FAN MAIL FRIDAYS: How I Manage My Time Everyday As An Entrepreneur, Blogger, and Gym Junkie :D


To those who are asking, yes, I entertain non-beauty related queries for my Fan Mail Fridays segment; I actually appreciate it because it's sort of my breather from Beauty Blogging! Here's one from one of my long- time readers, Rhania:

Hi Ms. M,

I know you're a busy person...doing things like personal life, exercise, family time, travel, and work; they make your sched a little bit complicated plus you blog everyday! I wonder how you manage your time. I wonder if you use apps or you have a journal/planner. I admire how you handle your time everyday!

Have a nice day, Ms. M!

Rhania


Hey Rhania!

Thanks for writing to me again. I hope you're doing well. 

I may not be the perfect person to ask regarding time management because I do make mistakes often and I am late sometimes (I know blaming is wrong, but F.U., traffic), but I do have a little something to share when it comes to managing-my-time; Take note, MY time because it works for me and here's to hoping that you pick up a few useful stuff from my system and it works for you. :)

Before, I used to be all over the place: I'd only remember my tasks on the day itself, not jot down notes, and just try to do everything at once, until the consequences of my being messed up hit me right smack in the face. :p I then developed an easy system so I can manage my time properly, even if not perfectly; I had to most especially when I put up my business because of the bigger responsibilities that I had to do not only for myself, but for other people as well! 

I'd like to share this time management system of mine with everyone today.


My Time Manager of Choice: iCal. Because admit it, you don't get to finish your annual planner, really. :p
What my schedule looks like on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Mornings are usually reserved to meetings and a bit of email work, afternoons are reserved to more email work, events (if any), and looking for potential clients for my biz, and evenings are reserved to my daily workout and Blogging.

It all starts with determining your daily roles. I'm not only Martha, per se; I am also a Blogger and an Executive Director of my company.

So everyday, I am:

1. Martha/Gym Junkie
2. Blogger
3. Executive Director

The roles will depend on what you do, of course and yes, Motherhood is a role! it is important to determine the roles you play on a daily basis because your work will be defined by these. 

Of course, we all have more than 5 roles that we play on a daily basis, but just prioritize the top three; narrowing down your choices will make you a more productive being and when you're productive, you'll just find that you have extra time to perform the other minor roles in your day.

PRODUCTIVE VS. BUSY

Speaking of Productive, I've realized that there's a thin line between that and Busy: Productive is doing things and Busy is trying to do things. See, Busy people do so much, but realize at the end of the day that they don't really get things done whereas Productive people do only little, but realize at the end of the day that they've accomplished more than intended. Being busy is trying to do everything and micro- managing while being Productive is doing what matters the most and prioritizing bigger, more strategic tasks that will affect the whole in a positive way. Nowadays, I try to be more productive than busy. To be more productive, what I do is I categorize my tasks everyday in this format:

1. URGENT- things to do that are more important than my eyebrows
2. SEMI- URGENT- things that are also important, but my eyebrows are importanter
3. NOT AT ALL URGENT- I'll do this tomorrow. Eyebrows first.

Urgent tasks, I try to finish in two to four hours; Semi- Urgent, I squeeze in when I accomplish my urgent tasks so I'll have more free days; Not At All Urgent, I do in the evening along with Blogging or the next day.

To recap, these are my simple time management techniques:

1. Define your daily roles
2. Be Productive, not Busy

I would also like to remind everyone that you should make time for yourself everyday: it could be working out, taking your weekly spa retreat, or weekly coffee with friends. Put it in your schedule (like what I do). Make it mandatory. You owe yourself attention and love just as much as your work, kids, and family. Don't forget to give yourself a little pat on the back no matter how good or bad your day is, always. ;)

Hope you picked up something useful today! :)

Post a Comment

26 Comments

  1. Thank you Ms M for answering my queries! I do enjoy reading it lalo na yung part na "Urgent" - "Semi-Urgent and Not so urgent, and yes "eyebrows are importanter"

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  2. I love this post. As I was reading it, I feel that I was just listening to you while telling all this. It was perfectly word by word. I even laugh on that format where you categorize on how you make your day productive. Thanks for all the tips! I enjoy reading this as well I'm glad to learn many things:)

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  3. First of all, i would like to say that i admire your eyebrows... oooops i mean i admire you as a blogger (and i envy your eyebrows).
    I could see from stalking you on IG and FB that you have been doing so many things yet you still have time for yourself. I'm happy for your success and I agree with you that an efficient time management system is vital in achieving goals.

