The Side Hustler's Guide to Time Management: Part IV

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase using one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, Thanks for your support!If you missed Part I, II, or III make sure you go back and start from the beginning to master your calendar and to do list!It’s the moment of truth, y’all. Time to put everything you’ve learned and prepped into action.  Make sure you have your time inventory and recurring task list handy.  If you haven’t already gotten your copy, drop your email below, and I’ll send it straight to you![convertkit form=5137808]Ok, we’ve done a LOT of planning together so far.  We inventoried our time to see how much “free” time we actually have in a day to spend on a passion project, we brainstormed allllllllll the things that need to get done every day, week, month, and so on.  And in Part III, we started finding time for those recurring tasks in our calendar.  At this point, you might be sitting at your computer wondering how in the heck you’re going to make this all happen.  OR, you might be sitting there looking a lot of blank space thinking, if I don’t have anything on my calendar, why am I do damn BUSY all the time?  Both of these thoughts are completely valid, and before we go any further, I want to remind you of something:You can do this.If you want to do this, you can do this.If you make time to do this, you can do this.If you are STRATEGIC with your time and you prioritize, you can do this.I can’t add any hours to your 24.  I can’t make sure the baby takes a nap, so you can get work done.  I can’t make sure your boss (you know, the one at the day job that you may or may not be trying to get away from) doesn’t drop a massive deadline on your desk at 4:59 pm on Friday.  I can’t make sure that everything always goes as planned.But I can give you 5 ACTIONABLE STEPS to get you closer to your goals.  Here we go:

1. Keep appointments with yourself.

You are running a business.  Or a family. Or a hobby.  Or possibly all three.  The things that are important to you deserve just as much dedication as the things that are important to others.  If you say you will write two blog posts on Sunday afternoon, Make. It. Possible.  Don’t wait to grocery shop until it’s time to write.  Don’t do the dishes really quick before you write.  Don’t check your work email before you write.  Do the thing when you say you will do the thing.  And if you can’t?  If something comes up?  Adjust, but don’t give up.  Find the next available time when you can do the thing and reschedule with yourself.

2. Work with your personality and your lifestyle, not against it.

If you know you’re a morning person, try not to save your creative work for after everyone has gone to bed.  If you know you’re going to spend at least 30 minutes waiting in the school pick up line or on your commute, don’t arrive without a plan and scroll through Instagram the whole time.  You have sh*t to do!  PLAN to schedule social media posts, use the time to brainstorm blog post ideas, reach out to potential clients, connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.  Use the time you have to do what you can.

3. Set yourself up for productivity.

When you suddenly find yourself with a spare 15 minutes, or (can you imagine?) a spare hour, set yourself up for productivity. Use the last tab in your time inventory to keep your to do list.  Rather than breaking tasks into categories for home, work, blog, etc., I break tasks into how much time and energy they take.High energy tasks are things that require brain power and creativity, or sometimes, they are the things I desperately don’t want to do.  Anything I know that I’m going to have to get myself into a certain mindset for goes on the High Energy list.Low energy tasks are things that might take a little time, but I either don’t really mind or don’t take much effort. For instance, creating Pinterest graphics for my blog is something I find fun and easy, but it does take me awhile.And finally, Quick Tasks are things that just need to get done.  These are the things you can find me doing when I have a few spare minutes: pinning on Pinterest, scheduling social media posts, proofreading blog posts, and so on. 

4. Reduce guilt. Reduce distractions.

One thing that I heard from a lot of my clients when I first started offering my planning services was that they never ever felt like they could take a break or relax.   Instead, there was always something they should have been doing or could have been doing, and I get it.  I can easily get lost looking online at all of the amazing resources out there about how I could reach more people or work with more companies or create more products. But there comes a point where you have to pick a road and stick with it. Make sure you take time to pause and reassess whether or not you’re still headed in the direction you want to go, and plan for breaks.  Never taking a break is a recipe for burnout.I’m not saying you shouldn’t work hard and pursue your goals, but we have to take the guilt out of taking a break.  Think of it this way: your desk-job working friends (and the less friendly acquaintances who might not take you and your side hustle seriously) probablyscroll through Facebook or CNN from time to time while they’re at work, and I doubt they feel any guilt. They probably shoot the breeze on a coffee break and hear what everyone did over the weekend on Monday morning – I know I do these things at my day job!  In fact, doing those things can even increaseworkplace satisfaction!  But, when you’re side-hustling, you ARE the workplace, and you have to find ways to create your own job satisfaction.My super-secret pro-tip: find that part of the work that you absolutely LOVE (mine are creating graphics and brainstorming post titles), and do that when you need a mental break.

5. Find your people.

In a creative industry, we have to find our people.  It is totally normal to have those days when we’re just not feeling it, or we have no motivation.  Sometimes it takes more than sitting alone with your thoughts to climb out of that mindset.  Find people who will encourage you, push you, and inspire you.  The kind of people that will ask how your new project is going or what you’re planning next.  And if you don’t have those people in your daily life?  Well, you have me!  I knowthat there are SO many people out there with something to say.  I want to give you a place to say it, a place to get inspired, and a place to take those goals from somewhere in the clouds to a milestone you can start running towards.Alright, y’all. I guess I’ll get off my soapbox now, but I don’t want to.  I just want to shout it from the roof tops! We CAN do the things that we want to do.  We CAN find ways to be inspired and taken seriously and be creative and tackle our goals. When you let your day happen to you, it’s easy to feel like there’s never time or energy or money or a good enough reason to do the things you are passionate about.  But when you take on your day with a plan and a positive mindset, You. Can. Do. It.