Do you ever feel like you are just flying by the seat of your pants? Day by day, week by week and month by month, and by the end of the year, you’re looking at the progress that you’ve made, and you feel like you didn’t get as much done as you wanted to get? Being strategic and having a plan for your week can really be the pivot point you need to begin to make some changes to see the results you want in your business. 

In episode 145 of The Purpose Gathering Podcast, I’m going to help you specifically learn how to plan out your week so that you can feel confident and step into that ownership in that CEO role. I’ll map out 3 simple steps to plan your week for you to begin to follow and implement. I want you to truly feel like you know what you are doing and that when you show up to each of your work blocks, you know exactly what you should be working on.

Now each business is going to be different. So of course, I want you to walk through these steps and make it your own.

Step 1: Map Out Your Availability

We all have different schedules, different age of children, different commitments, and different business structures. Everything is going to look a little bit different for you, and you have a different amount of time that you can focus on your business.

The first thing that you need to do is actually figure out what your availability looks like. You need to map out your work blocks and when you’re going to find time to actually get things done.

If you’re a mom of young kiddos, I challenge you to get dedicated child care for your work blocks. If that feels challenging to you, check out last week’s episode and episode 112 of the podcast for tips on how to do this.

Having specific times when you are going to work is key. Obviously with kids, we have to be flexible, but as detailed as you can get and as close as you can stick to your schedule, I think is the best plan of attack.

Once you have your work blocks planned out, my personal preference is to create a standing schedule that just rotates every week so that I know what to expect. Try to keep it as consistent as possible.

Step 2: Write Out All of Your Tasks by Category and Focus

I personally like to use Asana because I have so many different moving parts in my business that it helps me to organize those big chunk categories like marketing, podcast work, my programs, photography, personal life, etc.

I can then subcategorize those tasks by focus meaning what can I accomplish with my kids at home vs. what do I need to save for when they’re not around.

I feel like having this category by focus just really helps you understand when you can do things, and helps you to stay focused and realistic about what things you can easily be accomplished at what points of your day.

Step 3: Group Your Days and Time Blocks by Category

This ensures that you know what you’re going to be working on and which specific tasks you’re going to be working on.

I think a lot of times we can get really focused on either business or our personal life. We tend to be really good at one and neglect the other. But I do feel like it’s really important that we find that balance and that we are prioritizing both our business things and our personal things. We can do that by creating this ideal week of what the rhythm of our day looks like.

You can and should feel the freedom to shift what work you do on what days for what works best for you, your family, and your business.

Next Steps:

Do you feel like all of this sounds amazing, but you have no idea how to implement these things in your actual life and business?

That is why I created my new group coaching program, The Efficient Mom Photographer because I kept hearing from mamas that they were struggling. They were struggling playing with the time management piece. They didn’t understand how to plan things, how to vision cast, how to even set goals for their business, how to find that work-life balance, and what it looks like to implement systems in their business that could create time freedom. 

If that resonates with you, I’d love to invite you to check out my program and reach out to me with any questions you have about how I can guide you to become the true CEO of your business!

Quotes to Note:

“Obviously with kids, we have to be flexible, but as detailed as you can get and as close as you can stick to your schedule, I think is the best plan of attack.”

“The more consistent that you can be with your schedule, the better under, you will be able to execute your plan”

“That really truly is the key to having a sustainable and successful photography business is always looking ahead always thinking about systems, how I’m handling and managing my time, how I can streamline things, and how I can make things more efficient.”

Resources:

1. Need support managing your time well and creating systems to streamline your Photography Business? Join the Efficient Mom Photographer (12 Week Group Coaching Program
2. Want to get make sure your photography business is on the right track? Take the Free Passion to Profit Challenge
3. Local to Gilbert/Mesa Arizona (For Mom Business Owners) Join our in person membership community
4. Looking for tips and strategies for making motherhood and business easier? Join our Free Purpose Gathering Mamas Community
5. Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here