The first day of a new job is always met with some degree of nervous anticipation. Will I get stuck in traffic on the commute? Will the people I’m working with be nice? Will I like the job? But when you work for yourself, your commute is as short as walking from your bedroom to your home office, the “people” you will be working with are more likely to be household appliances, and whether or not you like the job is totally up to you. Yet, starting something new always evokes certain emotions.
After spending the weekend celebrating launching my own social media and public relations agency, there was one emotion that was noticeably absent when the weekend came to a close—the “Sunday Scaries.” For the first time in recent years, Sunday night came and went without any feelings of anxiety, dread, or the shedding of actual tears. There was a palpable sense of relief to have finally abandoned those feelings associated with starting a new week. Instead, I was left with excitement at the prospect of planning my week exactly how I wanted it and getting to work.
One thing I know for sure is that I thrive on having a routine. So, I knew it would be important to create a schedule for myself that I could stick to. I am by no means a morning person, so my hours were not going to be 8 am-4 pm. Instead, I settled on having leisurely mornings to sleep a little later, grab a coffee, or head to a workout, and decided to start my actual workday around 10 am. Of course, that means I will need to work later in the evening, but it’s a small price to pay. I also scheduled some break time during the day for lunch and to take a sanity stroll. I know how easy it is when you work from home to never move from your chair. Lastly, the other important consideration was having my work time end by 4:30 pm, so I can head out to visit my grandmother. Then, it will be time to have dinner and do a little more work before calling it a day.
So, how do I plan to manage this new work schedule? I’ve already updated my Google Calendar to reflect my working arrangements and I’ve blocked out time for client work, my sanity stroll, writing blog posts, etc. I’ve also set up a Calendly account to help me manage times for calls, and I have Trello boards that outline my to-do’s.
The one benefit I’ve already noticed on day one is that I only have to be accountable to myself. Today, my business coach is hosting a masterclass, and I like that I can carve out time for it without interruptions. This flexibility will certainly come in handy as a caregiver and when calls from the elder care attorney or the nursing home come in.
Overall, I am feeling so excited about this next chapter. While there will be periods of adjustment, I know I’m ready to take on my new business in style.
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