Lately I have been thinking a lot about time. More specifically, how to manage it.
I am not gonna lie, time management is not my strong suit. I spend way too much time behind the computer/iPad/iPhone & way too little time getting out and enjoying life. It’s not cool, but it’s the truth, & the last thing I want is to be 50 years old w/ regrets about how I used my time.
Being a blogger, time management is a neverending struggle. You work for yourself, so structure goes right out the window. That can be a major problem as many people thrive off of structure/can’t function without it. Personally, I don’t do well with structure… at least not in the traditional 9-5 sense.
I love working my own hours and am very lucky I get to do so, but it also definitely has it’s downsides. You often times wake up too late, get to your desk too late, the day goes by too fast, you missed the prime time light hours so you didn’t get to photograph your #OOTD, the grocery store trip didn’t happen so dinner is a fail, & you end up not going to sleep till the wee hours because you slept in too late and aren’t tired.
Rinse, repeat.
It’s a nasty lil’ time-wasting cycle that I’ve unfortunately gotten sucked into & now it’s time to break that b*tch once and for all. I’m officially taking a vow to you guys (hold me to it!!) to actively train myself to better balance my life and manage my time. I plan to start waking up earlier, taking daily walks, going to bed at more reasonable times, separating my life from my work, & just start enjoying the small stuff.
The above quote pretty much sums it all up… I’m going to guard my time, be generous with it, but also be intentional with it.
Any tips on time management for the self-employed?? Please, do tell!!
xx, E
++ Used my go-to destroying technique to shred up my boyfriends Levis. Sorry babe! Oh, & that book, ‘Damn Good Advice‘, is epic– you gotta check it out. ++
++ If you’re using an american BB cream (i.e. L’oreal), you’re not really using authentic BB cream. This Etude House BB cream is real deal & so amazing. Not to mention it smells so so so good! I am hooked. ++
++ My daily [ Benefit ] makeup essentials that I can’t live w/o: They’re Real mascara, Hoola Bronzer, Watt’s Up highlighter & Hello Flawless powder. I swear up and down by each and everyone of them #FASHIONLUSHAPPROVED! ++
++ Really digging this epic wood table I found while rummaging through my storage unit. I am thinking I am gonna white wash it, but I just gotta figure out the best way to go about it- tips are welcome. ++
✚ ✚ ✚ Shop The Post ✚ ✚ ✚
Time management is definitely what I struggle with the most – it’s so easy to get distracted, especially with social media. :( Good luck, and please post about any helpful time management tips that you discover! :)
Will do! Thanks babe- I totally feel you about the social media distractions (*cough cough* Instagram)
YES. This is me right now. I feel like I am giving my time away to undeserving people and then when I finally get it back, I squander it over little things. Structure and routine have been the common factors when I’m on a good roll, but they never last. I think it will probably be a never ending struggle but one that’s worth fighting. Much luck and love!
xoxo
The Accidental Mama
https://www.theaccidentalmama.com
Aww- thanks babe! It’s such a struggle managing it all, but I’ll figure it out one day! xo
I’m a medical student right now still in preclinicals (still learning from lectures, not in the hospitals yet) so it’s essentially a lot like being self employed where you shouldddd be studying 60+ hours a week but it can be tough to work up the motivation when nothing is due right away. All our lectures are video recorded and I usually watch those instead of going to lecture so my whole day is pretty much unstructured. Something that helps me a lot is a program on my Mac called Rescue Time. It essentially tracks all your activity on your computer (time you spend in Word, time you spend on individual websites) and you can sort activities into Productive/Neutral/Distracting categories. It’s incredible how much that distracting time can add up throughout the day! Just being aware has helped my productivity SO much. And it’s SUPER motivating to see my productive time for the day hit 8-10 hours. I guess it wouldn’t be as clear cut for you as to what is productive/distracting since social media is a big component of blogging, but I suppose it would still be useful to see how much time you’re really spending per day on Facebook etc. I know I can definitely get sucked into Facebook but there’s really no reason for me to be spending hours a day on it when there’s other stuff to do that would be a better use of time.
Thanks Emily! Looking up Rescue Time as we speak :) xo!
Some other things that really help me up productivity:
Setting timers – 50 min of just work and then 10 min of doing whatever I want. Definitely helps with the work stamina so you don’t burn out for the day/also don’t get sucked into a distraction for too long. I just use my iphone timer. I would actually say that this is my #1 tip for productivity!
Another Mac program called f.lux. It makes your computer not emit so much blue light at night. Blue light keeps your body from producing melatonin at night. I’ve noticed since starting using f.lux I can fall asleep easier after using my computer at night and my eyes feel less strained/tired after hours of staring at the computer.
I use another program called Self Control. It lets you block distracting websites for a set amount of time. I don’t use it too often… Only when I’m feeling superrrr distracted but it definitely helps me get productive!
Oooh I need F.Lux!! Getting it now :) Thanks for all the tips babe <3 xo, E
Yes! F.lux is amazing! Email me if you ever want to bounce productivity ideas off of each other :) Working smarter, not harder, is a goal I always strive for!
Absolutely girly <3 xo