As a business owner and working mom, I manage a lot of moving parts. In the first five months of 2017, I incorporated three (!) new moving parts: personal coaching, teaching restorative yoga, and endorsements and influencer marketing projects. As I moved into this newest phase of my business I realized that in order to be sane, I needed to structure and add consistency to my work week a little more than when I was just doing mostly client work.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
I'm going to continue to do client work on Monday for now. This is what ultimately pays the bills so it's important to keep that the first priority of my workweek. Additionally this is when clients are back to work so I like to match their work week with mine, and be responsive to their needs.
On Tuesday mornings, I often have an appointment and always do a midday workout from 11-1PM. In order to not pack things in too tightly and avoid leaving something halfway done, I choose to simply answer emails and organize my calendar for the rest of the week before my appointment, then head off to that and yoga and interval training. Then I spend the rest of the afternoon doing more client work, answering emails, and finishing off the day with some calendaring for the week and beyond.
On Wednesday, my boys come home for the week from their Dad's after school so I rock and roll hard to get projects I started in the beginning of the week wrapped up as best as I can for the week from 8-1. From 1-3PM I run errands and get groceries for the rest of the week so I can be with my boys fully and not be pulled in every direction once their home with me. With my middle schooler off the bus at 3PM it makes for a short workday. If he has homework, I'll work alongside him, checking email again and planning for Thursday and Monday of the next week.
Second half of the week
I teach yoga in the afternoon on Thursday for an hour, so after I get the boys off to school or camp in them morning, I try and accomplish the rest of the client work for the week because I don't work on Fridays. My parents live in town and always get the boys off the bus on Thursdays to give me a couple of extra hours, so after yoga I head to a coffeeshop or brewery to finish up the workweek. I try and use this time to write a post for y'all, do some pre-production on my podcast XOXOJK, and/or do something to contribute to the growth and stabilization of my business.
As mentioned previously, I don't work on Friday. I started this practice a few years ago and find that it doesn't take one thing away from my workweek, it only adds to my productivity on the days I do work. On Fridays when the boys are in school or camp, I try to practice a full day of self care. Personally, this could be anything from massage and a sauna to a long shower or completing a house project I've been dying to finish. While I realize not everyone can do this, I encourage you to have some dedicated time to your week that's meant just for personal self care. I also like to include a workout, walk, and/or brunch or lunch with a new or old friend on Fridays because good relationships are built on consistency. Just like a business. And just like a life.
xo
K