Last week, I was invited to speak at the Northeastern Fashion and Retail Society about the business of blogging and being a part of the fashion/retail industry. It was such an honor for me to go back to my Alma Mater –  I had taken my networking course in that very room where the seminar was held – so that was extra special =)) I will tell you more about how the evening went, all the topics we discussed in an upcoming post.

One of the questions that came up, which as a matter of fact, is a question that I get asked the most – How do I manage my time between a full-time corporate job and running the blog, which in all fairness is another full-time job in itself. That is a loaded question and I think I could answer that in multiparts – about how i manage ( and sometimes not manage ) to handle it =)) Since my job is very demanding ( I am usually out from 8am-7pm and sometimes even log back in after coming home ), I try to squeeze in an hour or two on weekdays to do a few blog-related things but weekends are when I am able to do most of the blog stuff. 

Here are a few tips that I use as guidelines to make the most out of my weekend. If you are a blogger or have another business you are working on in addition to your day job or even just have a busy life – I hope these will be useful to you.

1. Get up and Get ready: Ever since I was in school and would wake up early morning to study for tests, my mom instilled in me the habit of taking a shower and getting ready before sitting down for my studies. It is tempting to stay in bed a little longer and respond to emails but you will find that you are more energetic once you are all showered and have changed into clean clothes. I love wearing house-robes, this one from Walk in on air is soft as a feather and super luxe. I was introduced to this store by one of my friends who had ordered the robes for all her bridesmaids. ( such a wonderful idea for a gift! ) It might be a psychological thing, but a nice house robe instead of being in PJs helps me feel less laid back but still be comfortable.

2. Don’t skip breakfast : It is not called the most important meal of the day for nothing. A good hearty breakfast will help you concentrate and provide you the fuel to kick-start you day. 

3. Make a to-do list : I am an old-school person and a pen-to-paper to-do list is my guideline for getting anything done. Plus the satisfaction of crossing something off. Sometimes I just write something down only to cross it off! ( do you do that? =)) ) I make a list of things that need to be done over the weekend – things that need to be done for the blog, social plans, things to do around or for the house, cooking prep for the week, etc. Then I assign priorities and assign time slots to each item.

4. Make a don’t-do list : This might sound funny but trust me – it helps! With endless distractions such as TV, shows on Netflix, phone calls to attend to and return, the urge to respond to emails the moment they hit your inbox and the biggest culprit of them all – social media. Before you know it, you’ve lost a few precious minutes of your morning by pinning recipes that you would love to try and reading about people’s weekend plans. 

5. Tackle “big projects” first : The morning is when your brain cells are active and at their best, use that to your advantage to tackle big projects. If there is an email that needs my creative juices flowing or writing a draft for a post – I put them on top of the list and try to get them done in the shinier part of the day.

6. Work and Play : All work and No play…. you know what that does to Jack!  When you are trying to build something, the urge to never stop working is strong. But get out in the sun, spend time with friends and family, spend some me time – you need a break to recharge. You might have to make a few sacrifices here and there when it comes to hanging out with friends, might have to say no to a few social outings but don’t completely cut back and lock yourself into a room. Plus remember, there is so much inspiration once you step outside – you are sure to come back with ideas for new content=))

7. Relax : If you have a million things on your plate, it is difficult to relax. But not-relaxing is only going to be counter productive. Unlike computers, our brains cannot go on non-stop and need rest for best performance.  If meditating, yoga, prayer is what you do – then carve out a few minutes in the morning to do that. Clear your head and start fresh!

Do you have any tips to make the most of the time at hand? I will be starting a blogging series soon – let me know if there are any specific topics you’d like to me cover. xo – Neha

Outfit details: Walk in on Air lace robe – c/o

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