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I get asked this question a lot. For many months now I just keep responding with, “Not sure but where there is a will, there is a way.” Is that really true? Do I really believe that? As I ask myself the same question; where do I find the time? I am beginning to understand why I am falling off more often then staying on. I realized I don’t pace myself very well and I must to a better job at it because if I don’t the outcome is not going to be good. Let me share with you a typical day:
5:15 am wake up or more like throw myself out of bed – check emails, organize my clothes and JP’s clothes for the day, pack his lunch and snacks and cook my lunch to take to work
6:00 am JP usually wakes up, cuddle time, share the events of the day with him..ie. camp trip or swim day etc, feed the dog and cat, straighten up the beds and plan breakfast
6:45 am jump into shower, JP watching some T.V. and building with Legos, usually he is eating breakfast at this point
7:00 am trying to beautify myself, make sure all bags are at the door, collect garbage, take garbage out when I walk the dog
8:00 am off to camp
8:40 am walking through the door at my office and there until 5:00 pm
5:30 pm walking through the door at home spend 2.5 hours with JP before he falls asleep
8:00 pm clean up, spend time with the cat and dog, check emails, work on Naturally Good Soaps & Essence & Aroma, head bobbing from exhaustion, fighting exhaustion, lots of Facebook time, usually in bed by 10 ish..
5:15 am get up and start cycle all over again.
I can see so many opportunities where I can manage my life a little better (sorry distracted by the Geico commercial with the pigs!! LOL) Ok, I am back! I really need to set up a system where I work on NGS on certain days/times the same for E&A. I can’t schedule my son because after all he is my #1, however I really can re-evaluate the things I do on a daily basis. Running a small business, working FT out of the home while being a single mom is the most challenging thing I have ever done. I need to use my time more efficiently so I don’t burn out and end up on a deserted island with a cabana boy. Oh wait, that might not be a bad plan after all! LOL
How do you plan to manage your time more effectively?
XOXO
Melissa
Melissa: Thanks for this super question. And by the way, maybe we can help you find a cabana boy on #IndieCruise 2013. But I digress. OK, so while I don’t now have a traditional job, I once had one while I was running IBN. It was hard, and back then, I was not married and had no children. Having a child makes things even more challenging. Here’s what helped me then, and helps me still. I use a calendar to block out times of the day for specific tasks. For you, I would start with this:
1. Use a calendar that shows you each day. Try Google calendar first. It’s free and basic and it works.
2. Color code your traditional job time so you know when you are not available to work your business.
3. Next, color code your sleep time. Seriously, do this.
4. Then color code your JP time. Share it with him so he knows what to expect.
5. Then color code some Melissa time – exercise, walking the dog, whatever — as long as it’s unrelated to JP, your business, etc. It’s all about Melissa here.
6. Then, see what is left.
How many hours are left on each day of the week?
Prioritize what has to happen each week within your business in order for you to make money. You’ll need manufacturing time and marketing time. Split up the available time according to that. Maybe set aside specific time for manufacturing and the rest is for marketing.
By the way, don’t mistake “being on FaceBook” with marketing. FaceBook is great, but it may or may not be sucking up too much of your time. To cut back on “discretionary” time, I would start with cutting back on FaceBook and/or Twitter. My guess is you are using a lot of time there that would be used for more direct money making activities.
Hope this helps!
dM
Thanks dM! What great advice. I do have to spend less time on FB and spend more time creating a list of things that have to get done and look at time frames. Sometimes a day goes by and I am not sure what I have accomplished. Worse is on the weekends when I have some air to breath and I sit down for a few minutes and when I look at the clock it is already 5 pm. Blows my mind and then I get mad that I rested for 6 hours! LOL
I know there is a balance somewhere..I will find it, I promise.
XOXO
Melissa