I was having brunch with a couple friends this weekend when one of them lovingly asked what exactly it is that I do all day. I stumbled through my answer, realizing I’d never had to explain my day-to-day work schedule to anyone before. I thought that maybe you all would be interested to know what my daily life as a graphic designer and blogger is, too, so today we’re doing a little tour through my life. Come along for the ride, will you? 🙂
8:00-9:00am: Wake up! I love that working for myself means I can get out of bed whenever I want, but I rarely use this privilege anymore. I love mornings just as much as I hate waking up late and feeling rushed in the afternoon. Lately, I’ve been trying to wake up by about 8:30am. Since I don’t have to make a commute to work, I’m able to get started on my day shortly after getting out of bed.
This is usually my view as I open my eyes. Sometimes I pull him close and cuddle him against his will. It is really the best way to start the day. 🙂
9:00-10:00am: Take Monja outside for a brief potty break. Come inside to make coffee and breakfast and feed Monja. I’m pretty slow during this span of time, so I don’t rush things. Sometimes I shower (haha…sometimes…). I should also mention that I check my email and social media almost immediately, and especially while eating breakfast. I have no intention to respond to anything (because I’m a little dazed and sleepy), but I do it anyways. I’d like to cut that habit from my morning routine. Anyone else check email and social media in the early a.m.?
10:00-12:00pm: Check emails and respond to as many as I can. Sometimes I save lengthy ones for later. I also check social media again, but this time with the intention to respond to a few things. I also sometimes will respond to comments at this time. Basically, this is when I communicate with the internet world. 🙂 Oh, and if I’m super late, this might be when I write the day’s blog post. 😉 I try to write posts the day before, but need to work it into my nightly routine a little better. When I lived in Japan, the time difference was in my favor — I could publish a post at 10pm Japan time and it would go live around 5 or 6am US time, on the same day. This meant that I always saved my blog post writing ’til the end of the day and never scheduled posts, but now I’m trying to get in the habit of scheduling things so they’re published in the early morning. Do you schedule posts?
12:00-1:00pm: Take Monja for a 30-minute walk. Make and eat lunch. Sometimes this is when I shower. (Sometimes this is also when I decide not to shower). 😉
1:00-6:00pm: This is usually a grab-bag. It might be when I get design work done, run errands, or take Monja to a training class. Or it might be when I feel restless and clean my entire apartment, or take a break to do some art. It depends on the day — sometimes I’m not in the mood to sit at my computer at work, and other times I get a jolt of heavy inspiration. Either way, I am doing something productive and generally keeping busy. I don’t like the feeling of being lazy or stagnant, so I am always trying to do something.
6:00-10:00pm: I’m not sure how many hours I spend diligently working everyday, because I really scatter them throughout my entire waking period. It’s hard for me to tell myself that I’ll work 9:00am-5:00pm, and to be honest, I don’t think that schedule works well for me. I get surges of inspiration at random times and I usually take them when they come. This might mean that I’m designing a logo at 10:00pm or installing a new blog design right before bed time. Some people might think this is crazy, but I break up my day enough so that even if I’m working after normal hours, I’ve spent enough time relaxing or doing other things during the day that it seems to even itself out. Usually, I work during the 6-10pm block of time, but that’s because I spend the afternoon (when I am naturally not very productive) doing non-work things. I also take Monja for another 30-minute walk and cook dinner, which both slow me down in a positive way.
10:00pm-1:00am: Lately, this has been when I write blog posts for the following day. It’s also when I sometimes take a bath, read, practice calligraphy or some sort of art, plan out or create things for the shop I’m working on, or watch re-runs of Psych. Seriously, I’ve seen every episode of Psych about a zillion times. I should probably move on to a different show, but I’m afraid of getting sucked in (always happens).
1:00ish: Take Monja out for a quick pee break, get ready for bed and then SLEEP! 🙂
Some thoughts about my day-to-day:
– Like I mentioned, I’d like to not check my email and social media first thing in the morning. I find that answering emails is kind of draining for me. It really depletes the creative energy I’ve built up while sleeping. I’d love to try starting my day with either writing a blog post (for the next day) or jumping right into design work.
– This post is a general outline of what my day might look like, but really, it changes all.the.time. Some days, I’ll spend the afternoon buying and playing with crafts or picking out plants at Home Depot. Other days, I’ll skype with clients or work on a blog project, like my e-course. My day is filled with as much leisure as it is work, but I try to keep my “leisure” activities to things that help me grow or feel refreshed in some way. I don’t like to watch a lot of TV. I don’t even have a TV. My dad told me he wanted to buy me something for my new apartment (how nice of him, right?), and suggested getting me a TV. I asked if he’d buy me a table instead. A table. I can’t decide if this makes me really old or really boring, but I’m inordinately excited to get a new table. Anyways, this is a long-winded way of saying that everyday is new, unstructured, and fun in its own way.
