Balance

Photo: Steph Cammarano Model: Avalon Westcott Muah: Sarah Baxter Knickers: Hopeless Lingerie
So I've missed a couple of blogging days due to my recent crazy schedule, and looking ahead it might have to be that way a little more often! Being this busy is an awesome problem to have, but as I am only one person I can only do so much, and Spokes 'n' Daggers just has to take a back seat once in a while. So it is definitely with that busyness in mind I bring you this post.
One of the biggest reasons that I have put off the bra making thing for so long (aside from fear!) is the guilt I often feel when working on new products. I always feel like I need to be sewing orders, and given the amount of customers waiting for orders at any given time I can't seem to find the balance between order sewing, and new product development. I know that bra making is going to be a very epic task, so now I am faced with the challenge of finding that balance and really making it a part of my schedule.
Late last year I created for myself a strict weekly timetable that included a social media strategy, and basically broke down every hour of the week. Even if I stray from it or have other commitments I always have something to come back to. Being self-employed and working from home - I would have to say that a schedule is imperative to productivity and staying organised. I basically treated it like my time-table at high school, and strategically placed tasks according time of day and time of week. For instance I know my favourite part of my job is product development and the least 'job like' part of what I do, so one evening a week and on Sundays is the time allocated for product development. This means that during range development time I am a little busier, but once the job is done that time is my free time. Considering I spend much of my free time doing creative things anyway it made sense for me to schedule things that way. My absolute least favourite thing to do is my accounts (no surprise there!) - so I do them on a Monday afternoon after lunch. I have a fresh mind because it's the start of the week, but I've also had the morning to get my sewing organised and to be honest sewing orders is the least stressful thing I do. From there I allocate time in for packing, posting, social media, exercise, chores and free time.
So this is in theory a great way to operate, but since I have had my schedule I will admit have found it challenging to stick to. But I do think this is largely due to the fact that I started it in December, attempted to follow it over Christmas and New Year, and we are now only a few weeks into January.
Despite these troubles I am going to stick with it a little longer, but I do think the key to success is to not feel guilt when I stray from the schedule, or have an appointment or something else that needs my attention. The knowledge of always having something to come back to is very reassuring. And the schedule always has that creative product development time built in so I really should not feel guilt about working on something new on a Sunday afternoon!
I would really love to hear from friends about time management, especially friends that are self-employed. Please feel free to air your tips and frustrations or anything else on the topic.
Gaby
PS Also wanted to mention a little note - a big thank you to everyone who reads and leaves comments on these wordy posts, I am really struggling to find the time to reply individually but I do read and appreciate them so much!