Planning Out My Day
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As a business owner I often have many balls in the air at any one time. I might be working on a new design, trying to write a blog post while planning out some content for my socials. It truly never stops. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in a day.
At the start of every month I plan out my tasks for the next month at least. I try to be working at least six months in advance, especially with knit and crochet patterns as I need to know what I have coming up so I can work out my pattern schedule and tester calls. At the end of each month I re-evaluate the monthly plan and make sure that the current schedule is working for me as I sometimes have to change things up a little if I get busy with other things, etc.
After spending too much time trying to fit everything in to one day I realised I was going to burn myself out if I didn't stop. Something had to change, and that change was my time management skills.
My solution was to give each day a theme - Monday is knit and crochet day where I spend the day working on my current projects as well as stitching the pieces together. Tuesday is patterns day when I spend the day designing new knit and crochet patterns, writing them up, shooting photographs and videos and putting together tester calls and notes questionnaires, and so on through the week. This way I know exactly what I have coming up that day, and don't have to stress myself about the other work I have to get done that week. Monday is only for knitting and crocheting, so it frees my mind to focus on that. This way it makes my week a little more settled and not as anxiety filled.
Of course things change if I have a deadline for a project or if I have a photo and/or video shoot planned and the weather is not co-operating, but for the most part this is the schedule I keep to, and it works a treat.
As well as having a daily schedule I always put together a physical handwritten tasks list for every day that goes into my tasks in more detail. So for knit and crochet day on Mondays I will write down the projects I want to continue, finish making and stitch up. When the task is done I put a big red check mark through it, which is the favourite way to mark a task as complete. Talk about a sense of achievement.
I also try to limit myself to at most five tasks per day. I used to fill each page of an A5 planner with tasks per day, and it was just exhausting and setting myself up for failure as I rarely completed every task. There was always at least one or two tasks that I didn't get to, or finish. Now, I get to put a big red tick against all of my daily tasks 95% of the time.
Life isn't just about work however. It's also important to have time away from my desk, as well as putting down my knitting needles and crochet hook.
Every day, weather permitting, I go for a lovely long walk. For me its vital to get out of the house and move my body. I pick a different route each day, and I try to find a new path as often as I can.
I have a regular Knit and Natter group that I attend, and it is one of the highlights of my week. I get some knitting and crochet done, can ask for help if needed from more experienced knitters and crocheters and I get a good walk in (I walk over in the morning, which is a good 40 minute walk) and I get to enjoy beautiful coffee and a wee pastry as well. All win. I really missed it during the pandemic, and was so happy when they started up again afterwards.
Adding my non business appointments to my online calendar helps to keep me on track as well. That way I don't double book myself when I have a business meeting coming up, I can check that day on my phone and go from there.
How do you keep on top of everything? Any tips you find helpful? Let me know in the comments.
Until next time....