– I love the flexibility of working from home. When I told my friends about my schedule, they both said that they’d never have the discipline to “be their own boss.” It really does take a LOT of self-discipline and it’s easy to get side-tracked. I’m getting better about this though. I also feel proud that I can do all of these things and push myself to complete work without someone forcing me to do it. It’s not always easy, but it helps that I really do enjoy what I do.
Recently, I was letting my to-do list pile up because I had this thought digging into my mind that there just “wasn’t enough time” to finish everything on my list. So, next to each item, I wrote down how long I expected the task to take. I thought this would help me schedule different projects into my day so that I could finally finish them. What I found was that when I actually did the task, like revising a logo design, I finished it in about a quarter the amount of time I had expected it to take. Every single task was like that and I finished my to-do list in much less time than I thought I would. It actually kind of blew my mind how quickly I am able to work, since I’ve always fabricated these incorrect ideas of how long it takes me to do certain things. I think that experience helped me to realize that I should just get started, even when I feel unmotivated, because the difficulty and length of my to-do list is probably not as bad as it seems in my head.
Anyways, that’s what my day looks like! What do YOU do all day? 🙂
I am in the midst of making the transition between a 9-5 desk job and the life of a self-employed creative business woman so this is definitely a treat to read. I have two different schedules planned out for the week and they vary between my 9-5 and my self-employed job. I found that it was a lot harder for me to start the day in full freelance mode when I didn’t have a schedule for myself. I also try not to check any social media (with the exception of my work email inbox) until sometime in the afternoon. I like to just meditate and let the goodness soak in.
I am so inspired by this post that I will have to write one of my own. I’ll be sure to link you to it once I have that posted. Thanks for the creative boost this morning lady!
Love this post Melyssa! I’ve started tracking my time to see what I’m doing all day and the times I’m doing them just to get an idea of what works versus what doesn’t work. It’s really help me put things in perspective and move things around. If I write blog posts quicker first thing in he morning, I try to get that out of the way. My inspiration also comes and goes in spurts in the day so I’ve been having fun seeing when I really want to work on client work.
I’ve been curious about the life of a full-time blogger/designer. Thanks for sharing!
Can we please trade lives? Thanks!
-Kate
http://www.theflorkens.com
I love taking a peek at how other people go about their day. I think it’s important to remember that we are all different and we all have different jobs, that’s life! My day starts around 6:30, but I’m a grandma and I’m usually in bed by 10 🙂
26 and Not Counting
I wake up early and respond to my social media and emails first thing in the morning, not my most creative hour but its the only time I can fit it in. This post just made me miss my dog, puppy cuddles in the morning are the best!
This sounds wonderful. I would love to have something that I could do to be my own boss. I am like you in that I need to be able to “bounce” between things. I don’t do well when I have to sit at a desk and “be productive” from 8-5.
I dream of finding a job that allows me to work from home and create my own schedule! (But doesn’t everyone?!) You definitely seem to maximize your time way better than I do when I’m at home, good for you!
Mornings are my favorite!! Ha, but half the time, I can’t get up in time to enjoy my morning :/ I do like checking e-mail and social media then though…. it’s just busywork that is nice when contrasted with the lethargy, slowness of the morning!
This is so similar to my day except during 1-6pm is reserved for the au pair work (thank goodness that comes to a close in a few months). I do most of my design work in the evenings but also sometimes pre 1pm as I don’t have a dog or other responsibilities, pre 1pm is also when I tend to go out and run any errands I need to do.
I’ve found it much better since I started waking up at 8.30am too but I am the same as you in that I check social media & emails with no real agenda of replying, I must put a stop to that soon! It’s so hard though as I like to know what I’m facing later that day but it does spiral into 30-40 minutes of stalking Pinterest/Twitter in the blink of an eye ;).
That sounds wonderful! My day is a mad house…a lot of driving, studying, work, more work, studying then trying to fit blogging in when I can. I want your life Melissa. It sounds so casual. haha
I def thought about making a post like this! I think a lot of people think that when you work from home that all you do is watch tv and eat snacks all day..that is me on some days but I do actually work too lol
I usually schedule my posts the night before. I set it to go live anywhere between 7a-9a Eastern Time. The joys of living all the way at the late end of the US.
I’m actually an early riser. If I’m working from home, I like to wake up early, grab a cup of coffee and work in bed for about an hour or two before getting out and getting “ready” for the day.
Thanks for sharing this! I find it so offensive that people think I do nothing but clean, watch tv, and walk around the city during the day. There is such a thing as working from home!
I so badly want to work for myself and have days like this! waking up at 5:45 is the worst!
Wow – you write blog posts between 10pm and 1am! I’m so sleppy at this time. I’m impressed you are so articulate at this hour. Monja is so sweet isn’t he?
