In the last few months of 2020 I spent a lot of time working on business and ensuring I was in a good place moving forward into 2021. Taking a deeper look into all aspects of my business made me feel more confident and excited about the future and is definitely something I am determined to keep working on this year. However, putting into practice all the things I have learnt takes time - something that, as a new mum, I am in incredibly short supply of.
Writing content plans, developing marketing strategies, building my technical skills, being present on social media... the list of potential things for me to be working on feels almost never ending and that's before talking about any client work! Here are a few tips I have been using to help me manage my workload and enjoy each day:
1. Reduce the number of items on my daily to do list
I definitely used to be one for getting excited about a whole range of tasks I wanted to get done in a day, write a big long list to feel as productive as possible and then inevitably only end up ticking a few off the list. Since having my daughter I have had to come to terms with the fact that I really do only have a limited time each day to spend working and so I need to be realistic about the tasks I will be able to complete. Fewer items on the list means a better chance of completing them.
2. Allocate set time periods for each task
I have a super useful planner from Daily Greatness, bought for me by a lovely client, that I use to plan out the tasks needed to complete each week as well as blocking out set timeslots each day to work on particular jobs. It definitely helps keep me focussed on a certain project in the limited periods I have to work in each day - a lot less procrastinating!
3. Know that I can't have it all...
Before giving birth, I was going to the gym at least three or four times a week. Now, I can honestly say that I have barely trained three or four times this year... There are simply not enough hours in the day for me to look after my daughter, complete client projects, work on my business, spend time with my husband, eat and sleep. Something has to give and, for the moment, I am happy to accept that I won't be hitting any personal bests anytime soon! I do, however, make sure that I am getting out the house for a walk each day. Time spent outside and away from the desk can be a lifesaver.
