One of the things I do well is managing my time. I work 40 hours a week, in full-time education, I have a 16 hours a week internship and I am an influencer – which means I have to produce content daily! I also sew, go to the gym, cook, look after my cats and all the normal day to day stuff that comes in between. So, how do I manage my time and stay organised? This is a good question! Well, forget about all those booooring time management courses you had to watch or thought about watching because I am going to quickly outline for you, the 5 things you need to do to stay on top of things and manage your time effectively.
- Write a to-do list
I know this one might seem a bit obvious but honestly it can help so much! Try to be as specific as possible, so for example, if you have a meeting don’t just write “meeting” write “meeting today at 3pm with x”. This will give you and your head good clarity. If you’re meeting with a photographer for example (I know us influencers love to dab into photographer meetings) then you write a more in-depth list (see picture for example). In terms of time management, if you have to prepare some outfits for this meeting then its probably best to prepare the night before. If you know you are meeting at 3 and you have to prepare some outfits and you know it takes you 2 hours to get ready but you also need to have breakfast, feed the cats, send some emails then this is what your list might look like…
As you can see I’ve used an online program to make my lists, it’s called Trello. You can get the app version as well so if you are out and about and need a quick peek at your list it’s only a finger swipe away. As you can see preparing stuff the night before can really help in saving you some time the next day, also writing down the times will help measure how long you have to do each activity which will help you stay on track. Always prepare your lists the night before or the day before, this will give you clarity of what needs to be done and give you some headspace.
2. Don’t be lazy when it comes to creating
Easier said then done I know but being able to manage all of these means action, action, action. There is no time to sit down and binge on your favourite Netflix series. Think of it this way. While you’re sitting watching the next episode of YOU there is someone else out there doing! Doing and getting ahead of the game. Influencing is becoming a very competitive market and every day a new influencer is raising the bar. If you want to become successful you need to produce content. With that said always ensure your content is authentic and you are actually enjoying what you are producing as this is meant to be a fun industry that provides you with freedom by being your own boss.
3. Split your week with set times – set a routine
Always have set times for each activity you have to do, that way you get into a routine/habit of doing things and you don’t fall off track. For example, every Tuesday, I focus on university for the first few hours of the morning, in the afternoon allow some time for my internship (I normally work from the office) and later that evening go to work. Because I work a late shift on Tuesday it means on Wednesday I’m either off or on a late again which means Wednesdays are my days of creating content because I have the full day with no interruptions to do so. As you can see this gives structure and routine. To me this is the best form of organisation and a great way to manage my time this is because I know what to expect which means I am always one step ahead.
4. Make use of the night before
I touched on this earlier but let me go into more detail. Okay, so, giving yourself 1 to 2 hours every evening to prepare for the next day will help you with managing your time, it also will give you clarity and some headspace. Sometimes if I have a lot to do – or I think I have a lot to do – I write my list, prepare everything the night before and I realise that whilst in my head there’s a lot going on, in reality there isn’t much to do. This allows me and my brain to rest which means I can have a good night sleep – if the anxiety doesn’t kick in – and the next day I feel more prepared to attack the day. Here’s a list of things you can prepare the night before to save you some time in the morning …
- Breakfast (I like overnight oats)
- Lunch (Make this the night before to avoid worrying about it the next day and saves you money)
- Prepare you’re outfit/what you’re going to wear
- Prepare a bag (I do this when I’m going to uni or the gym)
- Write a list for the next day
- If you’re going for a shoot – prepare everything the day before
- Iron your clothes etc…
5. Give yourself study weeks
As I mentioned previously I am also in full time education. Right now I am in my second semester of my MSc degree in Communication and PR at Ulster Uni. Guys, this is a FULL ON COURSE, it’s hard! But by managing my time and keeping organised I am able to do it. Other than putting time aside each week for reading, researching and planning etc… I create ‘study weeks’. In these weeks I will focus on nothing but university. I will ensure I have some stock content for Insta so all I need to do is upload but wouldn’t do it as often as in my normal weeks. I will ensure I am not overloaded in work or stressed and I will focus all my time and energy towards uni. I do these sporadically across the semester but intensify nearer to deadlines. I will do nothing but assignments, I will be at one with my assignments and I will be, the assignment. Basically I will put everything that I do on normal days as 0 priority and focus everything on planning and completing assignments to get the best results. This worked really well for me in the first semester which means I will definitely be doing this again.
6. Lastly, don’t forget to take a break!
I highly recommend holidays! Rest is very important especially if you are juggling so many things at once. You can either schedule time in the day or take a week off. For me, I go to the gym. It helps me clear my mind by focusing on my body and soul. Yoga would be great too. For others, maybe reading a few pages out of a book, going for a drink with a friend, watching an episode of YOU. Whatever it may be, make sure you get some ‘me time’. However, linking back to point two don’t forget doing ‘too much resting’ can turn into a routine and eventually become your habit.
Do you have any tips? something I missed? I would love to hear from you as well… drop me a comment below.
India Reed is an MSc in Communication and Public Relations student at Ulster University. She can be found at: Instagram – indialee_reed ; YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCujm8EoQQuxyAjf2Z1wJYQ ; and Twitter – @indialee_reed. India is also on WordPress at https://indialeereed.blog/ – check out her most recent post A Guide to Belfast Charity Shops