Shop Talk: Your Schedule

Welcome to Shop Talk, where we chat about everything from the business processes and procedures you swear by to how you handle tough situations (like letting go of a client) to what gets you up on Monday morning. Give us a sneak peek into your business and inspire (and be inspired by!) our community.

Some people love a consistent schedule: waking up at the same time every morning, going through the same morning ritual, working during a set period of time. Others thrive on variety, choosing to wake up at different times each morning, varying their breakfast, and working as the mood hits them. Which works best for you- sticking to your tried-and-true routine or letting your mood and energy levels determine your schedule?

  1. I’m all about the variety! It’s one of the reasons I left the 9-5 world. I wanted to have the freedom to set my own schedule, work when I felt inspired, and build in play time into every day. Some days I start working at 8am and other day, I don’t sit down with my laptop until 11am. I love being able to have the flexibility and choose how I spend my time.

  2. Allyssa says:

    I wish I could say I had a set schedule, but I don’t. I try to work from 10-6 weekdays only, but usually I end up taking breaks and just working whenever I feel like it. Although I hate working at 10pm, I do love the flexibility that working from home gives me! I think the key is to try to have some structure, but still be flexible.

  3. Mine is pretty full (who’s isn’t, right?!). I work a full-time job from 8-4p M-F (and sometimes Saturdays) and work on my freelance PR when I have down time at work and my evenings are definitely full of work, events and meetings!! I would love to be able to make the switch to full-time freelancer so I could make my own schedule/be a little more flexible. I am turning into more and more of a morning person so I would love to, most days, just get up early and get going!!

  4. After years of “going at it alone,” I’ve developed a schedule of sorts that works for me. The best part is that I can follow the rhythm of my own energy levels. I tend to do social stuff in the morning, while I’m still waking up. Then hitting the creative and client work. Then email catch up and follow up… I tend to work early mornings to midafternoons. I try to avoid weekends, only Saturday mornings if I must. 🙂

  5. Aradia says:

    I have a super structured schedule – rigid almost. Because I run 2 businesses and 1 is product based, while the other is service based. I also have a few side projects related to my creative work. I like structure and it ensures that I actually do things…however I have a 3′ monkey wrench that causes me to have to struggle to abide by my schedule.

    So in the end I do what I can, as much as I can and just roll with the interruptions and many times stay up late. To my credit I do get a lot done though.

  6. Amy Chick says:

    In my early freelancing days I worked casually throughout the day, but realized I didn’t feel like I had a purpose to my day. I took up a part time job that keeps me getting up early, so I’m at the office in the morning and focusing on my own work in the afternoon/evening. The accountability of having somewhere to be at the start of the day has been good for me. Now I just need to work on structuring my freelance time – it’s still a struggle!

  7. Lauren says:

    There are days when I’m chomping at the bit at 8:30 and not ready to be done until 5 (like yesterday) and days when I’m taking a bath and reading until 10am (ahem, like today). And the best part is I never feel rushed or like I have to BE somewhere. I can just do what I have time for when I have time for it.

  8. Cristina says:

    This is something I think about a LOT! I am sporadic and learning to be okay with it (I think haha). Like Lauren said, sometimes I’m raring to go early in the morning and can literally work 14 hour days, no problem. Other days, I couldn’t bring myself to do work if my life depended on it. Same thing with the time I wake up, when I go to the gym, when I go to sleep, etc. One consistent: coffee haha. It’s a bit spastic but it seems to be working for now- at least better than fighting against my nature!

  9. Lauren says:

    Good question! On days I don’t work my part-time job, I start my morning off with meditation, exercise, & a relaxing breakfast (absolutely helps with productivity). Then, I get to work. I’ll admit that there’s days I spend TOO much time working, but I’m working on balance in my life right now.

  10. morgan says:

    Regardless of what I have going on each day, I always get up at 6 am (if not a little earlier). Then it’s coffee and dog walking for about an hour, and if I have time, a short run. I really enjoy getting outside in the late afternoon (before the sun goes down in the winter) so getting up early ensures I’m done early as well. I definitely prioritize spending time with my husband in the evenings when he comes home from work.

    I’m still struggling to get a system down for how and when I check email and social media and still be productive with client work, but I’m hoping that will come in time. Some days I check my email too frequently and spend too much time on Twitter, but other days, I ignore it all together. Is there a perfect amount of time or a perfect balance? I don’t think so. What works for some may not work for others. As for me, I’m still figuring it out 🙂

  11. Kalyani says:

    I like structure! Most mornings, I wake up, have a cup of tea and read something inspirational (I’m currently enjoying “A field guide to now” by Christina Rosalie). Then I work for a couple of hours and hit the gym. My work day stops when it’s time to pick up my kids. I usually like getting the important stuff done in the morning and leave afternoons for brainstorming, idea generation etc.

  12. Sherri Jones says:

    With me working in PR my schedule has to be flexible by default. It’s a life full of multi-tasking and you literally never know what the day holds from hour to hour. For the most part I love mixing it up, but some days I wonder what life would be like in a routine where I wake up, check emails, work on my to do list in order, etc 🙂

  13. I’m very consistent about my morning schedule: Run with the dogs, get cleaned up and sit down at my desk around 7:30 a.m. After that, however, I’ll slice in personal stuff, depending on the day: I’ll throw in a load of laundry, pay bills, etc. I’ve also been known to take a 30-minute break if I’m mentally stuck! Unless I have deadlines, I shut down when my husband gets home. I LOVE working at home and owning my schedule!

  14. My schedule is insane at the moment. On top of working on my own personal business, I’m going to school full time (four online courses through Florida International University), plus three part time jobs and a long distance relationship. My life is currently all about balance.

    I’m not a morning person, so I set up my schedule so that I don’t have to work or do anything before 10am. I’m also most productive at night. So my days are usually from about 10am to around midnight. And my schedule also varies depending on the day. I’m not big on routine. I like to be able to go with the flow and do things when I want to do them. I could never work a strict 9-5 job. I’m very fortunate to have the schedule I have.

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