I break free from the chains of time when I'm in my head dreaming. Thing is, I can do this even when I'm engaged in daily chores that require me to be "present". I dunno, maybe it's a gift from the universe...😉
To start, I deleted the social media apps from my phone. This forced me to do “that work” on my computer, which was a bit more friction, so I didn’t tend to lose an hour or two at a time to scrolling.
I also use a virtual co-working service called Flown. I’m on there every weekday for my day job stuff, just for the “drop in” options, to see other people working on their stuff, which makes my brain go “okay, now we should work!”
And ALSO - I use a digital kitchen timer to track my ACTUAL working hours. This way when I see the timer clicking away, I tend to keep working on the task at hand.
these are great tips! i’ve never heard of flown before but that sounds very useful to get into that work mode. I’m very tempted to also delete the social media apps from my phone. Do the desktop versions have all the same functionality? I know you’re doing a call about this subject but I can’t make the time and date. I will plan to hit you up for the highlights if that’s okay!
I also set a timer to remind me to pick up my son. It’s unlikely I’ll forget but if I set the timer I know I don’t need to pick up my until I hear it go off. Even if that’s only 20 min away it helps me focus.
This is so relatable, Caroline. Annie’s advice above is great. I think give yourself time to be scattered; you’ve spent a lot of years working for someone else, so give yourself time to experiment and find a flow. I still haven’t found an ideal one. I am trying to be that person who uses their phone for voice memos and notes/reminders when I get a creative idea, then circling back later. Good luck!
Yes, and thank you. It is still new. I am a bit of a luddite when it comes to Siri but many people have told me they swear by it, for keeping track of various to-do items. I definitely need a better system than I have so I might have to try it.
This resonates! While I don't have any great advice (this is still a daily struggle for me and my work flow,) I can say that setting a timer on social media is a huge help. I give myself only an hour a day and then my phone locks me out. Of course, I can go back in for 15 minutes at a time if I really want to, but even that small deterrent really helps. Also the DND button! But yeah, I'm a scatterbrain most of the time too but I'm learning to lean into it because I think that's where a lot of the creative juice comes from!
It is definitely my biggest hurdle. However, I just sat down and pre-planned 4 posts for this week, for the first time. I will allocate an hour tomorrow morning to schedule them, and then [try to] stay the hell away! The timer is a great idea. I will definitely implement that.
I break free from the chains of time when I'm in my head dreaming. Thing is, I can do this even when I'm engaged in daily chores that require me to be "present". I dunno, maybe it's a gift from the universe...😉
ooh that sounds like a wonderful adventure!
To start, I deleted the social media apps from my phone. This forced me to do “that work” on my computer, which was a bit more friction, so I didn’t tend to lose an hour or two at a time to scrolling.
I also use a virtual co-working service called Flown. I’m on there every weekday for my day job stuff, just for the “drop in” options, to see other people working on their stuff, which makes my brain go “okay, now we should work!”
And ALSO - I use a digital kitchen timer to track my ACTUAL working hours. This way when I see the timer clicking away, I tend to keep working on the task at hand.
these are great tips! i’ve never heard of flown before but that sounds very useful to get into that work mode. I’m very tempted to also delete the social media apps from my phone. Do the desktop versions have all the same functionality? I know you’re doing a call about this subject but I can’t make the time and date. I will plan to hit you up for the highlights if that’s okay!
They have somewhat the same capabilities. Maybe not TikTok, I never really used that.
And yessss I’ll have some wrap up about the upcoming video chat!
excellent!
I also set a timer to remind me to pick up my son. It’s unlikely I’ll forget but if I set the timer I know I don’t need to pick up my until I hear it go off. Even if that’s only 20 min away it helps me focus.
That is such a great idea. I feel like I waste an hour every day fretting about the pick up time. Thanks Heidi!
This is so relatable, Caroline. Annie’s advice above is great. I think give yourself time to be scattered; you’ve spent a lot of years working for someone else, so give yourself time to experiment and find a flow. I still haven’t found an ideal one. I am trying to be that person who uses their phone for voice memos and notes/reminders when I get a creative idea, then circling back later. Good luck!
Yes, and thank you. It is still new. I am a bit of a luddite when it comes to Siri but many people have told me they swear by it, for keeping track of various to-do items. I definitely need a better system than I have so I might have to try it.
This resonates! While I don't have any great advice (this is still a daily struggle for me and my work flow,) I can say that setting a timer on social media is a huge help. I give myself only an hour a day and then my phone locks me out. Of course, I can go back in for 15 minutes at a time if I really want to, but even that small deterrent really helps. Also the DND button! But yeah, I'm a scatterbrain most of the time too but I'm learning to lean into it because I think that's where a lot of the creative juice comes from!
It is definitely my biggest hurdle. However, I just sat down and pre-planned 4 posts for this week, for the first time. I will allocate an hour tomorrow morning to schedule them, and then [try to] stay the hell away! The timer is a great idea. I will definitely implement that.