Is anyone else in total disbelief that it is NOVEMBER?! I personally feel like June was just yesterday and that this year is flying by. Please tell me I’m not the only one?!
Friday Chatter is back this week, and I’m excited to share a few tips to help you hustle through your busy season with a few jobs on your plate! Now, know that I am no expert and I’m not claiming to be one when it comes to time management–also, approximately 0% of these tips are crazy revolutionary!! They are simply daily/weekly/monthly practices that I have found to be SO necessary to stay afloat during this crazy season of life!
I’m learning new things each and every day, and I know thatI have a long ways to go when it comes to creating work-life balance. But, I somehow managed to survive hustling through my shooting portion wedding season with three jobs on my plate! Currently, I’m running my business while working a full time desk job and teaching barre classes, so while my schedule tends to be a little crazier than most, it has been SO worth every second.
Now, know this a pretty crazy way to live, and I know it is not a lifestyle that I will be able to maintain for years and years and years. I am about 99% sure that my friends think I no longer exist because it has been forever since I’ve seen them in person! (Hi guys!! See you as soon as this season’s editing is taken care of!) But, this season of learning and growing and evolving and networking is so incredibly special, and I am truly so grateful for each opportunity that is thrown my way.
Friend, I hear you when you say you’re stressed and feel like you’re up to your eyeballs in to-dos. Know that I totally understand and that what you are dreaming is possible if you are ready to put the work in! Hustling with 2, 3, 4 jobs may not be sustainable long term, but for now, know that you CAN get it done right where you are. I’ve come up with a few tips that have helped me and am sharing a few tricks to help you stay afloat! Tune in below:
Plan & prep ahead of time
I cannot stress this one enough. In business and in life, having a plan for your day/week/month/year/5 years from now is so beyond important. For simplicity, today, we’re going to look at this on a weekly & daily scope. From goals to daily tasks in your business to meal prepping, scheduling personal time & time with friends, and YES even fitting in a load or two of laundry, planning (and sticking to a plan) is SO important!
I can’t tell you the amount of times this season that I have neglected meal planning and prep on Sunday, and come Wednesday, I am literally pulling the questionable veggie burger out of my freezer at 6:30 in the morning to try to slap together a lunch that will fill my belly. When I am prepped and ready to go with fresh grilled chicken and chopped veggies at the beginning of the week, I am a lot happier when I am packing my bags, and come noon, I am a lot happier when I know I have a lunch I like AND that will fill me up.
(Fast fact: I’ve found that meal prepping is the #1 way that I can make
my week easier!)
The same goes for your business & your desk job! Set your plan: what hours are you working at each of your hustles this week? Who needs to be contacted? Are you pushing anything out on your blog or social media? If so, when are you compiling the content? Plan it all out, y’all!
Above all, how are you going to take care of yourself this week? By setting a plan & prepping when you have the time, you are setting yourself up for so much more success!!
Write it down
Got your plan? GOOD! Write that ish down, y’all! Statistics show that people who write down their goals have over an 80% higher rate of actually achieving them! Though taking a shower or logging off by 10:30p may not sound like a typical goal you would set and write down, when you think about it, they really ARE goals that deserve to be treated just like your big goals!
My Day Designer has become the thing that keeps my life together and is usually within easy reach at any point throughout my day. Here, I write my daily schedule, to-do lists, track my calendar well into the future, and get the satisfaction of checking items off when they are complete! It sounds silly, but I recommend writing down literally everything!
Make your to-do list. Include that email you have to send. The gallery that needs to be delivered. The dinner you are planning on cooking Sunday night. By writing down your goals, schedule, to-do list & tasks, you are holding yourself accountable to make these things happen!
Plus, with so many things on your mind, something is bound to slip. In addition to your to-so list, write down the tiny details. The notes from your client meetings that you swore you would remember. Your coworkers’ birthdays. The WiFi password you only thought you would only need once. Project updates. Your workflow. You get the point! There are so many times I have thought I would remember something for sure, only to find myself rummaging through my notebook to reference the notes I took! I keep a notebook in my bag with my Day Designer at all times, and it has really helped me keep track of all that is going on in my life.
Set a schedule & stick to it
I have found that it is so much easier for me to hold myself accountable if I stick to a set, daily schedules. I am such a creature of habit and routine. By having my daily plan in place before the week gets started, I’m able to plan and prep items that need to get done! Set your working hours. When are you going to be hustling at each of your jobs? When are you going to take care of yourself? Have these hours in place before you get started for the week so you can better plan your to-do list and time with the people you love!
Set & stick to your personal “non negotiables”
We’re just making up words and phrases this Friday, now aren’t we! If you are a small business owner, I’m sure you have your daily/weekly/monthly business tasks planned out. If you are hustling a few other jobs, I’m sure you have your action items planned for each of your jobs. But, what are you doing for yourself each day? Week? Month? Year? With a lot on your plate, it is so easy to let your self care routine take a hit. I’ve given these items the title of my “non negotiables.” I found that I was letting self care go so much to the back burner that it would never actually get to it. Y’all I know dry shampoo is a miracle worker, but sometimes you just need the real deal & a little water to really get the job done! By putting a few non negotiable self care items on my to do list each day, I’ve found that I am so much more likely to get these things done!! From movement to cooking, closing my computer by a certain time, wiping my counter, and getting laundry taken care of, I have a set of items that rotate through my daily schedule.
I’ve looked at my schedule and what makes me happy and what my basic needs as a human are, and I’ve created my list of daily and weekly non negotiables. I encourage you to set your own list too! This really helps with that feeling of burnout that comes with working 12-14 hour days.
What is it that you need to do each day/week/month to keep yourself happy, healthy & motivated?
Give yourself some grace
How many times have things not gone as planned? Maybe there’s not enough time…maybe something slips your mind…maybe something else needs to be the big ticket item that day? Maybe you locked your car and apartment keys in your apartment and have no way to get to work? (Not speaking from recent experience or anything here!!)
Whatever it is, know that you’ve got to learn to give yourself some grace. Y’all…I really struggle with this one! I tend to beat myself up like crazy when things aren’t perfect, so know that I’m right there with you when I say that I’m working through and learning this one.
It is so easy to want to do #ALLTHETHINGS, but sometimes you have to step back and look at the big picture. What needs to happen immediately? What can be done tomorrow? A month from now? Learn to forgive yourself, friend, and learn what is a REALISTIC amount of work for an evening.
Now I’m not saying to completely and totally neglect your to-do’s. But, with so much on your plate, it is nearly impossible to do it all. You are a HUMAN. Prioritize like crazy, but also don’t beat yourself up if something doesn’t get done right away. It WILL get done, but there are only so many hours in the day, and yes, you DO have to sleep. If you’re a small business owner, you are your own boss, right? You set the rules!
So there ya have it—a few tips to help get you on track if you have a lot on your plate! Good luck, friend and know that I am here cheering you on!
