Anyone running a small business will know that there’s no typical day, no set routine, and lots and lots of juggling There are always tasks to be done: sending out orders, photographing new items, updating the website, researching postal boxes, trying new packing options, updates to listings, sourcing new material suppliers, creating new designs… on, and on the list goes….
And I do love a to-do list. I love getting all the jobs and tasks out of my head and down on to paper. I can then see what’s ahead of me and tackle the most important things first. And I LOVE scoring things off as I complete them.
I try to split my day in to home life in the morning and TWOO in the afternoons. That way there’s always dinner on the table and clean socks in the drawer. Otherwise, I’d happily spend all day sewing, making and creating, and not get much else done.
I recently purchased the Makers Yearbook and I can honestly say that this has been a game changer already. It only started this week but already I’m working out what needs to be done each day, and how long I’m going to spend on each task. It’s a real lesson in discipline and I’m looking forward to being more productive and more on top of things in 2022
The yearbook suggests that you tick off three tasks in any given day. They need to be achievable and broken down in to bite sized chunks. It also suggests that you set a time limit for each task so that you don’t get drawn in to doing too much and not being able to complete what you needed to do for that day. So, I’ve set myself a 20 minute time limit to write this blog post. And when the time’s up, it’s up! Apologies in advance for any glaringly obvious spelling mistakes!!
2021 was a brilliant year for TWOO. I achieved so much, more than I had ever imagined. But there was an awful lot of time wasting that went on. Too much faffing, and not much focus. For 2022 I hope to be more in control, be more focused on each task, know the benefit to what I’m doing and how it can help achieve my overall goal. And I’d like to have more time just for me, to sit with a coffee and watch the world go by, or head out for a walk and some fresh air, or just to sit quietly and read a book.