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    1. Haha. Thanks! :D Glad to know we're on the same page when it comes to time management. :)

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  4. So my top three roles are Stacie the family member, friend and student. Fourth will be Stacie the businesswoman, haha, joke lang, I just have some sidelines. I'm not very busy nor productive, I just... do what needs to be done? I only study the day before exam or a few hours before it because that's when I feel like something is entering my brain. XD

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    1. That's being productive also! You do what needs to be done and don't fuss over a lot of things. :)

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  5. That was fun to read :) i'm one of those people who passionately fill up my planner because i tend to forget things easily. I like making to-do lists so i could manage my time better. I feel so lost whenever i don't have my planner with me and i feel like a total bum when i'm too lazy to write down the stuff i've done.

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  6. That was fun to read :) i'm very OC with time management and i find writing on my llanner therapeutic. It helps me remember the things that i tend to easily forget. I feel like a total bum whenever i'm too lazy to write down the things i've done.

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  7. some great tips here :)

    Once I started my full time job my blogged lagged, i work long hours and the last thing I want to do is come home and blog! But keeping a to do list really helped :D

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  8. Task management is the key and as far is a i know myself that I am good and on the contrary something i still need to work on . What i would like to remind myself is to understand the roles i'm taking and realigning the things that are important according that role.

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    1. Hi Richie,

      welcome to my blog. Hope you liked this post. :)

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  9. this entry was very helpful and funny, especially on the category of your tasks, your eyebrows is your basis. :)) but seriously, i admire on how you can manage everything, with your business, blog, gym time, love life, family, friends - time management is really important especially for a productive person like you. :)

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    1. Thanks. :D You just have to strategize your day and that's it! :)

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  10. I like this! I have to agree on the difference of being busy and productive. At work, i see a lot of people complaining of having too much to do but you don't see any results whilst some do not complain but you see a lot of reports/progress. I feel like those people who complain tries to do everything all the same time so walang results, walang natatapos.
    Me? I also categorize. I always do the small stuff first then work on the harder stuff later. Also, i don't stay too long at the office, my semi-boss told this a few years ago and it stuck, "ang trabaho hindi yan mauubos, may bukas pa"

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    1. Yeah, your boss is right. Which reminds me, I have to stay away from work; I've been prioritizing it a lot lately!

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  11. BOOKMARKED! Thanks Ms.M! Always wondered how you manage your time or whether you have 8 hands, 4 bodies or whatever, because you're the most active blogger I know yet you're also working and you have a fit body.Thanks for the advice!!! ^_^

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    1. That's my secret-I have 8 hands haha! You're welcome. It's just a matter of knowing your priorities. :)

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  12. A fun and helpful read! :) I so loved the way you categorized your tasks- Urgent, Semi Urgent, Not at All Urgent and with your basis- your eyebrows! Haha. So cute.

    As for me, I am a mom, a wife, househelp and CSR everyday. And I only keep track of my schedule through the calendar installed on my phone. Gotta check iCal and see if it would also work for me. Thanks much!

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  13. I appreciate the reminder of taking care of oneself everyday. As a busy stay-at-home mom of two with no house help, I tend to always forget that.

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  14. I like how you discussed the difference between being produtive and busy. There are times when I feel so busy but don't feel productive at all. Just to add, a busy day is draining compared to a productive day that's tiring but oh so rewarding.

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Let me know what you think of this post! :)