Photo from my Instagram

Following on from last week’s productivity post, I thought it might be worthwhile if I shared with you today how I plan my week. Granted, this is a very personal routine so it may or may not look like your own week, but I hope it’s interesting nonetheless!

First up, I always have a rough idea of what I’m doing a week in advance, and the weekend before, I use my Circle Planner to plan my diary. This usually isn’t too extreme, aslong as I know what I’m doing on what days, is okay by me. I just need to have a good structure in place so I don’t feel overwhelmed.

The thing that first enters my diary, is work. I work 3 days a week at my mum and stepdads business, mainly doing office work and administration. These days can vary depending on what’s going on, for example if my sister is visiting etc. Next, is exercise. I like to know what days I’m planning on running, and especially if I’m doing a long run, I need not to go overboard on that particular day because I know I’ll need to rest and recover afterwards. Another thing I plan out is family visiting. On what days I will go and see my Dad, or visit my grandma. These are really important things to me that I want to always make sure I have enough time to do.

Those are the three main things in my week, and the rest come afterwards. Everything from food shopping, creativity time, and tidying the house I usually don’t plan in advance, and just fit it in when and as I can. I could properly be a bit more organised in this area, but at the moment I’m fine with it going how it is. If I get busier at work in the future, I know I’ll probably have to be more meticulous to make this smoother.

I like my weekends to be relatively quiet and unorganised, so I usually don’t plan much in advance, and just go with the flow for the weekend, depending on how I feel. So, that’s how I plan my week in a nutshell. In terms of daily routines, I like to use my Habit tracker on my phone which I really recommend.

What does your week look like, does it look similar to mine?

Photo from my Instagram

You guys know I love a goal, so I wanted to chat about my goals for the rest of the year. You could be right in thinking that because 2020 has been, to be blunt, a complete shitshow, that it would be pointless in having any goals for the rest of the year. Just write it off. But, that’s not me. Goals keep me focused and feeling positive in my everyday life, I guess I just like something to work towards.

run a half marathon
This feels even crazy to write, never mind actually doing it! But I really enjoy running long distances, and I challenged myself a few weeks ago with a 15k (which was an experience!) so I’d love to go that bit further and reach 21k. It’s only 6k more but I know when I finished 15k I couldn’t imagine running any longer. So that’s something I might be able to manage later on this year hopefully, I’ve still got quite a few months left to work on it.

go back to the beach
We managed to visit the beach for a day last month, but I would love to go back before the end of 2020. Ideally, this is something I’m currently scouring the internet for in the next weeks, keep your fingers crossed for me though because theres not much availability anywhere anymore.

reach my goal of 100 books
I think I’m currently on my 76th book of the year, so I feel pretty confident that I’m going to manage this one and be able to hit my goal of 100 books. I’m surprised how far along I am but I think COVID-19 probably helped that, aswell as reading more on my kindle, because for some reason I read a lot quicker on there! I definitely won’t be setting myself a goal of 100 books every year, because its A LOT, but I want to hit it just once.

make plans for next year
Being honest, I’m not a great traveller in any sense of the word, and it’s not something I’m super passionate about. I’m a homebody afterall (not that you can’t be both, I’m just not). However I am CRAVING a holiday somewhere sunny and visiting a new place, so I’d love to start making some plans for next year so we have things to look forward to.

Do you have any goals for the later half of this year?

Photo from my Instagram

I think we all struggle with productivity sometimes. I know for sure I definitely do! But over the years I’ve tried and tested different ways to make it work for myself, so I wanted to share them for todays post, incase you need a bit of a productivity boost too.

GET IT OUT OF THE WAY
Something I find works for me, is doing the biggest/hardest/most annoying job first. That way, it’s completely out of the way and you can spend the rest of the day doing the things you do enjoy. Also, I don’t know if it’s just me, but when I put something off, I just spend the whole time thinking about it anyway? So I might aswell save myself the time and heartache, and just get it done right away.

PLAN YOUR DAY
For years now, I’ve done a rough plan of my day and what I’m intending to do at what time. It really helps me stay productive and means I just feel better, because I’m not running around stressed out and rushing, I feel more organised and calm. Which in turn, probably means I’ll get more done than I originally thought anyway- win win!

DISTRACTIONS, DISTRACTIONS
Distractions is something that has always worked for me, and it’s actually how I get a lot done. When I’m doing something I don’t particularly like, for example unstacking the dishwasher, I pop on a Youtube video or a podcast and it means I get the job at hand done, without even realising it.

TAKE A BREAK
I’m quite a fast worker, and I like to get things done straight away, instead of dawdling along. But it also means I do get tired, so breaks are essential to keep me feeling good. For me personally, you can’t beat an afternoon cup of tea. For some tasks, like photo editing, I do it in chunks throughout the day, instead of in one whole go. That way, I have the entire day to keep looking over it and seeing where I can make changes if I need to. Let me know if you’d like an photo editing tips post, because that’s definitely something I can do!

