Working from home: It seems to be the new normal as we approach one year of this pandemic. As some of you know, I started running my business full time in January of 2021 after running it on the side for nearly 6 years. It was the most terrifying decision I have ever made, especially because I LOVED my full time job. But I knew that if I ever wanted to succeed in the ways I had always imagined with my photography business, I had to go all-in with my time.
Through this new journey, I thought it would be fun to share 5 things that I have learned along the way in regards to working from home!
1. Morning routines are important. Strive to make a morning routine that fills your cup AND gets you well prepared to dive into work for the day. For me this looks like getting a workout in, reading my bible, and getting any dishes or laundry out of the way before I sit down to focus.
2. Environmental cues! I change the smell, sounds, and light when it’s time to dive into work. I diffuse the same pine scent every time I need to sit down at my desk, I turn on a chill Spotify playlist, and I open the blinds to let as much natural light in as possible to keep me energized and focused.
3. Time block. I have started to develop a schedule where I spend my mornings doing more “admin” style work like responding to emails, updating client files, meetings, consultations, and bookkeeping tasks. I’m used to taking my lunch around 11:30 from when I worked at a school, so after I eat lunch I use the rest of the day until about 4:00pm or so to do all of the fun and creative things like editing, planning sessions, creating content, and brainstorming new ideas. These things are the parts of my business that feel less like “work” to me, so I reward myself with them after I get the necessary things done in the morning.
4. GO WITH THE FLOW! Some days things pop up that you cannot control. Have grace with yourself and adjust your time accordingly.
5. Begin the week with a list of things you want to have accomplished by the end of the week. The tasks to accomplish these goals can be separated into your days so that you can see your progress by Friday. It is so stressful to enter the week without a plan and just aimlessly do things here and there with no timeline. I learned that very quickly! You are your own boss, and nobody is going to set and achieve your goals for you.
Do you work from home? If so, what lessons have you learned along the way?
