Ahh the fun of time management...for the self employed its a must, especially for the work at home self employed.
This area has never been a strength for me but I have to say since becoming self employed I have really gotten better at it....because I have to.
Its taken me a month and a half to finally find a rhythm and a schedule that works and that I feel I get the maximum benefit from. Its been a bit a challenge because I'm home with my two little monsters so I don't really have a large chunk of time during the day to work. In the beginning I was still trying to do a lot during the day and be mommy to the kids. There really wasn't a plan I just tried to get as much done during the day as I do at night. But it just left me frustrated and feeling like I wasn't accomplishing anything in either area. I finally came to the realization that your days are going to be similar to when you had a day job, most of your day will be spent on things other than your business. The evenings will continue to be your peek time. But unlike my schedule with my former job I have the flexibility to work during the day if I have the chance.
Summers are the busiest time for my husband at work but he usually doesn't have to leave the house until 8am and for this family of early risers, it leaves times for me to get a little workout in and then my husband normally wrangles the kids until he has to leave which gives me a couple of hours in the morning to work.
I start my day by reviewing the list of what I want/need to get done (usually I try to make the list the night before). Most of my creative work happens at night, when I have a large uninterrupted chunk of time. During the day my focus is foremost on answering emails and getting proofs completed/orders out. The remainder of time and focus is on doing a FB post or two, if I have something to blog about I will try to get that organized or right now it's researching information regarding starting my own website as another avenue to my Etsy shops.
Bseecau two of my 3 shops are still newer I am trying to build inventory so the amount of hours I spend working each day is pretty important. To feel like I am on track I need to have at least half of my day devoted to creating. Because my day is so broken up remembering how much time I spent on certain tasks is hard, so I actually made myself a little time card. It helps me for right now know I am putting the right amount of time in to get new items created and into the shop.
Getting my schedule down is an ever evolving thing but for now I think I have a schedule that works best for me and my family.
How do you schedule your day for maximum benefit?
Monday, July 15, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
A Royal Baby Shower Celebration! -OFFER IS EXPIRED
Welcome Welcome, especially to visitors here checking out the goodies from Etsy Digital Designers July Royal Baby Event!!
I have been wanting to add more baby shower items to With Envy Parties and what better reason to get cracking than to celebrate the birth of the royal baby!! And kuddos to the couple for either not finding out the gender or not revealing it...either takes more willpower than I have!!
But back to the goodies!! I love these two sets so much and I hope you will enjoy them two.! Each set is over 30 pages of fun party decor items! All you need to celebrate the impending arrival of that special little lady or little man!
July 12-19 ONLY (OFFER HAS EXPIRED) these two Non Personalized baby shower collections are FREE!!! After that time they will still be available for purchase from With Envy Parties as instant downloads!!
LITTLE LADY BABY SHOWER
**For PERSONAL USE ONLY**
NEXT STOP:
Check out what Events You Can Print has to offer HERE!
Check HERE for a list of all the offers from the super talented Etsy Digital Designers Team!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
She Works Hard For The Money!
Just wanted to show some of the new things I have been working on...
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| Adding new items to my Wedding Collection |
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| Revamping my logo...still not completely done... |
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| Working on something fun...more details SOON! |
If you didn't see the announcement on With Envy Studios' FB page, I am transitioning With Envy Paper from stationery products to clipart and digital paper packs!
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| Love working on new clipart! |
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| New rainbow paper pack |
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| Adding fun birthday shirt designs |
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| Working on creating pregnancy stickers to coordinate with our onesie designs |
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| Adding new items (notice I love the clip art set so much I am using it all over!) |
What have you been up to?
Monday, July 1, 2013
What I Learned...
Today is the first day of July and I have one month under my belt of being self-employed. It has been a month of daily self reflection on my decision also really learning about myself and what I need to do to allow this business to continue to grow.
I tend to be a person that reflects more on the negatives rather than celebrating the positives.So I am making a real effort to stay positive. I'm trying to cut myself some slack and realize that I can't make it all happen overnight.
Here is what I've learned this last month:
1)I need lists, detailed lists of my goals and what actions will help me achieve those goals. I need daily lists to feel like I am making progress
2) This is hard.
3) A calendar is a MUST. I need to schedule my whole day, even the regular non-work related things so I keep on track.