Claire xx | somewhere… beyond the sea
This is an interesting read. As someone who recently stopped working I’ve found that I still need that work day schedule so much that I’ve basically made a 9-5 routine even though I don’t need to be in the office. I wonder if it has something to do with the work you do. Being creative you need to act when the urge strikes. For me, I’m a student so the urge nearly never strikes. I need to have study time on a strict schedule in order to get anything done.
Love this insight into your day! What I love even more?! PSYCH! If you’re looking for a new show in the same vein, may I suggest Leverage?! Just as much fun with a pinch of action as Psych, and really clever, as well. Oh, and your apartment looks amazing – will we get a peek at it sometime?!
Loved this peek into your day! Having a pet is so key for me as a fellow work from home girl. And I too tend to check email and social first thing, which I don’t love, but it helps me feel I’m not missing anything important if I go on to other activities.
You are so disciplined! I’d love to be my own boss, but I’m really afraid I would fritter my days away being nonproductive. I’m taking some mental notes on your methods. Thanks for sharing!
This was so interesting. I’m not self-employed like you but (for now) I stay home most days and my husband works. It was so hard to be self-disciplined at first. However, making lists and knowing I actually did them feels really good.
I used to get up and check social media first thing but that made me feel like my priorities were off. Now, when I get up I try to read 2 ‘verses of the day’ before doing any social media. Maybe you could find an app with either verses or inspirational quotes. It starts your day off positive but it isn’t ‘work’ or ‘task’ related.
Lucky, Monja! He gets so many walks lol. It’s great that you can choose when to work throughout the day and take occasional breaks as and when you feel you need them, rather than just taking one long break say in the middle of the day (as most people are made to do). I’m sure it means you enjoy working more and also makes you more productive, too. I wish I could do the same thing because I really think that would suit the way I work so much better, but, sadly, I’m not self-employed (yet). Maybe one day! 🙂
I would also love to break the habit of checking social media right away. It always slows my morning down. I work part-time, so the other part of my time I spend running social media or doing VA work, and I really enjoy the ability I have to structure my own schedule on the days I’m not at my corporate job.
I actually think it’s a good habit to check social media in the morning, even if you’re not going to respond, because then you get the day to think it over and maybe you’ll remember something important for your reply later on. 🙂
It was nice to read about your whole day being self-employed; thank you for sharing!
it has got to be so rewarding to do what you love and on your time schedule. i’m the same way that i get the most done at night and i love being able to schedule my own work schedule. i find i get the most done that way.
I love this! Right now i’m in the middle of freelance gig and a part-time internship, both of which require very little time away from home and most work has to be done on my own hours. I’ve been working on trying to set a more clear schedule like you have and not spend so many days sleeping in just because I “can” haha. A schedule would help me be so much more productive, I know! Thanks for this post 🙂
-Kayla
a state of [stylish] grace
I can’t wait until I get to work at home someday. I’m definitely not disciplined enough to do it yet, but your day looks like heaven!
I have an odd schedule now and do most of my work from home. I used to think I wasn’t very disciplined because I had such a hard time working 8am-5pm at home. Much later I realized working at different hours a little throughout the day and mostly in the late afternoons and evenings just worked best for me. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one that works that way!
Just got back from my wedding weekend and I thought “I need some happy, wonder what Melyssa’s up to?” As usual, you never disappoint when it’s sunshine I seek. I loved this little peek into your day. I’m leaping from the dock, head, hands and feet, and by starting my photography business and taking my blog to the next level, my goal is to leave my desk job and be working for myself by the end of the year if not sooner. You are such soul fruit (I’d say candy but candy is so bad for you, it felt an inaccurate metaphor).
It was great to get a look into your goal! A friend and I are working on a business with the goal to be self-employed at some point in the near future and I always wonder how different people structure their day. That picture of Monja sleeping is adorable! I love how he curls up with that little smile. 🙂
Yep! When we were in Japan, I’d write my posts in the afternoons or evenings. It was so easy to do linkups too! Everyone stateside would post them late at night, which would be my afternoon. It took me a while to get a different schedule once we moved back.
I have a pretty odd schedule myself, except for Tuesdays and Thursdays because that is when I teach all day. I like how you have a loose schedule set for yourself; I need to do something similar so that I keep better track of my time and actually get through my to-do lists. 🙂
This is an awesome post, Melyssa! I really love having a sneak peek into other people’s routines. This also shows me that it’s not as easy as it may sound to work for yourself and from home. I have a classic office job, full-time and I leave home to catch the train at 6am, I’m at the office by 7am and I usually catch the 5pm train to be at home at 6pm. Sometimes I’m REALLY jealous of ladies who have been able to turn their blog (and businesses) into full-time jobs but I guess it’s always important to remember that there’s sunshine & rain in every situation 🙂
Really interesting to see what your daily routine is like. I am the same, I often check emails and comments in the morning but don’t get round to replying until the afternoon. I think it’s great that you can adapt to what works best for you and work at the times of the day you feel most productive. Living in Japan I find it great that I can write my posts in the evening which will be early morning in America.
