Lamisha Serf-Walls

A Lesson In Working Smarter, Not Harder

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Life has a way of getting pretty busy.  When you have a full-time work, freelance work, and a family to care for losing one hour like we did this weekend can seem like a disaster waiting to happen.  My full-time work is picking up (not by my choice) and my freelance work is also increasing (to my delight), as well as a recent increase in home-improvement tasks for our home is making for a somewhat hectic schedule…until now.

I have always been a list maker and great and delegating tasks, but when it comes to my own work, I can sometimes find myself flailing to keep up.  But I have since decided it is time for me to work smarter and not harder.  The biggest issue I have found recently was trying to figure out what to do with my 8 hrs of “free” time in the mornings each week.  I tried balancing it between home responsibilities and freelance work, however the home responsibilities usually won out.  The writing work would get done on lunch breaks and a few hours before bed making for a very long day and less sleep.  Two things I don’t enjoy all that much.  And since I will be adding other personal writing to my schedule (writing my first children’s book series, in addition to starting a life coaching business down the road, I figured it is best if I learn to manage my time a bit more effectively now, rather than later.

What I did?

I decided what items I needed to keep in my schedule.  One was my lunch break.  I have been having “working” lunches far too much and have missed out on several opportunities to get outside to take a walk which is causing some issue with my exercise routine (because now it is non-existent).  So I am taking my lunch breaks back.  I also found that at night-time after getting the little one to bed, the last thing I want to do is work for an additional 2 hours.  So I am taking that time back as well and allowing myself some added reading time in addition to potentially getting to bed earlier.  So when will I be doing my writing work?  In the morning.

I haven’t always been a morning person, but since my full-time job schedule has changed I have 2 days a week where I don’t begin work until 11 am providing me with an added 3 hours to do other things.  The “other things” have mostly been house related, but I am thinking that time might better be used with writing work especially when I have several projects to finish.  So, I am dedicating my mornings to whatever writing work I have and making it a point not to work on writing projects at night.

Family time, house projects, and other home related tasks will be set for the weekends.  While we do get some family time in the evenings, it isn’t nearly as much as we would like so we try to make the most of it on our weekends.  And since it isn’t fun to work 6-7 days a week, I am using the weekend as a break from writing.  Family is important to me and spending as much time with my partner and our son is something I don’t get to do nearly enough and I am not going to sacrifice that precious time for my work.

So, my new schedule begins this week.  I will provide an update next week to let you know the differences I have found not only in my efficiency, but also my stress levels.  I am optimistic to say the least.  I think this new plan will work out great and I will not only be more focused, but more relaxed and more healthy overall.

What do you do to keep a balanced home/work life?

Gratitude: Focus

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I have spent several days away from my blog and though it certainly hasn’t been on purpose, I am finding myself changing and growing (again).  Of course change and growth are two things that don’t really stop and are for the most part good things, but as far as my blog is concerned, they sometime cause me to take some time to look inward to process everything.  With that said, I didn’t want to miss my one gratitude post a week because it really is a good reminder for me to practice gratitude on a daily basis.

This week I am grateful for focus.  While my focus has been a bit scattered at best lately, I am finding myself constantly bringing my thoughts back to the present moment.  Whatever task I am completing at the moment works out for the better if I can offer my undivided attention and focus to it as opposed to being split between various tasks.  Splitting my attention is rarely the most effective use of my time, though it is something that has become far more of a habit than I care to admit.

I am also grateful for bringing my focus closer to home, meaning focusing on the things that affect my family and I personally rather than get involved in others business.  Again this is something I am constantly reminding myself to do because for far too long I have been playing the role of rescuer to people, situations, and circumstances that may not really need or want my help.  So, I am taking my focus back a little bit and focusing on myself and my family.  I am beginning to think more about my dreams and how I can create the space, time, and energy for those things I want to bring to fruition.  I am also formulating a loose plan of action and seeing where the tide takes me, because while focus is a good thing, it can often be limiting as well.  So, here’s to having a soft focus on my little world and much gratitude in my heart for all that unfolds.

What are you grateful for today?