4) It's going to be a long time before I stop second guessing myself and each day I will going back and forth between feeling like a failure and feeling like a rock star.
5) This is very hard.
6) Now that I don't have a pesky day job getting the way there still is not enough time in the day.
7) You can make it on 4.5 hours of sleep...for a day or so and then inevitably you will fall asleep at random moments (on the couch playing with the kids or watching tv, or sitting up in bed working...seriously my hubs has found me eyes closed, head to the side, but hands still on the keyboard).
8) Pandora is my new BFF...what could be better, I get to listen to great music, it puts me in the creative zone and it doesn't distract me (well sometimes it does because seriously you know there are those songs that you just have to stop what you are doing and belt them out as if you can carry a tune...aka any early mariah carey songs!)
8) This is the hardest, scariest thing I've ever thought of doing...and I'm doing it.
I tend to be a person that reflects more on the negatives rather than celebrating the positives.So I am making a real effort to stay positive. I'm trying to cut myself some slack and realize that I can't make it all happen overnight.
Here is what I've learned this last month:
1)I need lists, detailed lists of my goals and what actions will help me achieve those goals. I need daily lists to feel like I am making progress
2) This is hard.
3) A calendar is a MUST. I need to schedule my whole day, even the regular non-work related things so I keep on track.
4) It's going to be a long time before I stop second guessing myself and each day I will going back and forth between feeling like a failure and feeling like a rock star.
5) This is very hard.
6) Now that I don't have a pesky day job getting the way there still is not enough time in the day.
7) You can make it on 4.5 hours of sleep...for a day or so and then inevitably you will fall asleep at random moments (on the couch playing with the kids or watching tv, or sitting up in bed working...seriously my hubs has found me eyes closed, head to the side, but hands still on the keyboard).
8) Pandora is my new BFF...what could be better, I get to listen to great music, it puts me in the creative zone and it doesn't distract me (well sometimes it does because seriously you know there are those songs that you just have to stop what you are doing and belt them out as if you can carry a tune...aka any early mariah carey songs!)
8) This is the hardest, scariest thing I've ever thought of doing...and I'm doing it.
HAPPY MONDAY!!!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
With Envy Wednesday - Star Spangled Goodness!
Fourth of July is right around the corner. This week I am featuring fun red, white and blue or stars and stripes items from great Etsy designers....check out these great items and the shops too!!
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| Click picture to enlarge |
Monday, June 24, 2013
24 days...
I have written and erased this post several times too afraid to finish. But thanks to some other bloggers I finally decided to just finish it more for myself and to get it out than anything..
Today June 24th is the 24th day that I have been working for myself full time now...
And on this 24th day, writing this and having other people read and know is a big step for me.
Why is is a big step? Whats the big deal? Well if you know me at all, I'm not a real risk taker, I tend to play within the lines and I have always strived for stability, especially with two small kids. I'm also pretty sensitive although I try not to show it. I haven't wanted people to know because I have felt like until I really have a big success I basically just walked away from stability and I'm not strong enough to take in negativity from others about my decision.
I spent over six years in a field I loved (social work) doing a job I did not love. The mission was noble and I was generally proud of what I did but at the end of the day it was a thankless job that was emotionally draining. After 6 years and two small children it was getting harder and harder to balance the needs of my family with the needs of families in crisis. I was getting burnt out and I wasn't being the wife and mother that I should have been for my own family. I applied for a new job in a totally different field with lots of perks and less stress on a whim and got it. I had these wonderful hopes that even though it wasn't a field I had ever thought of working in it would be so much better because it had set hours, no on-call, rare overtime and lots of perks. Plus it was in town (haven't had a job closer than 30 mins from where I lived since entering the adult workforce).
But things weren't as great as I hoped. I don't like to not be good at something, especially something that I have to do for 40 hours week. But I came to learn that if you have no interest in your job, its really hard to want to put in the time and effort to be good at it or to put up with the crap that comes with any job. I realized that I was working my butt off everyday only to feel mediocre (at best) at the end of the day. After a year I felt just the same way I felt after 6 years at my previous job. And as the breadwinner and all around "safe, stable" girl I felt trapped. In the midst of this I saw some random thing on Facebook one day, that basically asked you how you would feel if you were still at the same point in life 10 years from now. If you weren't happy with that then you needed to make a change.
