I did a lot of dreaming in the final weeks of my day job. I tried my hardest to envision what my life would look like once I was a full-time creative entrepreneur. What would my days look like? One cool thing about being your own boss is that you’re in total control: there’s no one there telling you what to do. But without the proper structure and discipline, that very same cool feature can also lead to rapid failure if you’re not careful. I knew going into this endeavor that failure simply wasn’t an option. I couldn’t afford to fail. And I definitely wasn’t going to let a lack of preparation and planning be the cause of my failure. So I did what I do best: I made a plan and mapped out my dream workday.

Preparing to map your dream workday:

Get to know yourself

I worked a variety of jobs in the decade leading up to my entrepreneurial journey. From nanny to cupcakery manager and pretty much everything in between. My mom lovingly referred to me as a fish out of water. Little did we know how right she was until I finally took the plunge. It would be easy for me to look at my first decade of job experience as a frustrating waste of time. But something really good came of it: I got to try out a bunch of different ways to work. And in that period of exploration, I discovered a lot about myself

• The type of work I enjoy doing
• The type of work I’m good at (which is not always one in the same as the work I enjoy…)
• When and where I’m most productive
• When and where I tend to be the most creative
•  What I cannot stand doing
• Which distractions have the most power

Self-reflection is vital when it comes to setting yourself up for success. Because we’re all unique, what works for me might not work for you and vice versa. I have a friend who consistently works from her couch with the TV on all day long for background noise. That sounds like my perfect recipe for an unproductive disaster. But my quiet, isolated office is her nightmare. Different folks. Different strokes.

Understand the point

While it’s super fun to get dreamy, I believe it’s actually essential to get an idea of what your dream workday looks like. Why? Because without an awareness of how you want to show up every day, you run the risk of establishing habits and routines that you don’t love and don’t work for you. Your dream workday map serves two important purposes:

1. To optimize your productivity

2. To optimize your joy

It’s also critical to recognize that this sketch of your dream workday is simply a guideline. It’s designed to help you make stragetic decisions about how you spend your time and where/when to schedule things in. While I wish I could fit every single workday into the structure of this map, that’s just not possible. A blessing (and a curse) of entrepreneurship is that no two days are ever really the same. But you can do a lot of intentional decision making and scheduling with your dream workday in mind.

My dream workday

Up & at ’em 

It’s 5:15 AM. I have a steaming hot cup of coffee and at the kitchen table with my Bible and journal. I spend about 20 minutes in the word while I have my coffee. I then take some time to write my gratitude list. I don’t worry about any responsibilities at this time. This is my time. There will be a time for things like face washing and getting dressed. This is not that time. I fill this space; showing up in my most vulnerable state. After I write my gratitude list, I spend three minutes free-writing in my journal. At this time, if I feel like catching up on Youtube or blogs or the internets, I do. It’s my time, after all.

Let’s get movin’

It’s 6:30 AM. The dog needs to go outside. I need basic hygiene and probably something to eat. I take the next 30-60 minutes to get myself ready for the day depending on what I have going on.

The grind

It’s 7-7:30 AM. I’m dressed at behind the computer ready for the workday. My typical location is my home office, but sometimes I might migrate to a coffee shop, cafe or coworking space. My wardrobe consists of jeans, cute tees and comfortable shoe (or let’s be real: barefoot/socks). If I have an out-of-the-office meeting, I might get fancy with things and put on a dress. Probably not, though.

The first thing I focus on is something creative like blog content or an internal project. If I’m in the midst of a book project, the first hour of my workday is dedicated to writing my daily words.

8-8:30 AM: Log into emails, Slack and Asana; spend an hour communicating and addressing client needs.

9 AM – 12 PM: Client work & client meetings/sessions

12-1 PM lunch (DO IT JOEY. STOP AND EAT SOME DANG FOOD. I MEAN IT.)

1-3 PM: Client meetings/sessions; client work, creative projects

Switch gears

it’s 4PM and the workday is over. To switch gears, I change my clothes and get movin’ by either going for a run, attending a workout class, doing yoga, something active. After my workout, I take my shower, change into lounge clothes, and start prepping dinner. Work mode: deactivated.

Evening

It’s 5-5:30 PM. I’m working on dinner, cleaning up around the house and possibly drinking a beer or glass of wine. The husband might be on his way home, he might not be. I spend my evening eating and intentionally relaxing by either watching a TV show, reading a book, catching up with friends, etc.

Winding down

It’s 9 PM, and I’m a grandma so I make my way upstairs. I brush my teeth, put in my retainer (bc I’m super cool), and climb into bed. I take my sleeping pill and read until 10 PM. FRIENDS of HIMYM on and LIGHTS OUT. #goodnight

Now it’s your turn! Use this download to discover your own dream workday.