Weekly Letters
Every other Sunday I connect with my community through Weekly Letters. These are where I share personal insights, words of motivation, and lessons I'm learning along the way in my creative journey so far. Weekly Letters are where we can hang out together and is my space to be a little more vulnerable, a little more open, and a little more in-depth with the insights and advice that I share.
I'd love to connect with you there too.
And here's an example of what you can expect...
Four Workday Mantras
Sometimes my workday isn’t always as dreamy as I hope it will be.
Sometimes I feel tired. Sometimes I feel stressed. Sometimes I feel overstretched, other times I worry I’m not working hard enough. Sometimes I feel inadequate, and other times I feel like I’m giving up too much of myself to do the work that I want to be doing.
For me, running a business is like living in a constant state of contradictions.
I feel as equally exhausted as I do energised. I feel equally as anxious as I do excited, and I feel confident and focused while also feeling completely scattered and overwhelmed.
It all comes down to the workday. Those 6, 7, 8, 9 (or on extra crazy days - 12) hours where I’m doing the work, getting things done, and working with my clients and behind the scenes on my business. Day in, day out it can start to get a little messy - especially when you work from home, when your work and life overlap and blend in a way where there are no clear boundaries at times, and when your work is way more than just a paycheque, but something you cherish and love but do still want a little distance from every now and again.
That’s where my four workday mantras come in.
I needed something to keep me focused and full of clarity when the overwhelm, tiredness, and stress starts to kick in throughout the day. I needed something to remind me of what matters most, of what I truly value, and where I want to channel my energy when I’m showing up and getting the work done.
1. Be Present In Every Task
Multitasking is my least favourite thing; it leaves me scattered, stressed, overwhelmed, and desperate for a nap. Whenever I jump from task to task, call to call, and email to email, my head really, really, starts to hurt. That’s when I start working on autopilot, instead of being present, focused, and intentional in the work that I do.
That’s what this mantra is for: to remind me to take each task one at a time, give it the attention it deserves, and all of my brain instead of just half of my focus. The most practical way I’ve been able to do this is by separating my tasks out throughout the week - I have set days for client work, set days for content creation, and set days for business management and planning. So when I find myself multitasking or spreading myself between too many tasks, I centre myself by remembering this mantra and prioritising focus, clarity, and presence instead of just ticking off as many things as possible from my to-do list.
2. All You Have To Do Is Show Up 100%
There’s this pressure we put on ourselves, especially when we’re service based, to deliver above and beyond for our clients and customers. What I’ve found though is that this can lead to a lot of internal struggle if we don’t start to manage our own expectations of ourselves. I always like to remind myself that my clients didn’t hire me to be a superhero - they hired me to deliver on what it is I say I can do. And the way I can do that is by showing up and giving 100% - and by putting pressure on myself to do anything more than this actually just distracts me from doing my best work along the way.
It’s okay if you don’t always have all the answers; it’s okay if sometimes you need to say “let me think on that and get back to you” or “that’s not actually my area of expertise, but here’s how I can help you best”. Whenever I’m struggling with feelings of inadequacy, I remind myself that all I have to do is show up and give 100% and usually I then realise that that is what I have been doing all along.
3 . If You Don’t Need To Be Looking At A Computer Screen, Don't
There has to be some data backed research out there that proves that staring at a computer screen all day long is not good for our health. A whole day spent in front of mine leaves me groggy, tired, irritated, and snappy. Here’s what I’ve realised recently though: I don’t actually have to spend my entire workday in front of a computer screen. For meetings, emails, client work, and content creation it’s of course a necessity, but in-between all of that it’s way more productive for me to shut the laptop down and take a break or create with my hands instead.
To help me with this one, I’ve started to take short 30 minute breaks through my workday to stretch, read, or do a mini yoga session and it’s really starting to make the world of difference. Whenever I find myself mindlessly scrolling through email, social, or my calendar I remember - if I don’t need to be looking at a computer screen, don’t.
4. Don’t Forget To Fill Up Your Tank
There’s nothing worse than emptying your tank and doing a good days work and then just getting straight back to it the next day without taking the time to recharge and refuel for the brand new day ahead. Sooner or later all that leads to is burnout, exhaustion, and stress.
Giving myself permission to prioritise filling up my tank is changing everything for me when it comes to both my personal wellbeing and my business growth right now. Taking care of the most important person in my business - myself - is key if I want to thrive and grow moving forward. I know that I need space to recharge every single day if I want to be able to give 100% to my work and my clients - and that means proactively making time just to do nothing and letting my mind and body rest is essential if I want to have healthy, happy, and productive workdays moving forward.
The reason I’m sharing these with you today is because I want to encourage you to set your own workday mantras; to make space for the things you really need to thrive in your work and your business. I spent months last year just going through the motions, getting the work done, and prioritising my to-do list over my own wellbeing and truly being the person I want to be in my work and my life. Enough was enough and I now truly understand and respect the importance of being intentional in our workday if we truly want to do work that is fulfilling and purposeful along the way.
Just ask yourself these two simple questions as jumping off points:
- What do I need to make space for in my workday to give my work 100% and thrive and grow in my business and career?
- What do I need to remind myself of each workday so I can cultivate my own wellbeing, productivity, and growth?
Here's to being okay with the fact that every workday can't always be as dreamy as we want it to be, but still cultivating as much joy, fulfilment, productivity, and wellbeing as we possibly can.
I'm rooting for you as always,
Jen