Guys, this month has been wonderful. Virginia is so beautiful in the summer and I've had the time to be intentional in my personal life which has been such fun. Chris and I have been cooking together, going to late night movies, random ice cream dates, and we attended the Zac Brown Band concert a few weeks ago. Lots of one-on-one time with my handsome hubs has made my heart happy. I've also had the time to focus on certain areas of One Sweet Day in May which was much needed.
This month is coming to an end quickly though and July is gearing up to be quite the whirlwind for this florist. Finding me time has been a journey this year. This past Spring I struggled. I didn't work out, I didn't have a schedule, and it hurt me. I was exhausted and it wasn't because I was doing too much, it was because I didn't have a plan. I had no schedule, no idea when things would get done. It was terrible. My word of the year is build. I want to build One Sweet Day in May, I want to build my connections and relationships with other creatives, and I want o build my marriage and my home. So far we are half way through the year and I can say that I have done a great job at "building" everything around me, but it hasn't been easy.
I (like most of us) have a constant list of things to do running through my head. One example that sticks out to me is one night when I was getting my hair done and couldn't relax because I felt guilty that I wasn't getting stuff done. My brain was on and spinning with to do lists. I couldn't wait to get out of there so i could get my phone in my hand to respond to an email, make notes, or add things to my calendar. I was literally sitting in my car in the parking lot outside the salon at 8pm on a Wednesday night working on my phone. I couldn't even relax at a hair appointment. Sigh. Now, sometimes things need to be done and you have no choice but to send a quick email. Sacrifices definitely have to be made in order to be successful. For me, I need structure. I need scheduling tools to help me or I will sit up in my office all day and not take any time for me. I've tried everything and what seems to help me are the following things. July includes some travel so this will have to be adjusted, but progress not perfection, right?
My Non-Wedding Weekends
Saturdays are reserved for house things. This is the day where I go grocery shopping, clean the floors, dust, vacuum, and do the laundry. I get this all out the way during the day so that Saturday night is a free night and Sunday I can have a clear head. Sundays are my blogging days. I come up with content throughout the week, but Sundays are when I sit down and organize my blogging calendar. I like to block off 11am-1pm and then 5pm-7pm. This way I have a break in the middle of day where I can grab lunch with Chris, head down to the pool for the bit, or take the pups to the dog park. I didn't think I could get the hang of pre blogging, but I must say it seems to be working. Of course, weeks are different and I have to go with the flow. Some Saturdays i have weddings and that means things get shifted around, but I find that as long as I plan and include structure, I'm okay.
Structured office hours
My ideal week day starts with waking up at 7am, breakfast, getting my work out in, and showering. It sets my whole day up and though I wish sleeping in and eating donuts would start my day off on the right foot sadly it does not. Once I'm ready for the day it's 9:30am. I like to start with answering emails and checking off my top 3 must do's. For me that usually includes placing floral orders, scheduling meetings with brides for venue walk throughs, and working on future projects. Being your own boss means you get to create your own hours which is wonderful and part of the fun is every day is different. I love it. It's so important for me however to make sure my top 3 must do's get completed first thing. Once they are checked off I feel so productive and have the rest of my day.
Breaks
Why is it that when you work at 9-5 office job you always get a lunch break, but we never seem to give ourselves lunch when we are our own boss? So funny. I don't know about you, but I need me some lunch and I don't mean sitting at my desk eating. I like to come downstairs and sit at the kitchen table. Sometimes I like to grab a bite with Chris when he's at the office. It gives me a much needed break and also keeps me from running downstairs at 3pm and inhaling unhealthy snacks.
Ending your day and being social media free
This is so important, End your day. Pick a time when are done and stick to it. Leave your phone and computer upstairs or in another room and go enjoy your evening. I have to admit that this is the hardest thing for me. My iPhone is attached to me. I have really bad habit of checking my email every 5 minutes and responding to a text right away. If it's after 6pm however, I remind myself that it's me time now. When you have an actual end of the day it's so much easier to create time for yourself. I did a little experiment for myself last month and it was eye opening. I didn't post on social media for 5 days. Some may laugh, but that is a huge thing for me. I barely even logged into Facebook or Instagram those days and you know what? It felt amazing! I didn't even know where my phone was most of the time. I have also have a really bad habit of keeping my phone next to me when I go to bed which leads me to fall asleep to YouTube videos and looking up random things on Google. Not good. For my social media free days, I left me phone charging downstairs at night. It was amazing. I slept better and felt so much more refreshed the next day. Social media is huge for my business. It's where I make the connections with other creatives and where I ultimately meet my lovely brides. It is such an important asset to my success and is an extension of my brand. It would be silly of me to give it up, but there does come a point where it's too much and it's different with everyone. With some scheduling and planning of your work weeks though, you can cut down on the screen time and say hello to the real world with more ease. It works for me, but it takes a lot of practice and I'm still learning.
Have a wonderful week One Sweet Bloggies!
Love,
Michelle