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Stay Organised When Blogging / Vlogging / Working From Home
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
I am sitting here typing in a onesie on a Tuesday morning, sweet life right?
Not exactly.. don't get me wrong! I am fortunate enough to have a lot going on in life where I only need to go to 'real work' part-time but sometimes I find myself slacking as an 'entrepreneur'. My downfall is that I have the option most days to choose when I wake up whether it be 8am or 12pm.. and go to bed. Slowly I linger until 2am, not always for work either.
In hindsight I have been thinking a lot about needing to get my act together and be much more organised. Have you noticed the amount of blog posts that I have been uploading recently? I hope they're all quality posts, I think they are. I have been sticking to a schedule and using Google Docs templates to write small daily lists and keep a blog schedule or post ideas and notes for research.
The attempt has been to get my horribly erratic sleeping patterns sorted (which is hard for someone suffering mild insomnia). Unfortunately sometimes I have to resort to sleeping tablets, not ideal. I am slowly cutting out caffeine and thankfully I don't eat sugar anyway so that wasn't hard to cut. I still find my energy levels are shockingly low for a 20 something girl who practically lives on Legumes and vegetables! Thanks to the Hashimotos but again, working to gain my life back.
1. Exercise and eat healthy. Even if you really couldn't be bothered do something. Jump jacks, walk, do squats while brushing your teeth. It all releases endorphins and helps clear the mind. Along with exercise usually comes fresh air which is essential in keeping those creative juices flowing. Not only that it might inspire new ideas or break a blogging block. Don't forget to eat regularly and healthily, it will keep your body fueled and give you the energy needed to do daily tasks.
2. Stay organised. As I said before I use Google Docs to keep my schedules and to-do lists but I also have a whiteboard where I jot down my ideas and keep my important dates such as Doctors appointments (I tend to forget) and people I talk to on the phone/email who I might network with. It's always helpful to take note of your three most important tasks of the day and tackle them as early as possible.
3. Don't over list! Try to tackle a reasonable amount of work for the day, don't kid yourself. You might think that getting as much as possible achieved in one day equals a success but not necessarily. If you give yourself too much to do in a day and are unable to complete all your tasks you may feel as if you didn't achieve much. Look at what you did achieve and think positively. If you genuinely slacked off think about why you did it and try avoid distractions tomorrow. My downfall is YouTube and Twitter, you can download apps which 'close' the search to certain websites/apps for X amount of time (you set a time e.g. 1 hour) and some people find these useful, personally never used them I try to avoid YouTube until 5pm.
4. If you choose to use Apps or Palms to keep all your schedules/to-do lists in make sure it's all consolidated into one App or spreadsheet. I use Google Docs and Google Calendar which are all synced to my Tablet, Phone and Computers, I also use Evernote for ideas. They are even available online if I am for whatever reason without my phone. I find that if I am using too many apps, using too many lists I tend to lose memos or spend too much time consolidating everything together.
5. Keep a designated work space and make sure it isn't cluttered (whatever your version of not cluttered is). I know people who work better in chaos and sometimes I am the same, it really depends what I am working on. With a set workspace you can keep everything in the one area so it's easier to find/reach for. Don't take your electronics to bed, especially if you have sleeping issues, the backlight in computer screens and phones messes with your circadian rhythm. An office space or studio would be ideal but the majority of bloggers/vloggers I know start in their bedrooms with limited space so work with what you have and make it your own inspirational area.
6. Do one thing at a time. Do it now. Do it well. I find if I work on one thing at a time I produce better content, sometimes new ideas stemming from my current work pops into my head so I open a new word doc and dot point it down but go back to my original work until it's finished for review. In saying this though it is good to walk away from your work and re-evaluate.
7. You can say no! This is something I struggle with doing. Don't explain yourself, just bluntly say 'No' or 'I'd rather not' to tasks you can't or don't want to do, obviously if you're running your own business you have to do the dull things such as Taxes. I care too much about everyone else and not myself, saying no becomes liberating and it stops me from taking on way too much then I can chew. If someone is offended by this then that's their problem not yours.
8. Don't apologise, your time is precious. This might seem Narcissistic, but it's essential to running a business and having a successful organised life. Obviously this doesn't mean All Work and No Play. Say No if you have too! Most bloggers blog every single day which might mean missing out on a few things to get their blogs to kick off.
9. I like to keep my computer clean. If I have important files that don't get used often, or for when I keep my original copies of photography, put them on a removable hard drive. No point in clogging up your computers much needed space when it can be used to keep your computer chugging along. I also delete unnecessary items or upload a lot to 'the cloud' (online storage). I also use this in day to day life, keep things clean and delete/rid yourself of unnecessary items.
10. Keep everything organised, easy to access and simple. Less is more.
11. I like to keep pens, markers and a journal on me at all times. Ideas can spring from anywhere, especially if you're a designer or blogger. Some of my favourite mantras have come from having to complete mundane tasks such as posting parcels or renewing my license.
