I’ve always been described as ‘the organised one’.
As a child, I was the keeper of keys and the go-to family oracle for ‘where all the stuff we can’t find is’.
But being organised doesn’t mean time management is a walk in the park.
It can actually mean you worry more when actions and tasks are coming at you from all angles.
Here’s what I do to keep my brain happy and all the plates spinning (mostly!).
No matter the weather, no matter how long for.
It’s the first thing I do in the morning. I roll out of bed, pull on a coat and go for a half hour stroll. Sometimes I call my mum, other times I just listen to my thoughts.
I find this is the best way to set myself up for the day, clear my head and get those good feelings pumping.
When I hit the inevitable 3pm wall, I head back out. This time for a run - really blow away those cobwebs!
If you’re not a runner or a walker, just sitting in the fresh air will do you wonders. Believe me.
Purposefully break down the hours in your day into manageable chunks.
I work 9-5, so I know I have my mornings and evenings for freelance work. After 7pm though, my brain is way beyond being useful and I need to eat chocolate in my PJs.
The hardest part? Stopping that morning flow when I’m really getting into something - prising yourself away from that keyboard, when you’ve got all that creative goodness pouring from your fingertips.
But you must! Hold yourself accountable to the times you set for your projects.
Just because you’re moving over to another piece of work, doesn’t mean you need to forget the stuff you were about to write.
Jot your thoughts down, leave yourself a voice memo. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that next thought is somewhere safe. That way, you can pick up exactly where you left off.
Segwaying nicely from the previous tip - create a second brain. Well, as many brains as you want, actually.
Remember Dumbledore’s pensieve? You need one of those. Maybe less exciting than floating, glowing memories, but just as useful.
If ideas come to me during the day, or I remember that thing I really needed to do, I commit it to the page (real or virtual).
Don’t immediately act on every thought that enters your head. You’re a multi-tasker, but you’re not an octopus. You’ll end up flitting between things and doing nothing very well.
Quickly capture your thoughts and get back to what you were doing.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Are you most creative in the morning or when everyone else is asleep?
My brain doesn’t work at night. I really need my sleep. So, I wake up early and make sure most of my creative work is done before lunch.
I save my evenings for the mindless tasks - admin, project management, responding to emails.
Know when your body is telling you to stop. And stop! You’ll only waste time if you try to push through when your brain is fogging over.
As hard as it is in the moment, it’s okay to put something down and come back to it the next day with a fresh perspective.
Staring blankly at your screen won’t make you write faster.
Be disciplined with social media. Ugh, I know.
Those tempting, little pings - lighting up your screen with that ‘open me’ smile.
Turn that phone upside down.
When you’re trying to focus, there’s nothing worse than that itch to see who’s just followed you, shared your post, asked to connect, sent you a DM.
Allocate times in your day for socials. Mine’s in the evening, when my creative brain is getting ready for bed and my quick-task brain is in the driving seat.
I love a good planner. There’s lots out there - Trello, Monday.com, Microsoft Planner. You could even just set up a Gantt chart in a spreadsheet.
A bit like journaling, dump all your actions in there. The absolute golden rule is to add timelines and due dates to every action - even if they’re self-imposed. This will help you hold yourself to account.
It’s also great for putting things out of your mind. Say goodbye to that sudden burst of fear when you think you’ve missed a deadline. You can see at a glance that you’ve got another week to get that done. And breathe.
I also use colour - lots of it! Traffic light systems really help me quickly see what I need to be working on.
…notice there’s no red? I don’t need red warnings flashing in my face!
I keep my planners in pastel tones, because I find them super soothing to look at. See, even the littlest things can help you stay calm and focused.
And let’s face it, your health should be number one!
Just because you’re getting paid more for a project, doesn’t mean it has to be your number one priority. I know it often means it’s up there, and that’s okay too. All I’m saying is, know what’s important to you.
Know the things that keep writing fun for you. Know what you need to keep you happy, motivated and in no danger of burnout. Prioritise those things.
Then, whenever the plates start to wobble, you know which one to put down first. Don’t wait for it to drop!