Something I talk a lot about protecting your time and setting better boundaries when working from home because let’s be honest, that is usually one of the things people struggle with the most.
I have helped people creating better systems, boundaries, and accountability for over 6 years as part of my consulting, and inspired 100s of members and students through Creative Impact.
I am going to be humble and say I have tested, worked on and implemented quite a few systems to help people streamline their routines.
I thought I’d share with you a few things I found incredibly beneficial in the 6+ years I worked for myself and have been my own boss.
“I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.” — Zig Ziglar
Your calendar will become your best friend
Create a routine for check-ins and emails (this has been the goldmine of my strategy, and whenever I stick to it, it’s incredibly effective.
I say this because I often struggle with this, but I find that having dedicated times to check on my clients, emails and our collective membership has helped me with reclaiming the time I need.
Having a calendar available for your clients is obviously the easiest step to take. You can keep empty times that you want for yourself to do content creation, forward planning or go to the gym.
With a calendar that people can book into I don’t have to explain why you are not available — just that you are not.
Protect your prime time
I take my first two hours every day to prioritise movement, journaling and goal setting, meditation, and food.Yes, before that I always have a coffee, something you may not be too surprised about.
Since we’ve been home every day, I got back to this practice and I am lucky my team works around my timings (just like I work around theirs).
If you are a night owl, do not shoot the messenger just yet.
The right routine may look completely different to you depending on your commitments, the nature of your work and your priorities. Either way, getting up and getting dressed sets you up with the right frame of mind for the day.
Use your scheduling tools
Do you need help, support, ideas? Hit me up for a call. Join our group coaching if you are a member.
Writing long emails or responding to 100,000 WhatsApp messages is not how I roll. I actually barely look at my phone between 8 am and 6 pm.
One time I even went as far as deleting all of my social apps from my phone, and in just a week my screen time reduced by a whopping 40%.
Boundaries are key
“Time is the most valuable thing wo/man can spend” — Theophrastus
Obviously, nobody is perfect, but I believe setting your boundaries is one of the key aspects of working from home (something I talk about extensively in my upcoming book).
For disclaimer purposes, we are incredibly busy these days — which can be a good problem to have.
I am massively grateful I have loads of amazing projects and sides of my work going, but I am also working hard to use my own systems and blueprints to keep myself happy, balanced and sane.
Hope this helped you as well and gave you some inspiration. To finish off borrowing the wise words of Brene Brown: “Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”
Looking for inspiration for your morning routine? Check out these five habits.