Productiveness strategies to handle time and work
5 min read
I’ve been writing this article for over 2 years alongside a full time job, and have by no means missed every week. I’ve written 107 newsletters, and 99% of them have been between pre-planned and pre-thought.
That is the first time I’ve sat down to jot down and been uncertain of what I’m sending out to you all. Yikes!?
That is ironic as I now not have a full time job so my newsletters to you have to be deliberate to the T.
I’m placing it right down to not but having found out my very own time administration course of. I do know I’m spending an excessive amount of time on paying initiatives and pitching for potential paying initiatives, one thing I by no means needed to fear about with a full time job.
The brand new initiatives which have come my means require additional consideration as I construct new relationships for what might be long-term work, while I get my private initiatives into motion.
This has been extra time and vitality consuming than I imagined, leading to inconsistencies with my very own initiatives.
I must discover a higher system of time administration in any other case I’ll by no means transfer the needle alone initiatives.
I haven’t been making use of Parkinson’s regulation sufficient and the truth that work expands to the time you give it couldn’t maintain extra true. Reminding myself of this made me put a tough cease to some work yesterday in order that I didn’t spend the remainder of the night on it.
Maybe too many issues. Here’s a abstract:
Skilled undertaking work:
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By way of undertaking work I’ve been fortunate to get some straight after closing out my job. I’ve 3 paying model journalism initiatives for the time being, with yet one more within the pipeline. This has potential to herald chunk of cash month-to-month.
The objective of this work is to maintain me available in the market place, do some fascinating work, and have some revenue.
Private initiatives:
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This article! I’ve seen a surge in subscribers during the last two weeks (thanks and welcome!) which is admittedly encouraging. I’m over 500 subscribers now and actually wish to guarantee I’m bringing worth to you all constantly.
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I’m constructing The AI Content Co, a generative AI useful resource for content material writers & journalists. I imagine that generative AI won’t take our jobs; those that know easy methods to use it, will. The useful resource goals to chop via the noise and share what issues most, notably for the media and communications business. Extra on that later.
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I’ve been publishing low and medium content material books on Kindle Direct Publishing – KDP (17 thus far). This has not moved ahead in any respect this yr, however it’s on the plan as it may well probably be a stream of semi-passive revenue.
The objective of my private initiatives is extra long-term, in order that someday they will develop into my full time initiatives. That is when I’ll actually have time and monetary freedom.
What this doesn’t display is the quantity of labor that goes on behind all of the initiatives:
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Analysis, writing lengthy type
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Interview analysis, coordination; doing the interviews and writing them up
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Planning and creating content material for social media
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Social media monitoring and engagement
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Studying easy methods to construct a website, studying website positioning
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Studying easy methods to self-publish
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Admin. SO a lot admin.
I would like higher frameworks for my time and my work and have been searching for new methods. Here’s what I’m going to strive.
For my time, I’m going to strive working with Oliver Burkeman’s (best-selling writer of Four Thousand Weeks: Time administration for mortals) 3-3-3 method:
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Spend 3 hours of deep work on my most vital present undertaking, having outlined some sort of objective for the progress. Burkeman claims which you could’t constantly do work that calls for severe psychological focus for greater than about 3 or 4 hours a day.
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Full 3 shorter duties, often pressing to-dos or duties I have been avoiding.
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Dedicate time to 3 ‘upkeep actions’, issues that want my each day consideration so as to maintain life operating easily (answering emails, scheduling content material, social media engagement).
I actually like the thought of this. It’s sensible and never over structured. Will let you understand how it goes.
For my work, (I’m referring to the method that goes behind doing all duties that requires some type of organisation of ideas, concepts, sources and recordsdata)
In case you are an everyday reader right here I exploit Notion for the whole lot. It’s a improbable device with so many capabilities that I haven’t even touched the floor of, which is why it’s now my Notion dump.
Simply all my work there, I do know the place the whole lot is because it’s my mess, but it surely’s not sustainable.
I not too long ago went to a Notion meetup within the UAE (sure I’m such a nerd haha) and found Taigo Forte’s PARA Method.
It’s based mostly on the truth that that there are solely 4 classes that embody all the data in your life. Primarily based on this, you possibly can set up your whole recordsdata throughout units, in a means that’s easy, logical and straightforward to search out! See picture beneath.
Additionally right here is an efficient video abstract of it in case you are .
So that is the place I’m at. I’m additionally giving myself grace by reminding myself that I’m nonetheless in a transition part. That is solely my second month not going to an workplace. It’s been summer time holidays and we’ve been touring rather a lot.
I’m wanting ahead to the youngsters going again to high school this week and us having a routine once more. I by no means realized the significance of a routine till I had youngsters! 🙂
That’s all from me for now. I hope you discovered this handy.
Wishing you an excellent weekend.
Love,
Abha