I have always had the pipe dream of making a living from my design work but until this year I haven't really made an effort to make it a reality. Once I made it a priority and set goals (and spent every "free" moment working on my shops) my business kept growing. And it gave me the confidence to really think I could do this for a living.
So needless to say after a long period going back and forth about just sticking it out at my job, or making the leap, sleepless nights worrying, and a few unexpected surprises I made the decision to give it a go.
In the past 24 days I have had my moments of regret, tearful breakdowns feeling like a failure, mixed with bursts of excitement and can do spirit. These past 24 days have not been what I thought they would be both good and bad. I am plagued with worry about where I will be at the end of this journey. But I also know underneath the stress and worry, is a person who truly believes things happen for a reason and we aren't meant to live our lives being unhappy.
I remember I started my first Etsy shop because I wanted to do something that made me happy, an outlet from the stress of my day job. I wanted my daughter to see me happy and excited about life not stressed and on edge.
I don't know where this journey will take me and I don't know in the end if I will be successful or not but I know its something I needed to do, to hopefully get to a better place. I will keep you updated on my journey...the good, bad and the ugly!
And because I'm a sucker for inspirational things here is a FREE 8x10 inspirational print to start your week off right!
Today June 24th is the 24th day that I have been working for myself full time now...
And on this 24th day, writing this and having other people read and know is a big step for me.
Why is is a big step? Whats the big deal? Well if you know me at all, I'm not a real risk taker, I tend to play within the lines and I have always strived for stability, especially with two small kids. I'm also pretty sensitive although I try not to show it. I haven't wanted people to know because I have felt like until I really have a big success I basically just walked away from stability and I'm not strong enough to take in negativity from others about my decision.
I spent over six years in a field I loved (social work) doing a job I did not love. The mission was noble and I was generally proud of what I did but at the end of the day it was a thankless job that was emotionally draining. After 6 years and two small children it was getting harder and harder to balance the needs of my family with the needs of families in crisis. I was getting burnt out and I wasn't being the wife and mother that I should have been for my own family. I applied for a new job in a totally different field with lots of perks and less stress on a whim and got it. I had these wonderful hopes that even though it wasn't a field I had ever thought of working in it would be so much better because it had set hours, no on-call, rare overtime and lots of perks. Plus it was in town (haven't had a job closer than 30 mins from where I lived since entering the adult workforce).
But things weren't as great as I hoped. I don't like to not be good at something, especially something that I have to do for 40 hours week. But I came to learn that if you have no interest in your job, its really hard to want to put in the time and effort to be good at it or to put up with the crap that comes with any job. I realized that I was working my butt off everyday only to feel mediocre (at best) at the end of the day. After a year I felt just the same way I felt after 6 years at my previous job. And as the breadwinner and all around "safe, stable" girl I felt trapped. In the midst of this I saw some random thing on Facebook one day, that basically asked you how you would feel if you were still at the same point in life 10 years from now. If you weren't happy with that then you needed to make a change.
I have always had the pipe dream of making a living from my design work but until this year I haven't really made an effort to make it a reality. Once I made it a priority and set goals (and spent every "free" moment working on my shops) my business kept growing. And it gave me the confidence to really think I could do this for a living.
So needless to say after a long period going back and forth about just sticking it out at my job, or making the leap, sleepless nights worrying, and a few unexpected surprises I made the decision to give it a go.
In the past 24 days I have had my moments of regret, tearful breakdowns feeling like a failure, mixed with bursts of excitement and can do spirit. These past 24 days have not been what I thought they would be both good and bad. I am plagued with worry about where I will be at the end of this journey. But I also know underneath the stress and worry, is a person who truly believes things happen for a reason and we aren't meant to live our lives being unhappy.
I remember I started my first Etsy shop because I wanted to do something that made me happy, an outlet from the stress of my day job. I wanted my daughter to see me happy and excited about life not stressed and on edge.
I don't know where this journey will take me and I don't know in the end if I will be successful or not but I know its something I needed to do, to hopefully get to a better place. I will keep you updated on my journey...the good, bad and the ugly!
And because I'm a sucker for inspirational things here is a FREE 8x10 inspirational print to start your week off right!
 |
| available HERE |
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| available HERE |
HAPPY MONDAY!!
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