Make Health a Priority for High Productivity

I have a lot on my plate.  I own my own product photography business at Brooke Photo Studio that I work at full time, and I work on this blog as my creative outlet for fun in my spare time.  I also have a husband, life and interests outside of work as well so making the most of my working hours is a must in order for me to keep up to date with my client work as well as have time for all those other things that go into owning your own business.  Here are some of the things I do to keep myself on track.

Keep Regular Hours : I keep to a 7AM - 4PM work schedule Monday - Friday just as a larger business would.  On the work end this schedule gives me the hours I need each day to accomplish my work tasks, as well as giving my clients an idea of when I am in the studio to answer emails.  When I know that I need to put in some overtime I usually do it on the early morning end.  The second benefit of keeping regular hours is the quality of time I have with my husband after work and on weekends.  I do not have to be tied to my email because my clients already know when I am in the studio to answer their requests.

Take Regular Breaks : Every hour or two  make sure to get up and take a small break.  I like to walk around, get some fresh air, do some quick yoga poses or grab a snack to refresh my mind.  I find that doing this helps keep me fresh and energized, and actually speeds up my efficiency throughout the day.

Have a Daily To Do List :  I usually start a list for the coming week on Friday's.  I start with generic daily and weekly tasks that tend to repeat, and add to it depending on my client workload.  This list benefits me the most in the area of marketing for my business.  When I am busy those little marketing tasks are the first to slip my mind so keeping them on a list ensures that they still get done even when I am having a challenging day.

Make Big and Little Goals : I am always tracking, making and updating goals.  These goals help me to expand my business, and are always growing and changing.  I make the big goals first, and then break them down into smaller goals that are quick to complete.  I work the smaller goals into a time frame and then eventually I make it to the top and complete the big ones.

Make Health a Priority :  The key to all of the above things in my work day is keeping my health a priority.  Daily I eat a healthy breakfast, and make time for exercise to start my day.  These two things give me the energy I need to be productive throughout the rest of the day.  I will admit that when I am busy making time for exercise can be a challenge, but I know from experience that if I get it done I will have a better day and it is worth the time.  Mid-day I have a healthy lunch, and make sure to have nutritious snacks on hand for the rest of the day.

These little things help to make my work life more productive, and energetic which in turn leads to the time to have a great personal life as well.