Because I like the path of least resistance, quick wins and have a short memory.
⏳I’ve been working remotely since 2014, when I was living in Europe but freelancing for a company in Australia across a 10-hour time difference.
When we had our first kid in 2016, all of a sudden I had a co-pilot, co-founder and co-worker (but mostly all play, no work) buddy.
So I continued doing my thing, alongside him, bringing him everywhere with me and working in bursts of time when I could around his schedule, as it was just him and I for 10-12 hour stretches on most weekdays.
In 2018, we added another little guy to our family and I can honestly say I don’t think I’ll ever seek a non-flexible gig situation as I believe it is the future of work.
Some people ask me how I do what I do. WHEN do I have time? HOW do I get things done? WHY do I it? 👀 Is NOW really the best time to be trying to build a business and have a family? My answers to all of the above aren’t simple, uncomplicated or scientific so I won’t bore you with the details.
For the past six years I’ve used time blocking to create an evolving schedule that works for me and in more recent years, my family as well.
I don’t follow someone else’s formula, I do what is right for me and the outline on this image and below is what I’m doing right now – adapt for yourself as you wish or ignore it altogether, you know what’s right for you.
My flexible routine is simple, I have three life areas I focus on: home, work and self.
HOME = family, my actual physical house, friends, family, finances, food, anything that creates a foundation for me.
WORK = business, contracts, employers, operations, marketing, sales, creating intellectual property, anything that contributes to income producing activities.
SELF = looking after me through sleep, education, relaxation, meditation and any other acts of self-love and nourishment.
The BEST part about the way I’ve been using time blocking over the past several years is: It can all be done from your home, each one in 30 minutes or less and you can start today.
As in…right now.
Download a copy of our FREE Time Blocking Made Easy Template
Prioritize Your Week + Avoid Overwhelm
Enter your details here to receive our template which includes:
- 30 time blocking ideas for your home, work and self;
- a sample weekly time blocking calendar; and
- a blank weekly time blocking calendar template
It’s a simple template to read and adapt to your needs, so you can:
- Create a work schedule that works with your real life
- Prioritize your tasks…and not just work related ones!
- Explore different ways of organizing your day
- Avoid overwhelm
- And most importantly…get started simply TODAY
It has been written from the perspective of a parent of two kids ones under age four, who has been working remotely and from home for the past six years.
I focus on chunking things down into small, manageable 15-30 tasks, often batching things if I can.
If I’m hanging pictures, I’m doing a bunch at once. Laundry piles up in a mountain before I think about sorting it. Kitchen gets cleaned during meal prep.
Bookkeeping and filing is done in tandem. Kids’ naptime is sacred and means I drop everything and do work or self activities. Calls don’t get answered, emails don’t get checked during certain windows of time.
Self time is non-negotiable but usually has to wait until certain windows of time as well. But again, it is non-negotiable and I practice it daily.
🗓At the end of a good day, I will have done many small 15 to 30-minute things from each of my home, work and self areas.
On a not-so-good day, I still aim for one from each area, however small, even if they are less than five minutes each.
Maybe I’m odd, but it works for me!
If you haven’t tried time blocking yet, give it a try, let go of any inner critic thoughts and see how you feel at the end of a few days.
You’ll be surprised by what a couple of small actions taken each day, over the course of a week or month can lead to.
Any WFH tips you’re currently using and loving? ⬇️
Comment below and share your ideas!
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Notes From Another Land 