a proper job: you have no obligations whatsoever, you can take time off whenever you want and are ready to leave everything behind at the first “wink”…


And furthermore: you can work any time you want.
I try to explain that deadlines are deadlines... and that sometimes I "really want" to work on Sunday morning at 6 because I have a deadline on Monday but in the previous 6 days I had to drive kids to the doctor, I had to do something unexpected...
Or simply because I really could not say NO to that client

But I have to be honest, I also used it as an excuse ... phone calls with boring projects for a day... well sorry I have work to do


 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:26
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Often Mar 20, 2016

For the last few years I haven't had to make it up; I've had very little down time. But it's still true that I want people to think that I'm working even if I'm not.

I have a lot of neighbors who like to phone or drop by, as well as retired friends who call me in the daytime. If I'm not actually working, I will still let them think I am so they will learn to respect my schedule.

People don't understand--and it took me a long time to learn--that interruptions take more t
... See more
For the last few years I haven't had to make it up; I've had very little down time. But it's still true that I want people to think that I'm working even if I'm not.

I have a lot of neighbors who like to phone or drop by, as well as retired friends who call me in the daytime. If I'm not actually working, I will still let them think I am so they will learn to respect my schedule.

People don't understand--and it took me a long time to learn--that interruptions take more time than just the minutes on the clock. I always have a lag between one activity and the next as I regroup my thoughts and get back in the groove. That part can take as much time or more than the interruption itself. So I've learned that I have to protect myself against intrusions from the outside. As a freelance, I need to be firm in taking charge of my schedule, even if it means fibbing and saying "I have work to do."
Collapse


 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:26
English to Spanish
+ ...
Some family members never understand Mar 20, 2016

I echo Muriel's thoughts. Years ago, my eldest sister would call during the day, when I was busy working. I repeatedly asked her to call me in the evenings. Did she make note of that? No.

I have a younger brother I love very much; he has his own family and we get along famously. We keep in touch constantly. However, he would sometimes call me without regard to whether I'm working or not, but simply because he knows I don't hold a 9-to-5 job schedule, not because he likes to bug me.<
... See more
I echo Muriel's thoughts. Years ago, my eldest sister would call during the day, when I was busy working. I repeatedly asked her to call me in the evenings. Did she make note of that? No.

I have a younger brother I love very much; he has his own family and we get along famously. We keep in touch constantly. However, he would sometimes call me without regard to whether I'm working or not, but simply because he knows I don't hold a 9-to-5 job schedule, not because he likes to bug me.

Because I am sometimes the culprit, calling others at times that are inconvenient to them, I always try to ask Do you have a moment to talk? before going into a monologue about my life.
Collapse


 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:26
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Never Mar 20, 2016

Because when I say this, then it's a fact, not an excuse.

 
Julian Holmes
Julian Holmes  Identity Verified
Japan
Local time: 22:26
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Not really Mar 20, 2016

Because, more often than not, I 'have work to do.'

I might say 'I have some gardening to do' or 'I have some things to do around the house' as an excuse not to go downstairs to the office. But only when I know I'm sure I have enough time to spare until delivery.

Small edit

[Edited at 2016-03-21 08:09 GMT]


 
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
Motto? Mar 20, 2016

Imo it's more of an excuse or reason than a motto.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 10:26
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other, Mar 21, 2016

I probably have. I don't remember. But the truth is 99% of the time, when I say that, I mean it.

 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jared Tabor[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Poll: Have you ever used the motto 'I have work to do' as an excuse not to do something?






CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »