As a full-time, stay-at-home parent, I have very little time to build my business.
I don’t have time for perfection or in-depth, lengthy articles (the kind I’d really love to write, if I’m being honest, but that’s neither here nor there). I’m willing to bet a million goldfish crackers that those of you who create online alongside a full-time job also have zero time to get everything that you want finished.
When you only have a couple of hours to build your thing, you have to get creative. I’ve been writing online with a wiggly baby-turned-toddler in tow for almost three years, and I have good news for those of us with zero time: there are a few ways to get it done without compromising our full-time gigs.
I promise.
#1 — Ideation system
It’s no secret that you need something to write about or create, and how you do come up with that brilliant idea varies from creative person to creative person.
Sometimes, that creativity just isn’t there, particularly when our heads are already full of whatever fills our heads day-to-day. From jobs to kids to every other responsibility under the sun, making time to create is usually last on the list.
That’s why it’s vital to have a foolproof ideation system.
Personally, I tend to get my best ideas while I’m out and about with my arms and mind full of my kids, so I have a notes app on my phone to help me jot down those sporadic topic ideas before they flit away. Then, when I actually sit down to write for a few minutes, I pick a few ideas and brainstorm some clickable headlines.
Once I have a headline, the writing usually flows pretty quickly.
Don’t aim for perfection or award-winning content when you simply don’t have the time. Strive instead for content that answers the questions you had about the idea you conjured up, and don’t take weeks to write an article that should take an hour.
#2 — Journal your rambling thoughts
A great way to keep your head clear of unnecessary thoughts and concerns is to journal in the morning, before you’ve had time to start worrying about your day.
This has been hard for me as a perfectionist who has a hard time relaxing into writing without concern for how “correct” my work is. Journaling takes some practice, and you have to ignore the negative voices telling you that you are spelling something wrong or that your words aren’t compelling enough.
Because none of that matters. It’s a brain dump, nothing more. Nothing less. Empty your head so that you can fill it with wonderful ideas that are worth sharing with the world.
#3 — Simplify your routines
Every day, we do a series of “things.”
We get up, hit the restroom. We brush our teeth. We make coffee. We follow our routine.
Making these things simpler as you try to juggle your main gig with your hustle is going to keep you on the right track with very few unplanned hurdles. Here are some ways I simplify my routines:
- Program my coffee the night before
- Meal plan on Sundays
- Schedule regular times to sit and write
- Schedule time to take my kids to the park/pool
- Tidy up in the evening so I don’t have to the next day
These mundane tasks could take up precious minutes that I simply do not have to spare, so planning them in advance really helps. On days when I have not programmed the coffee in the morning, for instance, I’ve added on at least ten minutes of time that could have been spent doing something else (all while happily caffeinating myself, too).
Simplify your mundane tasks so that they don’t sponge up your valuable time. You’ll thank me later.
#4 — Templates are superb
I have a template for everything I do.
If you don’t, you’re wasting valuable time. Templates give you a guided structure to follow, so all you have to do to finish your project is fill in the blanks. I mean literally.
One day I’ll get around to releasing my various templates, which have taken me a while to tweak and perfect, because they’re damn useful. As of right now, I have templates for writing how-tos, longform pieces, commentary pieces, and chapter templates for my fiction writing. I’ll probably add more as time goes on, too.
Templates simply save you time, and when you have mere hours to write in a day, time is quite literally money.
#5 — Exercise
Your brain works faster when you move your body.
I know, I know. We always get advice to exercise more, but it’s for good reason. Studies show that not only does regular physical activity keep you (and your heart) healthy, but it also keeps your mind young and virile.
Okay, I added that last part, but it’s probably also true. Activity really does keep your mind healthy, though, and the faster you can work through your problems, the faster you can get your work done, whether it’s your main job or responsibility or your side gig.
When you only have a few hours a day to work with as it is, a quick-thinking mind can help you reach your professional goals faster.
#6 — Productivity chunks (with a timer)
A while ago, I wrote a very well-researched (in my humble opinion) article about productivity, and I found out something very interesting about how our brains work in relation to time.
Apparently, we complete our best work when we work in chunks of 90 minutes with breaks no longer than 20 minutes in between. This is good. Amazing, even. This means that you can work for an hour and a half, then take a walk. You can work and then spend some time tickling your toddler. You can work in manageable chunks of time that allow for peak productivity, and you don’t have to work all day to get heaps of work finished.
The best part? Your chunks of productivity won’t interfere with your full-time responsibilities if you schedule yourself appropriately. You can also help yourself in this process by making good use of your phone’s timer appas you work and take breaks. There’s something about a timer that just feels official; it helps you get down to business.
#7 — Expectations tempered (and reset)
No matter what your endeavors might be, you cannot expect instant success. In fact, you can’t even expect general success.
Success takes work. It takes effort, patience, skill, and a dash of good luck sprinkled on top, and even then, it isn’t a guarantee. Does that mean you should stop? That you should quit while you’re behind? That you should just settle into your 9-to-5 and forget about your dream?
Heck no.
What it means is that you should temper your expectations. Doing so will release the pressure you might feel to succeed or to have something tangible to show for your efforts. Success in the modern world looks so different from person to person, so stop trying to determine what it means to you. You’ll know it when you feel it.
Instead of allowing that pressure to kill your drive, give success the time it needs to meet you in the middle. Give it your all, and know one simple, unavoidable truth: you will fail a lot along the way. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll learn that it’s okay to make them.
It’s all part of the journey. The sooner you allow for those blips and stumbles, the sooner you’ll be able to keep rambling on, pressure-free. And that’s good, because pressure weighs you down.
#8 — Drown out unhelpful noise
All of these tips will help you pile on more time for your dream, but there’s one tip that you absolutely need to follow, or you’ll fail: drown out all the unhelpful negativity and noise.
There are naysayers everywhere. Even those who claim to be on your team will carefully ask you how your “writing career” is going, knowing very well that you’re still plugging away at your day job. Even your closest friends and family will stare at you blankly when you tell them you made exactly $62 last month.
Don’t sweat it. They don’t know the road you’re on. They don’t know the complexities of self-employment in a saturated market full of talented people just like you. They don’t understand it, and that’s okay.
Because you do. Keep going; manifesting your dreams while working full-time is possible. You’ll only live with regret if you give it up.
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This post was previously published on ILLUMINATION.
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