One of the most frequently asked questions is what my week normally consists of and looks like (you know, since this isn’t your typical 9 to 5). Which got me thinking that this might be a worth while post…
I’ve shared on this topic before, but I’ve switched up a few things since then.
Working freelance tends to mean, no one day is the same. That being said, I’ve been doing this long enough to know that in order to run things like a business (versus a hobby) it helps to organize my time properly.
I used to fly by the seat of my pants bc I had no idea what I was doing — meanwhile I was wasting SO much damn time!! And ain’t nobody got time for that. I quickly figured out that by planning ahead of time over the weekends, I could alleviate so much stress throughout the week (like we discussed in this post, here).
HOW I SCHEDULE MY WORK WEEK (& beyond)
I’m a planner, meaning I like to sit down at my desk (usually on sundays) and jot down what I want my week to look like; what my week actually looks like, what my commitments are, what I need to accomplish and everything in between.
To avoid getting too overwhelmed, I like to chunk my schedule down to the week, keeping a bird’s eye view on the month as a whole. I’ve found this method to be way more successful to be able to follow through on what I’m scheduling into my calendar. It’s nice to write it out, but following through is where most people fail.
Over the years, I’ve found what works for me and fine tuned my approach to working solo. I’ve discussed time-blocking or batching here many times (see here, here, here) and I now have designated days where those things are the only things I focus on.
I think the biggest mistake people make whether they work for themselves or not, is thinking they have all this time on their hands, so they just start doing things sporadically. The problem with that is, it can lead to a lot of wasted time and not a lot of progress. When you batch your to-do’s with other similar tasks, you’ll find you’ll get so much more done. Anyways, like I was saying!
Every week is different, but generally here’s how I break down my weekly work schedule:
Mondays: reserved for shooting new content with Melissa.
Tuesdays: reserved for writing fresh content, business admin/emails & calls.
Wednesday: errands, pulling outfits & any running around that needs to be done.
Thursday: work remote downtown; media commitments, face-to-face-meetings & press events downtown.
Friday: work from home & tie loose ends. Friday’s are reserved for a little of everything. Any loose ends are completed & I’ll begin prepping next week’s posts/copy/content.
Weekends: Saturdays I like to keep work-free but my favourite thing on Sundays is to plan and prep for my week ahead. I plug my notes into my calendar and block out time for things like; workouts, copy writing, weekly admin, pitching projects, self care etc.. I also take the time here, to plan out our weekly menus, meal prep and meal delivery so everything is streamlined and completed before the week even begins.
I should also note here, that this whole post isn’t about having everything perfectly organized at all times. I know in our culture today, it can feel like everyone’s preaching perfection, and that’s not what I’m about at all. It’s about being as proactive as possible and doing as much for myself as I can on the weekends so that I can focus my energy on moving the needle forward and growing my community throughout the week.
While we’re at it, here’s my weekly master list at a glance. I touched on my 5 Non-Negotiables in a blog post here, for a more lengthy explanation on what takes priority for me each week
[which influences my planning]
WEEKLY MASTER LIST:
Things I prioritize each week
+ workouts: 3 – 5 per week, switching between boxing & weight training
+ water: I aim for a min of 3 X 32oz bottles of ice cold water
+ wellness waters: X1 Apple Cider Vinegar sports drink & X1 lemon collagen water (great for skin, hair, nails & to detoxify the body)
+ clean eating: we order X2 meals from Fresh Prep every week which only leaves me with figuring out 3 others for the week.
+ reading: I do my best to block out at least 30 mins per day to read. Find my reading list here.
Was my schedule different than you thought? Any other questions, feel free to drop them below!
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