With a little one at home, it is so crucial that I maximize my time. It has taken some trial and error to figure out how I work best, and every time I get into a groove, our schedule changes. But, I have learned some methods that really work. If your life is anything like mine, where your days can be very unpredictable, having a few systems you can count on can keep you from losing your mind.
Batch working – Batch working is just grouping task and doing them all at once. Some ways I do this are writing all of my blog posts the same day. I already know what I am going to write about. So, I just sit down and do it. The next day, I refine the posts. Next, I make all of the post images and social media images at the same time. Then, I schedule a month’s worth of social media post all at the same time with Hootsuite. This would take so much longer if I split it up throughout the month.
Planning – Planning comes in many different forms for me. I have my Google calendar that I use to schedule my day, as well as, see what we have planned as a family, like school meetings and what my husband is doing. I use Asana to keep track of my projects. I love the app Todoist. With this tool, I can just make a list of what I have to do and check it off. Most of all, I am not starting from scratch all of the time. I have checklists and steps for every point of my business, from writing a blog post to starting a new project in Asana.
Designating task days – Having a specific task planned for a designated day takes away the guess work and keeps me on track, which will saves me tons of time. Every Monday, I do my booking with Freshbooks. I make sure my invoices are going out, check to see what has not been paid, and add in my expenses. I have a folder labeled invoices in my email, and I add invoices for things, like stock images. On Mondays, I add the invoice image to the payments that Freshbooks logs from my company card. Any paper invoices or receipts from a coffee meeting, I keep on my desk and sort them on Monday. Not only can I feel sure I am not missing any payments, but I am ready when it’s tax time. Who wants to spend a week doing taxes?!
I hope this gives you some ideas that you can apply to your own business. You may be like me. I am still testing, changing and adapting so here’s to being boss every day, even when it’s messy!