I spoke a bit about this in my 2014 goals, but despite the number of calendars, planners, and productivity apps I have to call my own, I am in the midst of a serious time management struggle crisis. Technically, I have fewer real (i.e. paid) time commitments than I have in years, which may actually be the source of the problem. In DC, I had a rigid full-time job away from my home, so I was incredibly regimented with every free hour outside of it -- churning out tutorials and blog posts with routinized discipline. Now, I work part-time from home. Some weeks it's as few as 20 hours. This is my dream situation -- allowing plenty of time to pursue other interests, and yet I am squandering it because of poor time management. Read on for a peek at the outfit that opened my eyes and how I'm going to try to overcome this struggle.
My time management has gotten so bad, that I can't even seem to get get myself showered before 4 in the afternoon. After two weeks of finding myself wearing this outfit (or some similar variation thereof) for 18 hours of everyday, it's time to put my foot down. I'm better than this, and it can't go on. I have to force myself into a routine for this new work-at-home lifestyle, so beginning today (well, technically, I took it for an initial spin on Friday), this is what my days will look like.
You don't need the details, but those blocks of color represent dedicated times for completing the tasks of my "day job" while allowing time for normal human being activities like showering, drinking coffee, and eating lunch. I'm also going to be more thoughtful about the blocks of time I spend taking photos, editing them, and writing blog posts. My hope is that I can be more productive in fewer hours. I have big plans for this year, and I'm going to need to get my shit together to get it all accomplished.
So, please, tell me - is this something that you struggle with? Any of you out there also work from home and have any life-changing tips for me?
So, please, tell me - is this something that you struggle with? Any of you out there also work from home and have any life-changing tips for me?
I totally commiserate! I just started working from home (and freelancing) last year after working in an office for many years. It's been a HUGE adjustment. At first, I never dressed for the day, found time to shower and even sometimes forgot to brush my teeth. I was a mess! But a year later, with a schedule I stick to (for the most part), I get a lot more done -- and feel less schlubby working from home. I recently did a post featuring freelancers who work from home and asked them for tips and advice. It might be helpful! http://mysocaldlife.com/freelancer-advice/
ReplyDeleteYES! I went an entire day last week without brushing my teeth. Somewhere around 6pm I rubbed my tongue across them, realized I'd forgotten, and sort of felt like crying.
DeleteLoved the post. Thank you for sharing!
I could use some help in this arena as well! But, your jammie pants are pretty cute!
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks! One of the drawstrings is frayed because I cut it when cutting out some fabric once. Reason no. whatevs to NOT be wearing drawstring pants in the middle of the day.
DeleteI am a teacher and the school year is super productive. I love the routine, even though it can get very stressful at times (with extracurriculars for both me and my students). The problem is the summer and winter breaks. I am an artist during those times, but getting motivated to do work on commissioned projects is a struggle. I have found that I cannot just get up and get going without having a short time of relaxing into the day (pinterest *cough* *cough*) unless I leave the house for a meeting or to go shopping. Good luck with your time management though! It's super hard to get into a groove when you don't have a lot of structure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes! See, I'm the opposite. If I start with Pinterest, my day is doomed.
Deletemy time management is awful but what I have been doing is dedicating certain days for specific tasks versus spreading it out over the week.. which has helped.
ReplyDeleteThat's probably a good idea. Like today...all photography today. All editing tomorrow. Etc. I like that.
DeleteI'm in the same boat as you with time management, especially since being laid off in October from a full-time job where I had to find some freelance gigs from home to make ends meet. My poor pajamas are being overused, so one of my things I hope to get in the habit of is my three-part-day rule for each day (except maybe lazy Sundays). Whether I get up at noon or 8am, I need to get up and start the day with a very stereotypical "morning routine" (eating breakfast foods, wearing my robe around until I shower, get dressed, take vitamins, etc), and then at the close of my day do a "night routine" (longer bedtime tasks like teeth brushing and washing my face, putting the PJ's back on ONLY when I know the day is over, etc). This all seems simple and mundane, but I haven't done days like these since before college! Having three completely separate daily routines helps me get motivated for my "afternoon routine" of whatever I need to get done that day and it also feels like my day was way longer and more worth while. Hope this helps somebody :)
ReplyDelete- Mandy from whatmandyloves.com
DeleteYeah, definitely! I like the idea of routinizing even the most mundane things like showering and coffee in the morning. It sort of gets you off on the right foot. But for reals, I have NEVER had a night routine, and I should probably get one if for no other reason than to put on like wrinkle cream or something. Thank you for sharing!
DeleteWow, thanks for your honesty! I struggle with the same thing when I'm at home. Looking forward to hearing how you improve on time management :) I love all your pretty planning stationary though, where can I get some?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andrea! The stationery is from all over the place. The kraft colored calendar is Sugar Paper LA for Target. That amazing planner is by Laurel Denise. And the little letterpress monthly goals list in the background was a freebie from Bing for Alt Summit.
DeleteRecently, I caught my boyfriend being wildly productive. He was using an app available both on phones and online called Trello. It's worth looking into if you need a little extra help keeping track of everything!
ReplyDeleteOooh. I've heard of this Trello business more than once. I think I need to check it out now for sure. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI work from home...for an accounting firm in DC (I live in Shenandoah Valley). I found that I have to treat the day like a work day, even though I don't see another person. I set my alarm, get dressed every day-even if it is in jeans instead of a suit and work regular hours. When work is done for the day, I close the door to my home office - a signal that the work day is over; otherwise the temptation to work ridiculous hours tempts me - the whole reason I moved from DC and am working a reduced schedule....
ReplyDelete