12. I saw a great idea which I am yet to try. Using Note cards write tasks on them, one per card. You can stack these from High to Low priority and pick one or more per day. Another idea was to arrange them on a cork board where you can rearrange them or add things as your week goes on. I would colour code them, organise them from High to Low priorities for each day of the week. (via zenhabits.net)
What keeps you motivated and organised?
xo Jocelyn
I label these 'chatty' pieces as advice but I don't feel qualified to be giving you advice. These posts are mainly for you to read and think, 'Shit, I can relate' and maybe we share a connection? I believe that millions of people share the same or similar scenarios and thoughts throughout life without realising it - thank you to the internet for helping me realise this.
.JPG) |
| I took this on a Tuesday.. |
Not exactly.. don't get me wrong! I am fortunate enough to have a lot going on in life where I only need to go to 'real work' part-time but sometimes I find myself slacking as an 'entrepreneur'. My downfall is that I have the option most days to choose when I wake up whether it be 8am or 12pm.. and go to bed. Slowly I linger until 2am, not always for work either.
In hindsight I have been thinking a lot about needing to get my act together and be much more organised. Have you noticed the amount of blog posts that I have been uploading recently? I hope they're all quality posts, I think they are. I have been sticking to a schedule and using Google Docs templates to write small daily lists and keep a blog schedule or post ideas and notes for research.
The attempt has been to get my horribly erratic sleeping patterns sorted (which is hard for someone suffering mild insomnia). Unfortunately sometimes I have to resort to sleeping tablets, not ideal. I am slowly cutting out caffeine and thankfully I don't eat sugar anyway so that wasn't hard to cut. I still find my energy levels are shockingly low for a 20 something girl who practically lives on Legumes and vegetables! Thanks to the Hashimotos but again, working to gain my life back.
13 Tips Which Worked For Me, the life overhaul
2. Stay organised. As I said before I use Google Docs to keep my schedules and to-do lists but I also have a whiteboard where I jot down my ideas and keep my important dates such as Doctors appointments (I tend to forget) and people I talk to on the phone/email who I might network with. It's always helpful to take note of your three most important tasks of the day and tackle them as early as possible.
 |
| Love the idea of painting a wall with Whiteboard paint |
4. If you choose to use Apps or Palms to keep all your schedules/to-do lists in make sure it's all consolidated into one App or spreadsheet. I use Google Docs and Google Calendar which are all synced to my Tablet, Phone and Computers, I also use Evernote for ideas. They are even available online if I am for whatever reason without my phone. I find that if I am using too many apps, using too many lists I tend to lose memos or spend too much time consolidating everything together.
5. Keep a designated work space and make sure it isn't cluttered (whatever your version of not cluttered is). I know people who work better in chaos and sometimes I am the same, it really depends what I am working on. With a set workspace you can keep everything in the one area so it's easier to find/reach for. Don't take your electronics to bed, especially if you have sleeping issues, the backlight in computer screens and phones messes with your circadian rhythm. An office space or studio would be ideal but the majority of bloggers/vloggers I know start in their bedrooms with limited space so work with what you have and make it your own inspirational area.
6. Do one thing at a time. Do it now. Do it well. I find if I work on one thing at a time I produce better content, sometimes new ideas stemming from my current work pops into my head so I open a new word doc and dot point it down but go back to my original work until it's finished for review. In saying this though it is good to walk away from your work and re-evaluate.
7. You can say no! This is something I struggle with doing. Don't explain yourself, just bluntly say 'No' or 'I'd rather not' to tasks you can't or don't want to do, obviously if you're running your own business you have to do the dull things such as Taxes. I care too much about everyone else and not myself, saying no becomes liberating and it stops me from taking on way too much then I can chew. If someone is offended by this then that's their problem not yours.
8. Don't apologise, your time is precious. This might seem Narcissistic, but it's essential to running a business and having a successful organised life. Obviously this doesn't mean All Work and No Play. Say No if you have too! Most bloggers blog every single day which might mean missing out on a few things to get their blogs to kick off.
9. I like to keep my computer clean. If I have important files that don't get used often, or for when I keep my original copies of photography, put them on a removable hard drive. No point in clogging up your computers much needed space when it can be used to keep your computer chugging along. I also delete unnecessary items or upload a lot to 'the cloud' (online storage). I also use this in day to day life, keep things clean and delete/rid yourself of unnecessary items.
10. Keep everything organised, easy to access and simple. Less is more.
11. I like to keep pens, markers and a journal on me at all times. Ideas can spring from anywhere, especially if you're a designer or blogger. Some of my favourite mantras have come from having to complete mundane tasks such as posting parcels or renewing my license.
12. I saw a great idea which I am yet to try. Using Note cards write tasks on them, one per card. You can stack these from High to Low priority and pick one or more per day. Another idea was to arrange them on a cork board where you can rearrange them or add things as your week goes on. I would colour code them, organise them from High to Low priorities for each day of the week. (via zenhabits.net)
13. Never rely on a single point of failure. I've seen people pay $1,000 to hear speakers at a conference and only have one pen to take notes. It’s a great feeling when one thing breaks, gets lost, or runs out of power, and you have another one in reserve! (via zenhabits.net)
What keeps you motivated and organised?
xo Jocelyn
I label these 'chatty' pieces as advice but I don't feel qualified to be giving you advice. These posts are mainly for you to read and think, 'Shit, I can relate' and maybe we share a connection? I believe that millions of people share the same or similar scenarios and thoughts throughout life without realising it - thank you to the internet for helping me realise this.
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