I don’t know about you, but my work requires me to be mentally on and physically still, for the most part. Between writing, researching, consulting, and recording educational videos, I am Miss Laptop all week long.
In the past, I’ve enjoyed seasons of making money by:
- building wooden longhouses (county park system)
- supervising children while running barefoot outside (being “Aunty Kaffy”)
- walking or standing for 7-12 hours straight (front-of-house restaurant management)
But this right here is completely different. I started booking KQ Writing Studio clients in October, and a lot has happened since then.
As a result, I’ve been experiencing back pain, tired eyes, tight wrists, and the mental wear that comes with jumping between projects at random times. I had an inkling that I wasn’t working in the most efficient way possible. I thought, “Maybe I can push myself to get more done in less time, so I can create more balance between KQ Writing Studio time and personal time.”
I thought correctly.
Last week, after two days of tuning into the Business Simplicity Summit, hosted by copywriter Molly Winters, I had several lists of action items that could simplify different aspects of my life and business:
- Health & wellness
- Legal
- Networking
- Branding
- Copywriting
- Finances
I knew now was the perfect time to test the action items related to my time, energy, and productive (or not so productive) workflow. Here’s what I did differently this week:
Goodbye, TikTok
I removed good ol’ TikTok from my phone. Yes, scrolling sessions had helped me learn important subjects, but they were also bombarding my brain with random sounds, faces, and ideas that distracted me when it was time to work.
I had been receiving positive feedback from my TikTok videos, but I was okay with putting that on pause for now. I knew if I was inspired to look up my notifications or a specific account, I could do that from my laptop.
Hello, Sunrises
I woke up at 5:55 AM. Originally, I thought I’d set my alarm at 6 AM because it’s close to sunrise. That became 5:55 AM, because it’s cuter. (I know, I know. Say what you want.). Previously, I was waking up around 8 or 9 AM. Basically, whenever it happened, it happened.
This attitude worked, because I am my own boss, I don’t have kids, etc.
Now, I had to remove the emotion of waking up “too early” and instead commit to 5:55 AM as a necessary part of my experiment. I knew starting my day earlier would afford me more quiet time and fewer distractions.
Biochemical Love
Immediately after waking up I moved my body, practiced yoga, journaled, walked outside, viewed sunlight, and drank hot lemon water with pink Himalayan salt. This all happened before checking texts, social media notifications, and emails.
I wanted to properly charge myself up before expecting my brain to perform well. And I wanted to make my brain happy without the projection of social media onto my reality.
Time Boundaries
I organized my Google Calendar with time blocks that left generous amounts of time for meals and breaks. Within each given day, I placed my business tasks before my client work, so I had time to work on my business and in my business.
My calendar included a clear end time that equally allowed me to step away from professional responsibilities or keep creating if it felt right.
Oh, and I turned on my email auto-responder for the entire (long) weekend, so no one will expect me to respond to their emails before Tuesday.
Aural Inspiration
During my work sessions I listened to jazz and other playlists that were specifically curated for deep focus and creative work. If I wanted some entertainment in between work, I tuned into podcasts or interviews that featured inspiring leaders, artists, scientists, teachers, and entrepreneurs.
I may not be in the same room as them, but I can tap into their energy, mindset, and mentorship from afar.
Social Support
I joined a virtual support group for sober and sober-curious women. The conversations shared in that space helped me recenter my “why.”
Why does it matter that I optimize my workflow? Why do I care about nurturing my body and mind? Why do I make certain choices when I know they will affect my mental performance?
No, the facilitator of the group wasn’t asking these exact questions. But by plugging into this source of support I was reminded to prioritize my being instead of my doing (being a human before being a business owner, for example).
Wrap-Up: 5:55 AM Wake-Up Calls
Some of the practices I mentioned above had already been present in my life, but this week I placed even more intention behind them. As a result, I felt tension in my body loosening up. I found myself writing with more ease and less self-judgment.
I felt more relaxed when stepping away from emails. I felt like I was completing highly focused creative sessions, rather than dilly-dallying on my phone in between typing.
The voice that reminded me to fear the outcome became increasingly quieter. And the voice that ironically told me to fear my success was shut down, every morning at 5:55 AM.
Further Reading on KatQuintana.com: Want more personal reflections? Check out my posts on creating authentic social media content and the tension of getting what you want.
