Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I’ve been wanting to discuss some ways that I’ve been trying to work smarter, not harder. Like I mentioned before, I’m back to teaching and juggling that and my blog can be a lot of work. Thank God I’m happy to be back in the classroom. I feel so refreshed after taking one year off. My blog is my dream come true side hustle. Could I blog full-time without teaching? Yes, however I want to hold on to my teaching profession a little longer and what inspired me to do this was hearing from other bloggers who have done the same thing. So, in order for me to continue to run Beautifully Seaside and teach at the same time, I decided that it was super important for me to create a plan that would help me work smarter, not harder. Below are some strategies I have incorporated since school started to keep my work-life in order by the Grace of God.
GET MORE THAN ENOUGH SLEEP
Before I took my leave from teaching I was getting 4-5 hours of sleep, which clearly not enough for me. I was fine during the day, however when I wanted to work on my blog later in the afternoon, I was totally exhausted. Now each week day, I’m in bed by 11:00 PM and wake up at 6:00 AM.
STAY HYDRATED
You won’t believe how important this is to keep up with a busy schedule! Now, I carry my Swell bottle with me to school everyday and fill it up 2-3 times. It’s amazing how many years I taught without drinking enough water. Never again. Staying hydrated is a very important.
EXERCISE
This is also very important, because walking or running for an hour a day keeps me energized. On average I exercise at least 6 times a week and feel so much better afterward.
GET AHEAD
I take all of my outfit photos on the weekends and edit them when I have some downtime. On average I shoot about four looks at a time, then my husband and I usually go out to lunch afterward. Since, I love to shoot my looks in the Keys, we usually spend the rest of the day there visiting his parents or going out on the boat.
STICK TO A SCHEDULE
I work on Beautifully Seaside everyday, however I’ve created a better schedule that I can keep up with. During the week, I work on my blog for a couple of hours right after school, about an hour before I go to sleep, and one hour each weekday morning. I’m still trying to make this time even more productive and will follow-up on this in a few weeks if you are interested.
I hope these strategies were helpful to you. Now, I would love to hear how you work smarter, not harder. Share your tips in the comments below, so that we can also be inspired! Have a beautiful and blessed day! XO, Desiree
SHOP THE LOOK
Moon River Tie Strap Dress (I’m wearing a small) / Strapless Bra / J.Crew Sandals / Mark & Graham Hand-Painted Circle Beach Bag / Guerlain Lipstick Sun Twin Set & here / Essie Fiji Nail Polish / Meghan Markle Inspired Earrings
I’m going to be announcing this month’s giveaway winner this weekend and it includes some fall goodies! Don’t miss out! All you have to do to enter my Showers of Blessings Giveaway is leave a comment on a blog post. The more comments you leave the better your chances are at winning. Have a beautiful, blessed day! XO, Desiree
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He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Some great ideas. I’ve been trying to get back into my painting, but find by the time I get home from work and then fix and clean up dinner, I’m just exhausted. I’ll look into several of these
I’m trying to be more scheduled, too! It’s amazing how distracted I can get by little things. Love your tips especially the exercise and water!
xo
Alicia
http://www.thelushlist.com
Good tips to live by!
Great ideas to help you feel more balanced. I think that putting your needs first and then taking care of work’s needs make a huge difference. It did for me. I have been working for a great company for the last year and a half where there is no expectation to be constantly “on” and checking emails, or working on things during the evenings or weekends. Prior to this, I spent 4.5 years with a company that was the exact opposite and I thought I’d have a nervous breakdown! Now that I have changed where I work, I feel that once I’m home, I can really be home and do things that matter for me and my family.
Thank you for sharing this Mary-Irene! It’s so true and I can totally relate. I spent so much time working to grow my blog and create content with no real schedule other than ‘all day’ and it does take a toll, as I mentioned before regarding no sleep. Now, I’m going to take more steps to letting go by hiring a part timer to help with some of my social media. I’ve done it before and need that help again. You’re absolutely right! Family comes first and we need to take care of ourselves. XO