I started my new schedule this week. Well, essentially, I just moved my start and stop time up by an hour. So, I "work" from 9am to 6pm. This includes my client work, the blogs, my book, and every other project I'm involved in setting up. And so far, it's been working out exceptionally well.
Part of this switch includes taking breaks every 90 to 100 minutes. This is opposed to just walking away whenever I felt like it.
When you get it into your head that since you work at home, you can do whatever you want, things fall apart quickly. And if you already struggle with motivation, it makes success far more difficult. Sure, working at home gives you quite a bit of freedom. But it also means being able to remain productive is all on you. No one is standing over your shoulder to make sure your work gets done.
I'm one of those people who have to view the work-at-home experience as a traditional career. Otherwise, it's incredibly easy for me to melt away the day with nonsense. This means taking breaks at times when it keeps me most efficient, working when my clients are, and keeping myself away from diversions like YouTube or Netflix.
In any case, it's been working out exceptionally well. Though, I have taken time off to go to Costco and take care of other random things throughout the week. This means that if I want August to be an epic month for productivity, I need to play a bit of catch-up this weekend.
Planning Out the Inkitt Story This Weekend
I recently made a video about Inkitt and am curious as to how the process works and whether I can draw an audience on the platform. So, this weekend, I am planning out my next story to publish.
The idea is to write it similar to what I do for Despair on YouTube...one "episode" a week. I think I've mentioned this before, but my new schedule should allow me to add a bit of creativity to the mix.
I have a few ideas, but not sure if I'm going to go for fan fiction or if I'll write something that I'll eventually publish as a paperback. That's pretty much the struggle I am having right now. I have ideas in either case, I just don't know which one I want to start with first.
Keep in mind that this is on top of finishing Kingmaker.
Bringing Back Blog vs Vlog
Starting in September, I'm going to bring back the blog vs vlog series. Mostly so that I can keep motivated to create content and to build up both the YouTube channel and website at the same time. I really enjoy doing these because I am a dork when it comes to data.
I love my spreadsheets, what can I say?
This time, I'll make similar content for both the YouTube channel and blog. That way, I can see which one performs better for their respective audiences. Not to mention how it'll help me focus on future content as I'll be able to see which topics people prefer to consume.
The monthly series of case studies starts on September 2nd for WriterSanctuary, but I'll probably publish the results on MichaelBrockbank.com. I know not everyone is going to care about the data, but I know a couple who do. It's all about finding a happy medium somewhere.
Sticking with My New Schedule
Although I could have done far better this week with my new schedule, the days when I actually adhered to it were extremely productive. So, I think this is something that might just work out well for me to continue.
That's one of the hardest parts about working from home, actually. Being able to find time in the day when you're the most productive is a trial-and-error process. And if you have people all around you most of the time, it gets exceptionally more difficult. But if you want to make a career out of it, you have to find a way to keep yourself moving forward.
In any case, it looks like I am far more productive from 9 to 6. Let's see how much of an impact it makes on my end-of-year goals.
What Did You Get Done This Week?
Kids are back in school, I have an extra hour in the mornings to get motivated, and things are looking good for the rest of the year. The hard part is making sure I can stay on task. Well, at least staying on task without burning myself out. This is why I try to focus on an 8-hour day. Hustle culture can have an adverse effect on your mental health.
In fact, I've nearly burned myself out several times because of it.
You can be productive and successful without spending every waking moment trying to get that bag. It all comes down to how you utilize the time you have in the day.