Such a luxury, and oftentimes such a challenge! I love having the freedom to do my design work and run my business from my home. This is how it works for me:
I have a designated office space which is so important both for practical reasons and psychologically. My office space is in a separate room to my living space and when I enter my office, I know consciously that I’m there to go to work. It changes my state of mind from “I’m at home” to “I’m at work”. My office is comfortable, inviting and practical with everything to hand and I keep my office as tidy as possible, A tidy workspace helps keep a tidy mind, which makes my day more productive.
I set my office hours (keeping some flexibility as that is the beauty of having your own business) so that I’m comfortable, realistic and serious at the same time. I have a weekly plan Monday to Friday, split into hourly slots for each day and choose what days I ultimately want to work on set projects and how many hours each day.
I love to start the day properly with a bit of a ritual and I don’t stay in pyjamas! I get up and exercise, usually a jog or walk round the park or yoga, I finding it important to leave the house and get some fresh air to avoid staying indoors all day. I have a good breakfast, and get ready, if I have a meeting then I’ll dress for success! I spend some time alone away from my computer to sit and look at my plan for the day, I like to know what I want to achieve by the end of it.
A lot of days are mapped out with projects and meetings and when it comes to having time without a set agenda, I ask myself “What is the most effective use of my time RIGHT NOW?” I have a short list of things that I HAVE to do during the day. Next I have a list of things I’d LIKE to get done, but aren’t essential and finally a short list of things that need to be done at some point – so if I finish off my HAVE and LIKE list I’m on a roll and can get to the other things.
I love a deadline! I like to be super organised and of course I have days where procrastination can get the better of me so I know that a deadline works perfectly to get me moving. It works for me to group tasks together, so that I’m not in and out checking emails all days, distracting myself, I check e-mails twice a day, around 11am and 2pm. When I have a lot of writing/designing/creating to do, I put this creative time in blocks together to take advantage of being in the flow. I turn off my mobile, email notifications, Skype etc.
I work with people from all round the world who are on completely different time zones including America, Taiwan and Australia. I tend to deal with all Asian enquiries in the morning and American in the afternoon so I catch them both during their working day. Skype is fantastic for answering small questions quickly or for talking at no cost.
I always take a break, I have previously worked through like a demon and I know that the quality of what I produce is improved when I take time out. I often get out for some fresh air and changing my environment definitely refreshes my mind and it’s great to get some exercise with a brisk walk.
Being savvy is about knowing what I’m good at and using my time in the best way. I delegate tasks that are not my forte or that I dislike. Giving me the freedom to do what I love.
I make sure I respond in some way to every email and read customers and readers’ comments on my Social Media and others who give the company mentions on their blogs or publications. I make sure they know I’m grateful and thank them when I can!
Some days are satisfyingly more productive than I ever imagined and others are not! That’s the nature of business. If I’m having a particularly tough day, when things aren’t happening as quickly as I’d like them to, I go for a walk come back and write a list or what the most effective use of my time is before starting again. I don’t often work 10 hour days anymore however I’ll always work as many hours it takes to get something done when there’s an imminent deadline but on a regular basis I keep to a 7-8 hour day. Outside of my office hours I resist temptation to turn on my computer for a quick email check or to do one little thing, business is business and personal is personal…. of course I have my sketch books for design inspiration pretty much 24/7!
