I think my adult life has consisted of fine tuning routines and making a series of adjustments until things are just right. My workflow routine is one that I have adjusted over and over during the past two years, but I finally think I've found something that works for me and is sustainable.
Only shoot family sessions on Sunday evenings. Since most of my family lives in the Tulsa area, shooting on Sunday evenings allows me to visit family on the weekend (Thurs-Sun) while still being able to shoot on the weekends.
Plan social media content for the week on Sunday afternoons. I just figured this piece out a couple weeks ago, but once I grasped the concept, it has made social media (which has been my least favorite part of the business) such an easy and manageable task. I just sit down, early in the day, when my brain is fresh and creative, set a timer, and knock out as much writing as I can. I use the app, Planoly, to pre-schedule my posts, so I don't have to think about social media again until the following Sunday.
Each weekday, work for two hours in the evening. This one took a lot of trial and error to figure out, since I also work a fulltime job Monday-Friday. I've tried waking up early (but I'm not a morning person, so I finally stopped fighting against that), or working during my lunch break (but it was hard to get and stay focused without interruption), but neither of those worked for what I needed. I finally figured out two hours in the evening works best. I come home from work, eat dinner and hang out with Ricky and Demi for an hour, then work two hours, and have an hour of free time before bed.
Finish editing and delivering all galleries by Thursday night. This last one allows me to safeguard my weekends. When I send a gallery out Thursday night, I know I can unplug and not have to think about work again until Sunday afternoon. Having a full, restful weekend enables me to come back fresh, with energy on Sunday afternoon.
Overall, the thing that has helped me stick with the business and stay consistent has been my focus on slow, steady growth. I try super hard to make sure that the work I do is sustainable, enjoyable, and allows me to have a healthy, balanced life.
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