A few years ago I worked the evening shift as a waitress (4-midnight) and I really loved that schedule! I’d get up around 8:30 and be able to have coffee/breakfast, run errands, spend some time with friends, eat lunch, relax and then go to work. I never felt tired/pressed for time like I do after coming home from a normal 9-5 job. If I could choose that schedule again I would, it really worked for me! It was fun getting a peek into your daily routine 🙂
Great post, Mel! I love behind the scenes action, it is so interesting to see how people structure their days. And I totally agree about our relationship with time–I always feel like it’s going to take longer to do things than it actually does. Time chunking it like that is a great idea!
I find that breaking up different tasks that deplete my energy [book writing, blogging, photo editing, washing dishes] with activities that recharge me [snack time, working out, going outside, journaling] works really well for me. sometimes I psyche myself out about not having enough time, but you’re completely right that it’s usually just an exaggeration in my head!
You are so disciplined! I currently work from home but I get easily distracted! I think I need to take some of your ideas on board!!
If I lived alone I would also do the majority of my to do things late at night, it just seems like the perfect time to me. In terms of checking your email straight away I do that too and agree it is not really very useful and I have been trying to instead do a bit of journaling as detailed in this blog post! http://saltwaterwriters.com/2014/01/31/calling-all-artists-a-28-day-challenge/
The life of an artist-love it! Now that I am working an office job, I miss hanging out with my kitties all day and making my blog my priority, but I didn’t necessarily have to run it like a business like you do. And you’re fabulous at it!
I enjoyed this post, since I recently described how my perfect day would be 🙂 You can check it out here: http://happinessineverydaylife.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/a-day-with-no-obligations-the-perfect-day/
I usually start by waking up and checking emails and such (not responding), but I’ve decided to instead try reading a book or something during that time. It feels less stressful and keeps my creative energy going as I prepare to enter the day.
This was a really fun peek in to what your days look like! Thanks for sharing!
I wish I could be more of a late night person, but normally I’m out of bed at 5:30 so I can go work out before coffee and breakfast. I’m in the office, catching up on correspondence {translation: goofing around on social media} by 8 usually, and I usually try to be out the door around 4. My evenings are a mishmash, but I usually end up crashing out by 10. Maybe I just need to learn how to sleep in.
Ours days look pretty similar! Only I wake up and go to bed a little earlier since the hubsters is in the army and has to wake up early for work
Will I get in touch with Leonora, our animal communicator,
once more? This can also be taken to an extreme with people
insisting their idea of a positive way of
life is the only way. Feelings are getting in the way of typical sense.
Hi Melyssa, what is that calligraphy pen in the picture? Does it hook up to your computer or something? Because that would be EPIC!
Hi Ali! That’s just a regular ol’ calligraphy pen, but it actually does look like it’s hooked up to my tablet! The cord is only plugged into my drawing tablet, but you’ll see a silver pen on top of the tablet which does hook up to my computer. Not quite as great as a calligraphy pen, but it helps! This is the tablet/pen that I have: http://amzn.to/1tCdSwc
Thanks Melyssa, I will have to investigate ;)!
Hello Melyssa, thank you for sharing your day as a blogger and designer. This is something I’m considering doing in the future. Being your own boss is hard, but I think it’s easier if you’re clear of your goal and your passion.
★meilijourney.blogspot.com ★
Haha! I love that your early hours are betweek 9-10 am 🙂 By that time I have been awake for at least three hours. Being a mom with a young child really makes your schedule looks a lot more different. But aside from that my days are much the same (excluding the dog but including a child). Right now I’m working on integrating my two jobs: running my yoga business AND freelance consultancies. I’ve banned all mail and social media from my bedroom, which really works for me and I practice inbox zero, which I can totally recommend. By the way, I love your blog. It makes me feel connected with like minded people/bloggers/entrepreneurs. Keep up the good work. Sending much love… all the way from Denmark
Hi Tine! haha I bet you wake up a whooole lot earlier! I admire that — I’d really love to wake up at 6/7 and get GOING, y’know?
And that’s AWESOME that you’re working on your two businesses. They both sound wonderful. I also took up yoga a few months ago and fell in love with it! A yoga business sounds like the bee’s knees. 🙂
And thank you for your sweet comments on the blog! I’m so glad you feel that way. 🙂 And Denmark!? It’s at the top of my bucket list. 🙂
Hi Vanessa! I definitely agree — clear goals are key. 🙂