I’ve always been nosy curious about people. I loved AIM away messages that listed out what people were getting up to for the day. When people started daily vlogging on Youtube, I couldn’t get enough. And I’ll always be a sucker for blog posts that share behind-the-scenes information about how people do their lives.
Before I started working for myself, I was desperate to see how other creative entrepreneurs did things. What did the work look like? How did they manage their time? Where did they spend their days? Even though I’ve been in the entrepreneurial world for a few years now, the curiosity still lingers. I learn so much from seeing how other people operate. And I thought, hey, maybe you do too. So today, I’m here with a behind-the-scenes look at how I work to kick off the How I Work series. Every Thursday, a badass creative entrepreneur will be taking over the blog to share an inside look into their workday!
So, let’s get to it.
For those of you who may be new here, I’m Joey. I’m a Young Adult author, content creator, business start-up consultant, and a boundary and accountability coach. Basically, I help people make things happen whether they’re looking to attract new clients (hello, business blogging), start a business of their own, establish a work process that protects their dream job, or finally tackle that life-long creative dream.
There can be a lot of variation to my work day (said every creative entrepreneur ever). But I do my best to keep some things consistent.
How I work
Most often, I work daily from my home office. I’m an ISFJ, so I prefer to work alone and actually, I typically work in silence though I am a fairly social person. (I realize a lot of you are shuddering right now. 😬) At first, it was a total accident–I’d start my day only to realize halfway through I never put on a playlist, but over time it just became my preference. I nannied for many years, managed young teams, and spent a lot of time in customer service jobs. So silence at this point in my career feels like a much-welcomed change.
On occasion, I’ll crave a change of scenery or I’ll feel the (very rare) urge to be around people. When that happens, I’ll usually pack up and head to a coffee shop. While I’d love to be cool and claim that I frequent some quirky, artsy local place, I have to be honest. Starbucks is close to my husband’s office, and we share a car, so…🤷🏻♀️
I log in for the day around 8AM. The first thing I do is take inventory of everything I have going on. While I work completely virtually with clients (I use Asana to manage client relations), I do still like to keep track of things in a paper planner. Studies have actually shown that you’re more likely to remember something if you’ve written it down in your own handwriting. So, I have an Ashley Shelly planner that I keep with me; and I have a large Erin Condren planner that stays open on my desk to track my project goals each week. I do on occasion keep track of my todo list via Wunderlist, but that’s not as common these days now that I tend to stay at a desk.
Usually, the work looks like some combination of writing content, coaching and consulting meetings, and creating course content (yes, so keep an eye out for three VERY exciting course launches coming very soon!). That’s work-work. But I’m also in the middle of writing my second book and promoting the paperback version of my first book, so I keep things pretty interesting on the day-to-day. Calendar blocking is a huge part of my productivity. It’s easy for me to feel completely overwhelmed when things are just floating around in my head, so calendar blocking helps me know that 1) there is time to get everything done and 2) when it’s going to get done. This also comes in huge for implementing my boundaries. But we’ll talk more about that in future content.
Habits & Routines
My early mornings are sacred to me. While I’m sure to listen to my body and allow myself to sleep in when necessary, I typically wake up around 5:30. Quiet time with my coffee and my thoughts is a non-negotiable for me. I’ve just started practicing Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages, which is an exercise where before anything else you write longhand for three pages; stream of consciousness style. I can do a whole separate post on its benefits, but so far it’s been pretty life-changing. Along with that, I sit with my one cup of coffee (Folger’s Classic Roast with way too much Coffeemate Peppermint Mocha creamer) and start to plan my day.
I give myself time in the morning to ease into things. If I feel like catching up on Youtube, I do. (I’m a big fan of vlogs; MoreZoella, FleurDeVlog, LeighAnnSaysVlogs are some of my faves.) If I’m in the middle of a good book, I’ll sit and read for a while. (My TBR list is crazy right now. I really enjoy mystery/suspense type books, but at the moment I’ve been getting back into the YA mindset with a few Sarah Dessen novels.) This time in the morning is to do the things that I want to do. Sometimes that means diving right into a creative project if that’s what I feel like doing. But throughout the rest of the day, a lot of what I’m doing is for someone else. My mornings are for me.
My bedtime routine is pretty consistent, too. I take out my contacts, wash my face with coconut oil (it’s honestly the only thing I’ve found that can control my otherwise crazy oily skin–go figure), and apply my skincare (a Ponds night cream and a L’oreal eye cream because #almost32). I don’t keep my phone by my bed, so once I’ve plugged it in for the night, I’m screen free (say no to the mindless social media scroll). When I first get into bed, I do my Lara Casey Write the Word journal. After that, I’ll read for a bit while my sleeping pill kicks in (yes, I’m a terrible sleeper otherwise). Once I start to get sleepy, I do what everyone says not to and put on the TV to either FRIENDS or How I Met Your Mother. I know it’s a bad habit, but it’s comforting for me.
Life Balance
Here’s the thing. When you’re a creative entrepreneur, it’s really freaking easy to blur the lines between work and life. I’ve made the mistake of putting my work before everything else before. When every dollar you make is attached to the amount of hustle you put in, it can become a very slippery slope. Entrepreneurship is full of sacrifice, we all know that. But listen to me when I say this; you deserve to live your life, too. Because of this new found perspective, I now have firm office hours.
I am “on the clock” from 8-4PM Monday – Thursday, 8-noon on Fridays. Sure, I may carry work over on occasions, but for the most part, client communication comes to a hard stop at that time. I do not keep my email on my phone. And when I’m done for the day, I physically walk out of my office and shut the door. I have a work computer and a personal computer. And I do my best not to blur them.
These days, my evenings consist of taking yoga classes at Lifetime Fitness (can’t beat $30/month), making meals with my husband, reading books, writing, or binging a new show (we like Superstore and Splitting Up Together). I’ve also started making it a priority to spend time and intentionally catch up with friends. Sometimes that means an after work date, a FaceTime wine night, or just a plain old phone call. Either way, I’m making it a priority to keep up with the people who are important to me.
I’m in a place where I’m really enjoying my work. But I’m also very intentional about making sure to enjoy my life, too.
If you’re a creative entrepreneur, and you’d like to be featured in this How I Work series, send me an email with How I Work as the subject and we’ll chat!
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