A Day In The Life With smartwater

This post is sponsored by smartwater.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step” - Lao Tze.

No one ever said success was easy. To get anywhere or do anything worthwhile, you have to put one foot in front of the other; and every one of those steps can be the hardest you’ve ever taken.

 That’s why for this month I’m teaming up with smartwater to power my everyday progress and celebrate my ambitions. For me, organization is key when it comes to getting through my day.  Sure, I might not be the most organized person out there and I definitely fancy myself a last minute Lucy but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a method to my madness. Since I mostly work from home, sticking to a schedule is on me, otherwise I’ll find myself at 10pm wondering what on earth happened to the day. After a total week or three (or nine) of failure, I’ve learned a thing or two about staying organized while still being creative. The major key is repetition. I’ve found that the more I do something in the same way, the more likely the behavior is to stick. Keeping my day structured in the same way every day helps keep me focused on the work, rather than wondering, “What do I have to do next?”- a major creative drain. So to give you an idea of what I mean, I thought I would share the basic plan I work from. Naturally, days aren’t always the same and sometimes things come up, but having a regular structure gives me a foundation to be flexible if I need to.

8:30 am {if I’m lucky} : It all starts off with my wake up. I check emails on my phone - from bed.  Delete “spammy” emails and narrow it down to ones that need to be answered and prioritize.

Make sure all of my posts are live - check for errors. Get out of bed.

8:45 am: Grab breakfast. Sometimes I’ll feel inspired to go out for bagels before hitting the desk but in most cases, it’s yogurt and fruit or something else that’s simple.

9:00 am: Head to my desk and turn on the computer. Check my calendar for deadlines, meetings and events. Respond to first wave of emails.  Brainstorm & plan post ideas and schedule pictures. {Check weather for rain}. Get dressed.

12pm: Take and upload pictures. Write out posts & schedule. Respond to second wave of emails after lunch. Write down 3 things that inspire me - it keeps things creative.

3pm: Get ready for events and/or meetings. Head out.

10pm: Get home, schedule social posts for the next day and go to bed.

Repeat.

What are your steps throughout the day?

This story is brought to you by smartwater, who believes in making progress every day little by little and sip by sip. That’s how you move up up up.