Now that we are all home, all the time, how do you separate your time? My girlfriend confided in me that she is typically still in her robe and slippers at 2pm, and she rarely makes the bed, because…why should she? It’s a great question, and I bet she’s not the only one, I used to do the same things before I found Fly Lady. When I was a full time stay at home mom, I could barely find the time for any self care, all my caretaking time went into my kids, at least they were mostly clean:)
So, The Fly Lady had a radio show, and I would listen to her as I picked up the kids toys, and she had some great tips, here are a few that I still use today:
- Shine your kitchen sink: it makes your whole house seem cleaner and less chaotic
- Get up, get dressed to shoes and make up (even if it’s just tinted moisturizer & lip balm)
- Make your bed (unless there’s someone in it!)
- Start creating a Morning and Evening routine
- Declutter for 15 minutes
- Do a room rescue for 2 minutes (have your kids run around with a grocery bag & find 21 things to throw away) my kids still will compete on this one, set your timer!
Since then, I have added a few things, my boys are now working, and can make their own ramen noodles, one is even learning to be a chef! So, I have a bit more time to do what I want to, in addition to working my 9-5 job, I find 5 hours per week to work on my Side Hustle. I thought it would be easier when they got older, but now I find there are other things that distract me: Facebook, Instagram stories, funny Reddit memes, Netflix, and a myriad of online learning courses: Amy Porterfield’s Digital Course Academy, Brendon Burchard’s Total Product Blueprint and Ruth Soukup’s Elite Blog Academy, just to name a few.
Where to find the time for it all? I tried fitting things into 15 minute slots for awhile, and that works for some things, but not many! So, I started Time Blocking 5 hours per week just to work on writing, blog posts, social media, etc, anything that has to do with writing. After that is blocked on my calendar, I find another 5 hours to work on building my business skills, that’s when I squeeze in all the learning. The next block of 5 hours is dedicated to marketing my business, this is for creating ads, funnels, connecting with my clients, asking for referrals, and virtually networking in online groups. The final 5 hours a week is for all the tech & analytics, updating my website, managing SEO, reading my google dashboard, tweaking something in Lead Pages, or any other tech related project. That adds up to about 20 hours per week, which is a lot when you also have a full time job, a family, friends, etc.
So, on Sunday, usually, I look at my upcoming week. I like to reserve 5 hours Tuesday and Thursday evenings for my coaching calls, so block them off. Those are actually for working in my business, not on my business. Then I look at my social calendar and fill that in next, typically I’m left with something that looks like this:
Is it easy to find the 25 hours a week, not usually, haha! And some weeks are better than others, but this is the plan I try to hold on to, and work towards. Also, seeing it laid out for the week ahead helps me say no to other things, like hey, let’s stay up late and watch all the episodes of Upload tonight. That’s not going to happen if I know I need to be up and at my desk by 6am!
Try to make it fun
- I use Focus@Will music
- Move my desk outside in nice weather
- Set milestones and try to beat the clock
- Time Block 25 hours per week
- Treat yourself once you hit your 5 hours
- Get clear on what to accomplish this week
- Try to make it fun
- I use Focus@Will music
- Move my desk outside in nice weather
- Set milestones and try to beat the clock
I hope this helps you see how to squeeze in the time for your side hustle, any time you have is a good time, and making the time a priority is the way to create forward momentum and build progress. If you liked this, sign up for my weekly dose of inspiration & get your free downloadable project sheet.