ACCEPT IT
And if you’re reeeeaaally not in the mood, and nothing’s going right.. it might be time to accept it and move on. Start afresh tomorrow. Maybe have an early night too, so you can wake up feeling your best, ready for the next day.

What’s your best productivity hack?

Over the last few years, I’ve really got into reading. It’s becoming one of my daily escapes from normal life, and I can’t imagine not loving it. I’m currently on my 73rd book of the year (which even typing that sounds CRAZY), but I thought for todays post I’d chat a bit about how to read more, if that’s something you’re currently struggling with. I hope these tips help!

#1 FIND THE RIGHT TIME FOR YOU

For you, it may be reading a chapter on your lunch break, or doing the most of your reading on a lazy weekend. For me, it’s reading before bed. Every single night. That’s why I predominantly read fiction, because it makes me switch off a lot more than non-fiction does. I usually head to bed around 10pm and read for an hour before going to sleep. I might also read on an afternoon at the weekend, but that’s not where I get most of my reading done.

#2 READ WHAT YOU LIKE

I know it’s tempting to read what everyone else is reading on Instagram at the moment, but if you’re struggling to get into the right headspace, always stick to a book you think you’re gonna love. Some of the reads I enjoy aren’t particularly ground-breaking, sometimes I just want an easier, comfort read and that’s totally okay. And if you’re struggling on a particular book, you can either carry on or give it a DNF. Personally, in depends on how I’m feeling as to what I do!

#3 GO PAPERLESS

For me, I read a lot faster on my Kindle than a physical book. Maybe it’s something to do with the book percentages at the bottom of the screen that motivates me to keep going. The Amazon Kindle store always has some really great deals too where you can pick up amazing books for as little as 99p, I usually stock up on a few when I see them on offer and see where my mood takes me as to what I read next. You could also read on Audible, but I have to say that’s not something I’ve done as of yet, but I know a lot of people do like it as a great way to read more.

All of these pictures I’ve used in this post, are books that I’ve recently read and LOVED!

#4 SET A GOAL

I’m a massive goal person and always have been. They really motivate me to stay on track, so that’s why I set a goal of 100 books this year in 2020. Last year I think I read somewhere around the 60 number, so I definitely aimed high with this one, but I fancied a challenge and I doubt I’ll manage it again. To start small, you could always aim to read a chapter a day, or finish a book a month. Just make sure it doesn’t feel too overwhelming or you’ll never start.

Do you make time to read?

Photo from my Instagram

Creativity is a big part of my life. It’s what I share on my Instagram. It’s something I try to fit into my days. It makes me feel like, well, me. 

Believe it or not, when I was growing up, I never thought I was one of those creative types. This is probably because I wasn’t into Art, and if you can’t draw well, then you can’t be creative, right? WRONG. It’s only taken me about 25 years to realise that creativity is something that can come naturally to you, and it feels very freeing and liberating.

So, what do you do when your having one of those days where you don’t feel creative? Well, that’s hopefully where this post will help you out!

#1 FIND YOUR INSPIRATIONS

Whether that’s following your favourite content creators online, creating a new Pinterest board, or listening to a new album (hello Folklore), immersing yourself in something you find inspiring is only bound to create great things- just leave your comparison at the door, it’s not needed here. This is something I do regularly, personally I love to spend a bit of time on Pinterest looking for pieces of art that I really connect to, and having a look at the concepts that I might be able to use in my own work in the future. Also worth noting here, please don’t create exact copies of someone else’s work, put your own touch on it, that’s the magic ingredient that will make it wonderful!

#2 LOOK BACK ON YOUR PAST WORK

You’ve created things in the past that you’ve been really proud of, and felt exciting to share, right? So why not look back and revisit those images? Maybe re-create them, that’s something I do regularly too. Upgrading old images with new ideas means you have lots of inspiration already at your fingertips! You never know what lightbulb moment you might get.

#3 HAVE A BREAK

Sometimes, when all else fails, you just need to log off. Do something that isn’t related to the project you’re working on. Go outside. Workout. Have a duvet day. Coming back to something with fresh eyes is bound to feel so much better than staring at it for 5 hours non-stop. I know that I personally, like to work on an image throughout the day on and off, instead of just in one go. Every few hours I will add little bits here and there, and look at it throughout the day to see if it’s going in the right direction I want.

#4 DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT 

Whether that’s watching a different type of film than usual, treating yourself to a new magazine, or just getting out of your creative comfort zone in your photography, you never know what you could end up creating. I know it can feel really nerve-wracking to post something online that your audience isn’t used to, but I think giving people a little surprise works well every now and again!

#5 REMEMBER ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY

We are all on our own journey. Don’t compare your first draft to someone else’s best-selling novel. I really believe we will all achieve our own goals in our own time. Focus on yourself. Stay in your own lane.

What’s one of your top tips for creativity? Is creativity something you struggle with, too?