If your systems in motherhood are settling in and you are ready to make an impact in your work hours then this is the post for you! If you are ready to be more productive as a work from home mom, this is for you too! I cannot wait to share how I design my own personal workflow and the hacks I use to reduce overwhelm, create clarity, and increase productivity. Dive in and let’s chat about all things workflows!
Listen below for the entire episode on The Systemize Your Life Podcast
Okay, let’s talk workflows! Those of you that follow me, I’m sure you are super curious about how I do my workflow. So, today I want to show you specifically what my workflow looks like.
If you are already in the Systemize Your Life Academy you know how to create a workflow. If you are not, I’ll show you the tools that I use and how I go about designing my workflow. But, I promise you will save yourself so much time and headache if you just get inside the Systemize Your Life Academy and let me walk you through how to set up your very own.
So this all started for me a long time ago but when I began CelsiJo.Co, I started making a workflow out of absolute necessity. I was frustrated that I wasn’t getting more done with the time I had. I knew I was wasting so much time. When my workflow was born I knew I was onto something special.
PICK YOUR METHOD
My very first workflow started with pen and paper. I then moved to a spreadsheet, and now I use the most incredible task management software program called MeisterTask. I’ve tried lots of different platforms but I found this to be the most user-friendly, intuitive, and cheapest. I’m going to tell you now how to take either a spreadsheet or software program and make it into a workflow.
So the first thing you need to know is what to put into your workflow. If you don’t know what to put in that’s totally fine, shoot me a message or pop a question into our Facebook group. But these are all the things you need to do in your business.
Once you know exactly what you need to get done every single week it’s just a matter of putting it either inside your spreadsheet (I have a really awesome one already set up for you inside the Systemize Your Life Academy) or your software program.
PIECES OF THE WORKFLOW
In my workflow, I have weeks 1-4 listed out. Every single day of that week I have tasks marked out and an entire block of information that is geared toward that project. Here are the pieces that make up my workflow.
Piece 1: Repetitive Weekly Tasks
You need to tell yourself the tasks you are going to do each day of the week and give yourself a timeframe. For example on Mondays, I record a podcast episode. On Tuesdays, I do my promotion. Sometimes those things get moved around as life happens.
Piece 2: Projects
When it comes to big projects I give myself about three hours a week to focus on a project or content creation. Those are the big things like, building a website, creating a landing page, or switching email providers (I’m loving Flodesk right now). That’s how I’m able to make headway and really start propelling myself through big projects.
Piece 3: Repetitive Monthly Tasks
I have another block of time that I do every single week that is dedicated to monthly tasks. So I have everything that I want to get done in my business on a monthly basis all written down. I have them grouped into four categories, weeks 1-4. Whenever I go into my workflow on week one of September I know what I’m doing.
That way I know all of the tasks that I need to do in a month. Tasks like my finances and sending handwritten cards are getting done. The cool thing is I don’t have to think about it because it’s all written down. I know it’s going to be there for me. It takes away all the overwhelm and makes me so productive.
Piece 4: To-do List
I also have a to-do list inside my workflow. This is for the few random things that will pop up each week. I give myself anywhere between 1-2 hours every week to solely focus on completing those to-dos. Normally it’s just one or two things. Still, I like knowing I have a place to keep them so I don’t have to hold them in my head.
Piece 5: SOPS
One of the coolest things about having a workflow is you create what I call standard operating procedures or SOPS. This is the way that you squeeze out more work in less time. AKA becoming more productive.
When I have my podcasting listed out on Monday I have everything right there in my workflow that I’ll need to create the podcast. I have the links I need and the step-by-step process typed out. When you go into that block of time to do the podcast it’s very, very easy for you to hone in, like a laser beam focus, and not get distracted. This will be because the list of everything that you need to do is right in front of your face.
Sometimes it becomes so rinse-and-repeat that you don’t even have to look at the list. It becomes a way of becoming super super efficient and not having squirrel brain.
“I was frustrated that I wasn’t getting more done with the time I had. I knew I was wasting so much time. When my workflow was born I knew I was onto something special.”
THE RESULTS OF A WORKFLOW
There’s some kind of sense of relief I guess to know that there’s not too much to do every single day. I think a lot of you carry around this badge of honor that you’re busy all the time. I’ve had a lot of students inside the Systemize Your Life Academy who will get done with work and then not know what to do with all their extra time.
It’s so exciting to see so many women have extra time. When women take on this role beyond motherhood and being business owners, they often feel like they constantly have to be working to make it successful. But it then becomes a burden.
What I want you to know from today’s post is that it does not have to be that way. You can have a workflow that supports you. You can have joy and feel more confident in running your business.
I have dreamed for a long time of having a business where I work a couple of days during the week and then on the weekend, I’m off. I’m sure a lot of you have that dream too but you find yourself working constantly and so it makes it very hard for you to find time to just sit down and put these systems in place.
I want you to believe down into your heart of hearts and to trust me when I say the time that you take to create a system in your business is going to save you on the back end 100 fold.
Stop Having to work 24/7
If you’ve invested in anything in your business before you know what it’s like as soon as you put money behind something it gives you this major motivation to get it done. Invest in the Systemize Your Life Academy. Get inside the Academy and learn how to create a workflow. I have women who have got it down in a week and I now see them blowing it up in their business. I see them showing up consistently, happy, spending time with their kids, and being productive.
For me now it takes me about maybe 20 minutes to create my workflow for the next week. I’m to the point where I can do it on Fridays so that on Saturday and Sunday I completely can be done with work. I know on Monday when I show up for my work hours that I will know exactly what I need to get done.
Making a workflow will help you stop working 24/7. You can have a Sabbath and stop working in the evenings. Whatever you want your workflow to be able to do for you it will do for you, you just have to be dedicated to making the decision to sit down and create the workflow.
It’s relatively straightforward and super simple. It doesn’t take a lot of brainpower or fancy technology. If you have more questions shoot me a message or if you’re not already a member inside of my Facebook group that I run much like a membership community please come over there and join me. I can’t wait to support you on this journey! It’s time for you to stop feeling overwhelmed in your business and gain more productivity as a work from home mom.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm not quite ready to invest in the Academy-are there other resources available?
Of course! Besides my Facebook group, I also have a free fundamental needs workbook to help you identity your core needs in your home and business and prioritize those accordingly in your workflow! Additionally it might benefit you to check out my free time blocking workbook if you haven’t had the chance to help plan the best time for you to create your workflow.
