Summer for me is an extended stay in the UK to escape the humidity and extreme heat in Gran Canaria. However, it presents unique challenges in managing my time, as there are different things that occupy me here than when I am in my adopted country.
I enjoy catching up with friends, seeing family and taking on caring roles, as well as a chance to see some of my lovely clients in person, and do some face to face networking. Add in decluttering the boxes brought from my parents’ home over the last 18 months, and where is there time to actually do some work and have some downtime?!
But, obviously I do manage it as planning and organisation runs in my blood – since childhood I’ve had to fit lots in on a daily and weekly basis so I’ve come up with ways to manage things so they don’t get overwhelming.
Time Blocking
I block out 1 or 2 hour slots to do various tasks, such as write this blog, do some client work or go through a box of childhood memories. This focuses my mind on what I am going to do each day.
And if it’s a few smaller tasks, like making calls, or answering emails, I have a single block in a day to do these as a group – constantly switching tasks wastes time and also gives more time to get sidetracked.
Deadlines
Additionally, I give myself deadlines for tasks to make sure I get things done – I had a task to fill 6 bags of recycling to put out for the council on collection day to get it straight out of my flat – that got me focused at 9pm when I still had a half full bag! Breaking bigger projects into smaller task, each with a deadline will help ensure you aren’t in a mad panic at the end of the summer.
A big deadline I have this summer is clearing a space for a new kitchen to be delivered before I head back to Gran Canaria – a date immovable once I’ve booked my flight! Hence the smaller deadlines around decluttering and tidying! The kitchen is purchased and I need to give 4 weeks notice, and then the kitchen fitter is booked for November – see I told you I love planning!
Buffers
However, I don’t fill my diary from 9am to 6pm every day with things to do – I add in buffer slots, where I have time for unplanned actions to be completed or where things over run, and even if I shift things around on a particular day, I have time for these extra activities.
1:1s
I really enjoy 1:1s to get to know networking connections better, explore opportunities, and talk to potential clients, and I have a calendar link so people can book a call with me, but I only book 14-21 days ahead depending on my availability, to ensure I maintain flexibility further out for existing work and other commitments. Additionally, 1:1s can be heavy on the brain, taking in lots of new information, deep concentration etc and so I have a maximum number I book per week, and if I have too many in a single day, or a single week, I block out the rest of the day or week, to ensure I show up at my best for each 1:1. (This may be due to being an introvert so if it’s not an issue for you, ignore this tip.)
Me Time
Adding in timeslots for things for me (I’m partial to the occasional yoga retreat) is non negotiable as well. Even if I block time in my calendar for me time without having something specific, it still goes in – the beauty of an electronic calendar is the ease of moving things around, so I allow things to be moved, but not deleted!
Family Time
I only get to see my family when I am in the UK and so again this is really important time. However, I generally still do client work when I am with family, just working it around other plans, so maybe working first thing or in the evening around a trip out for the day. However, I don’t book general 1:1s during this time – anything that can wait a few days is booked in the following week. Where possible I also do client work the week before or week after! Its really important to be truly present and have quality time with family, so put that phone on silent and ignore the notifications for a few hours! The power of saying NO is key to have family time – my coach once reminded me, saying no to one thing means saying yes to something else – in this case, family.
Voice Notes/note taking (phone or notebook)
When we slow down we give our brain time to absorb and process things, along with time to be creative. And don’t you always remember a task you need to complete when you’re just heading out of the door?! Voice notes are my new best friend as it’s so easy to talk into my phone when things pop into my head – from the shopping list to an idea for a LinkedIn post and everything in between! Having a notebook at the side of your bed can also be a great idea to capture those moments of inspiration as you wind down for bed. I always have a notebook in my bag as well – you never know when you will need it!
Scheduling/automation
Another great way to not have to do so much when you have other things to do, is use scheduling, whether that’s paying a bill, or publishing social media posts for example, or putting your out of office reply on, so people know you will get back to them after your break.
Distractions
It goes without saying, minimise distractions. My Mum, bless her, doesn’t get the whole working from home concept, although my brother, his partner and I all work from home. This means creating barriers – so it’s easy for those around you to know when you should only be disturbed in an emergency – no, needing extra credit/tokens etc on a computer game does not class as urgent!!! I have an office in Gran Canaria, but it’s harder when you are in a caravan or airbnb, so sometimes finding an alternative place to work is an option. I’m arranging most of my work when I visit my Mum when she is at her Age UK activities – works for us both!
So that was a short insight into how I manage my summer (and every stay I have in the UK); hopefully it’s inspired you to try something different.
I hope you have a productive and enjoyable summer!
Find out more about how I work with my clients here.