I had a chat the other day with one of my best friends over an iced latte and a delicious piece of crumb cake, and we were talking about the norms of everyday life. We both laughed and agreed there should be more than 24 hours in a day! Well, let me just say that yes, time waits for no one! There was a point in my life where I felt like I was doing too much or doing too little. Nothing felt balanced. But there is good news — once you sit down and analyze your life and how you use your time, your productivity will improve!

WHAT I DO

For those of you I just met, welcome! I’m a full time fashion designer/blogger for my own clothing line, NKMstyling, a Social Media & Marketing Assistant for LadyBossBlogger, and in the process of starting my second business that deals with marketing and consulting. Within these three jobs there are a lots of responsibilities —  graphic designing, writing, photo editing, business planning, design sketching, sending and replying e-mails, and skype calls. I also make time to workout, meditate, attend networking events and squeeze in some time for a social life. Phew! Now let’s talk about ‘the how’ How do I manage to do ALL of this on a daily basis?

HOW I DO IT

Simple – I make a strict schedule and stick to it! Its all about time management. Here is the routine I follow everyday:

6:20am – ALARM!

6:30am – Meditate and Validations (the Law of Attraction)

6:45am – Morning Smoothie (strawberries, blueberries, bananas, organic spinach, granola and almond milk)

7:00am – Gym: Workout Routine (a mix of yoga, kickboxing and intense cardio)

8:00am – Shower & get dressed

8:40am – Coffee

8:45am – Start my work at my desk!

• Check e-mails: I usually have between 10 and 15 e-mails on average every morning. With coffee in hand I go through, read and reply. Is it weird that I actually love responding to e-mails?!
• NKM website: Check the status, inventory and updates on my website. I make sure everything looks good, there’s no technical problems and that everything is functioning properly.

10:45am – BREAK! At this point I get up, walk around, reload on coffee or chai tea, peep out my window and stare at the view, respond to texts from friends, and grab a snack. (I eat alot 😉

11:00am

• LBB Pinterest: I’m all over Pinterest nowadays. I LOVE Pinterest. I log on to see if we have any new followers and also follow people and add pins. Then I create about 5-10 new pins for the day and schedule them to post in the evening.
• My 2nd Business: Right now I am in the process of creating the most gorgeous website for this business, and I’m so excited about it! It will also be a blog as well, which will cover so many different topics regarding lifestyle, business, women entrepreneurs, and so much more. I spend time on content – graphic design and writing, and also put together packages for my clients. Its an exciting business adventure!

12:00pm – LUNCH! I eat at home as well, so preparing and cooking meals is very convenient. I sit on my favorite chair and pop on the tv. Too bad Ellen doesn’t come on at 12, amirite? I give myself 30 minutes for lunch, and an hour if I’m ahead of the game. I try not to go past 30 minutes because then I’ll get way too comfortable. It’s all about discipline!

When I have afternoon appointments:

12:30pm – I use Calendy to schedule meetings and calls around this time. The reason for this, is because most of my clients are at work and have lunch at this hour. Also, if I have to step out and meet a client, this is the time I would set up the appointment. For some reason early afternoon meetings tend to work better for me.

When I don’t have afternoon appointments:

POOL PARTY!……juuuust kidding lol, although that would be nice right?

12:30pm – I repeat my exact morning work schedule. I tend to work on my businesses in parts. It can get tedious doing the same job for 3 straight hours, so I do break up my work into a morning and afternoon work schedule.

2:30pm 2nd BREAK – (crap Ellen isn’t on yet) I grab a snack, call a friend, mess around on whatsapp, and take another walk around my apartment complex.

4:30pm – Work day is over (even though I catch myself working after dinner sometimes!) I start to make dinner and ease up on the workflow. My entire job revolves around my laptop and smartphone, so it feels good to break away from these for a bit.

My Tips & Strategies

1. Dress up in a way that will make you feel comfortable and strong everyday – Its so easy when you work from home to sit at your desk in you favorite pair of sweatpants, comfy t-shirt, and your hair up in a bun. I get it. Total feels. But when I wore pajamas or sweats while working, I didn’t ‘feel’ like a boss. I didn’t feel like I was a real businesswoman in those clothes. So I decided to dress the way I want to be addressed – like a boss lady. It can be jeans with a cute top and blazer, or a colorful spring dress with my favorite pair of sandals. I noticed when I started doing that I had more confidence, I felt more motivated. And don’t let me put on a pair of heels – YES heels! When I dress the part, I feel the part.

2. Do not look at your cell phone as soon as you wake up! — Your first thoughts when waking up shouldn’t be “how many people liked my pic on Instagram last night.” When we grab our phones and immediately check our messages and other social media, we are automatically telling our brain what is most important to us when we wake up. Start your day by meditating. Make positive affirmations, and speak everything that you want into the Universe. Have you heard of the Law of Attraction? Use these methods to set your mind, body and spirit right for the day. YOUR MINDSET IS EVERYTHING. The second you hop on the gram or facebook, you start comparing yourself to others, or looking at what other people are doing. Take a moment to cut off all social media and focus on YOU and YOUR life. Set the goals you have for the day, and stay positive.

3. Do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day! You can easily take a walk around your neighborhood, workout at your local gym, or even do simple exercises right in your living room. Try and do some form of physical activity everyday. You will get your body going, blood flowing, and nervous system moving. Stay healthy!

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one <3