My work life has numerous activities and it took me a very long time to learn the right time management. My job of a stylist is quite physically challenging since I run around a lot to visit clients, run the shops, spend long hours at the shoots or late nights spent online creating moodboards.
Blogging on the other hand is the opposite – I spend most of my time at a computer.
Thats why I had to learn certain rules to be able to manage all these activities effectively.
1. EARLY BIRD
Apparently the most productive people wake up at 5 am. It’s definitely not me and I admire anyone that can do that. If I really have to catch up on something I wake up an hour early (or two) and get on it. Stretching, food, coffee, let’s go!
2. KEEP IT TIDY
It’s proven that a mess around you creates mess in your head. The worst is the work at a messy desk! Before I start work I wipe mine up, tidy up, remove all unnecessary things and light on a candle (even in the mornings). If you have a home office and you don;t want to deal with this, go to a small caffe near by.
3. BYE-BYE MOBILE
Your phone is a distraction. Admit it! If I have something really important to finish, I leave it in the other room. I check it every 90 min or so and reply to urgent calls and texts. I close all the social networks on my laptop – there are some great apps to control it (LeechBlock / Firefox or Nanny / Google Chrome). They will block them for some time and you can easily focus on your task.
4. TO DO LIST
I make a list of what I need to do that day / week and I mark them with numbers according to their importance. You might be tempted to finish the easy tasks first..don’t do it! Finish the hardest ones first and the rest will be a piece of cake.
5. TAKE A BREAK
I have a break every 60-90 min (and by a break I don’t mean a cigarette). The best is to go outside or at least to stand by an open window for a few minutes. If I don’t want to go out I walk to the other room, read a magazine for a few minutes and go back. It keeps me to go on longer and I can focus better afterwords.
6. BETTER EMAILS THAN MEETINGS
If it’s possible at least a little bit, I much more prefer emails to meetings. I save hours of my time and get a lot more done. Of course not everything can be done online and I do love to meet my clients from time to time. It’s important to detect though when it’s really necessary.
7. FIT LIKE MADONNA
It!s proven that people that are fit are much more productive. Start your morning off with 5 tibetians and slide in an hour at the gym in the afternoon. I prefer cardio and pilates, although having a hard time to do any workout in this cold weather. I do try to do at least a stretching every morning 🙂
8. STOP MULTITASKING
Women are experts in this discipline, however the only thing you achieve by multitasking is having many unfinished tasks. The goal is to focus on one thing only and have it finished in the shortest time possible.
9. EAT LIGHT
The biggest killer of our energy is heavy food (even carb-heavy!). I eat a light lunch – some warm veg and brown rice mixed with olive oil for instance. I have been eating very little meat lately and I do feel much better I have to say. Followed by a green tea to digest (the Japanese can’t be wrong) and I’m ready for another task.
10. MUSIC
Music during work is important, what is crucial tho is what kind of music you choose. I can’t stand tune with lyrics (so radio or TV are a no-go) and even some instrumentals are not exactly my cup of tea. I go either for some classical music, some up-beat chill house or the sounds of nature (sounds ridiculous but it works! You can set your own on www.noisly.com) It cancels all the backround noises and you can easily focus.
There are also several apps to increase your productivity (gonna right about that in near future) and also good quality technology. To have a mobile and laptop that are for you super user friendly is very important. I had a chance to test the new Zenbook 3 and I have to say, I was honestly surprised. For a long term Apple user it and a complete anti-Windows type it was super easy to use. This little Asus piece surprised me also by it’s size and weight – it has less that 1kg and it fits almost in any purse!
It’s definitely the cutes PC on the market (which for women is an important parameter just as it’s functionality 😉
Hope these tips were helpful, feel free to share yours!
Have a great week loves,
Jana xo
Photo by Igor Kovacs @ Urban House Bratislava
In cooperation with Asus <3
Miriam
• 8 years agoAhoj
S tymto bojujem aj ja:) budem sa snazit aspon 5 bodov pouzivat.
Este by som rada upozornila na chyby.
V uvode nas vačinu času ma byt vačšinu … a myslim.ze je multitasking nie miltitasking…
Dakujem za prijemne chvile stravene na Tvojom.blogu.
Miriam
Jana
• 8 years agoJej ďakujem za upozornenia, opravené! 🙂
Anny
• 8 years agoSkvelý článok 🙂 tiež niekedy mávam rána kedy vstávam 4:30 a už po nejakých dvoch týždňoch som nesmierne rada keď sa blíži víkend a viem, že práve vtedy si môžem pospať dlhšie. Veľmi skvelý článok určite si z neho niečo vezmem 🙂 a nádherné fotky.
Jana
• 8 years agodakujem! 🙂
No mna ranne vstavanie urcite ubija ..