Question time: Being intentional and productive in your day…

a. sounds like I’ll be doing the same thing each day.
b. is just what I need (or so I’m told).
c. feels overwhelming – where do I start?
d. all of the above

Answer: D – all of the above.

True, having a structure to your day-to-day is all of those things, but is can also be liberating and empowering.

The structure helps you get clear on your WHY and enforce your time boundaries.

But what trips up so many is the HOW.

How do I plan my next week when I don’t know what is coming in the coming hour?

The secret is finding the balance between having set, structured times to get tasks done and keeping a fair amount of flexibility for when life happens.

How to Make a Routine in 6 Steps

1. Decide on when you want to work – this is the days per week and hours per the day that you’ll be working and be realistic as to when you really want to be in your business
2. Block out non-negotiable appointments and times, such as picking up your children from school or your weekly mastermind meeting
3. Schedule in recurring administrative activities, like processing your inbox, checking in weekly with your team
4. Book time for essential marketing activities, which can include being of service on Facebook, preparing your newsletter, writing your next guest post, prepping for a podcast interview, writing content for your new program’s sales page
5. Block out time for client work, where you’ll have dedicated time to spend with your clients, either in sessions, answering questions during office hours or preparing for their next session
6. When not working with clients, go back to step 4 and focus on your marketing activities

As I mentioned, you need to have some flexibility to your schedule, to allow for life to occur.

There’s nothing more painful for me as when I see a client so over scheduled that I emergency doctor appointment throws everything into complete chaos.

You know things will go sideways sometimes. If you don’t handle that type of interruption well (hello – this is soooo me), I highly, strongly, really advise you build at least 2-3 hours of ‘flex time’ into your routine, so that you can have a free bank of time for those urgent matters or to work on those occasional activities, like a monthly bird’s eye view of your business.

And the last part is super important! Understand that you won’t always get it right. And that’s okay.

Let me repeat that – It. Is. Okay.

Things will come up that put a ding in your routine, like a dentist appointment or sick kid.

The important idea is to follow it as best you can to build the habit of time management as a confident, calm, collected business owner.

When you hear the word ‘routine’ what comes to mind? How can you structure your day to give you more freedom?