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How I Manage My Time And Write Alongside My 9-to-5
The system
When it comes to creating alongside your 9-to-5, one problem stops most people in their tracks: time.
It’s having enough time to dedicate to your writing on the internet to build and nurture your business.
I work 9–to-5.
I have done for the last 4 years and managed to create part-time for the entirety of that time. I’ve been on the brink of burnout a few times but on the whole, things have been pretty steady.
Most people tell me they’d love to create part-time if only they had the time to do so. They’d love to write a bunch and build a business but they simply do not have the time.
If that’s you, here are some productivity tips you can steal so you can get writing on the internet.
1. Environment design
If the space that you write in is a total mess, you’ll probably find that not much work gets done. If it’s overcrowded, spilling over with paperwork, then you get distracted easily.
The same is true for your online environment. If you’ve got a million and one tabs up, with notifications popping off every second and your phone on full volume, you’ll probably find you easily get distracted.
A few years ago I deleted Instagram. A year or so ago I decided that when I was writing on the internet, I didn’t want distraction. That meant I had one tab up (this one I’m writing on) and no background noise.
I put my noise-canceling headphones on, flip my phone upside down (or put it in the other room) and for the most part, have a tidy desk. All of which helps me focus on the task at hand.
2. ‘Step’ mindset
The weird thing about looking too far ahead is that, if you’re not careful, you’ll overwhelm yourself with the size of the task and end up scaring yourself out of doing anything.
I’ve done this a million and one times. I do it with new products, I do it with renovations, I do it with work stuff, I do it with pretty much everything.
I’ve learned over the years though, to break things into smaller steps and just do one thing at a time. And more than that…
