Being an entrepreneur, especially a WFH small business owner, means daily decisions are typically up to us. We get to decide what each and every step looks like — and what our workday consists of. What we do and how we do it is completely up to us. It may seem making all of those decisions can seem glamorous albeit a little overwhelming — but, being in control of every decision gives us a unique and special opportunity to create a structured, balanced workday. A schedule that is aligned with what we want, value, what we need both personally and professionally. It is our hope this blog post on creating a structured workday helps you discover new ways to structure your days.

Have you ever found yourself:

1. Struggling to design a workday in a way that makes sense to you
2. Working all day long, dawn to dust with your computer in your lap ALL DAY or
3. Ending your workday with a sense of guilt that you didn’t accomplish everything you set out on your mile long to do list…

If so this blog post is for you!

Here are my tips for creating a structured workday. 

I have to preface this by saying, creating a structured yet balanced workday requires you to know a few things:

• how you work best
• what’s possible for you in your unique life and lifestyle

Copying the routine of another business owner could be a great place to start but I wholeheartedly believe every business owner is unique and keep their needs and lifestyle in mind. This way, you can create a unique schedule aligned with your values, lifestyle, and business, rather than conforming to someone else.

Here’s the thing: the goal is to bring your best self to your day. When you make time for your values in your everyday life, you experience more happiness and balance. You are more than your business, honor the important areas of your life. Take me for example. Besides my morning routine and workday, I make time for the things I value such as: cooking healthy meals, having time to exercise, making time for volunteering, wedding planning, and having time to connect with her fiance. Is my routine perfect? No. Does my schedule always go to plan? Definitely not, but making time for these things I value helps me show up as my best self in my workday.

I’ve found a few things helpful in creating a structured workday:

Get to know yourself:

What do you need to do every day (personally and professionally) to feel accomplished at the end of the day? Write down what you value and what would make you proud at the end of every day. 

Create a morning routine:

You might be a morning person, or perhaps you are a night owl, either way, we all start our day at some point. While there’s probably not an ideal morning routine that fits everyone, having something consistent to do every day gives you some semblance of normalcy when things go haywire! This is why I am a big advocate for morning routines that set the tone for your day.

I wake up and spend some time reading a devotional, meditating, or praying before getting out of bed. Then I get dressed for the day, brush my teeth, and set out to have matcha or lemon water (depending on my mood/cycle phase that day), then I set out on cooking a healthy meal to start off the day right. After I’m done with these basics, I evaluate my day by looking at my old-fashioned paper planner and then jump on the computer!   

Invest in a daily planner aligned with your values and goals:

While some enjoy a digital planner, I’m a big fan of putting pen to paper! Use that master project/client management system and set out to write down what your day will consist of, not only will you get it off your mind, but you will have the satisfying ability to check things off your list. Plus it gives you the opportunity to schedule other things in life to cross-reference. Have a coffee date with a fellow entrepreneur? Physical therapy? A yoga class? These will help you see your work-life balance on paper (and help keep up with them!).

Invest in a project management system for your business:

There are many steps in our client process that are repetitive and streamlined. I’m very proud of the system I’ve come up with for managing our clients and projects. What this means is: that when I get on our computers to start my workday, I know exactly what needs to be worked on each day. If you don’t want to invest money into a system (I get it, you pay for a bunch of software already), try something free! I use Notion and I have been loving the way it works for us.

Whether you’re serving 1 client or 20 clients, using a project management system allows you to use a reliable system to manage all of your tasks and to-dos. But I have a great memory, you say! Hey, I get it, and so do I, but not having to think to use up that brain space is truly freeing. Not to mention you can step away from your business for the evening, the weekend, or vacation — and have peace of mind you are not returning to complete chaos. 

Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace:

God gives us grace and you should give it to yourself too! As creative small business owners, we aren’t always creative or innovative. To be honest, we can’t always be. You can adjust your schedule when you know you aren’t up to doing certain tasks. Not feeling creative, focus on tedious tasks like bookkeeping, content execution, or even content planning. If you’re feeling super creative, focus on all those fun creative things. Rather than being hard on yourself, create and embrace the unpredictability that comes with being creative.

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I hope this blog post on creating a structured workday helps you discover new ways to structure your days. These are small adjustments we can all make within our schedules to create a structured, balanced workday we feel proud of.