An update on my life as an entrepreneur.

My first Steemit post had me stating I would activate 'Beast Mode'. I wish I could tell you that it worked, that I am now living up to my potential. However, it hasn't been so simple.

At first it was great! I was charged and decided to leave my job to focus on my dream (although I still work 5 hours cleaning the pub I used to do long shifts at). I managed to contact a blogger on Instagram '@luanna90' who has over 2 million followers and get her address to send her some jewellery, I completed a project that I had been thinking about for months, I planned to do so much! I was buzzing!

This feeling didn't last.

When I first started my business, in the early days and for a long time after too, I would sit at my workbench for 12 hours, making jewellery and being productive, scoring off the tasks on my mega to do lists. Lately I have been feeling like my days are incredibly short and I am getting next to nothing done. All I do is work yet I haven't made the stock I said I would make, I haven't contacted the people that I need to contact, I haven't taken enough photographs or posted enough on social media.

Do you ever feel like the days just fly past without any consideration for your plans!?

While I was working my very short 2 hour shifts cleaning the pub yesterday, I became infuriated with myself. How could I work for someone else and get SO much done in such a short time, then work for myself and waste all of my time and energy being so unproductive?

I thought about it a lot. I considered what the difference would be if I owned the pub, if I was there all day. Maybe I would take all day to clean it, or maybe I would just stare at it...thinking about cleaning it.
That's when I realised my problem. Of course, it was simple and I already knew the answer!

Do you find that you have to REALLY experience things to learn them?

Or is it just me? I always seem to know what I have to do. However I can't possibly just do it, I have to find a really annoyingly long way to truly learn my lesson and put my thought into actions. I feel like I am constantly testing my psychology to see what works for me, because I can't just naturally do what I am supposed to.
The answer was I needed to work LESS to do more! I hadn't realised how deflated I had been feeling. So much to do and none of it was being done quickly enough. I would sit endlessly at my workbench, working slowly, and never having time to do all the other things I wanted to do. I would be focusing on multiple things at a time. Looking at my Instagram, thinking about what to post and wondering if I was posting enough all while I was trying to make a necklace.

I haven't had time to look after myself!

I haven't had time to post on Steemit like I said I would!

I haven't been to the glorious beach - the only reason I moved to Cornwall even though it's far away from my lovely family and that breaks my heart. (Maybe a post for another time, if anyone wants to hear it!)

So the answer was of course ridiculously simple as it always is.

Have a set amount of hours to complete a task and put all of that time and energy into one thing.

Yesterday I put it into practice. I decided I would work 6 hour days from now on. I gave myself 4 hours to make a necklace and in that 4 hours I made the most intricate necklace I have ever made. I put a timer on and when my 4 hours were over, I stopped. I wasn't finished so I came back to it and added 2 hours on after dinner - interestingly enough when I went back to it, I kept making mistakes and it was taking me longer than it had done before. So I realised that I was probably best only doing really difficult work for about 4 hours and then using the other 2 hours to focus on various other things that didn't require as much concentration.

UREEKA

I then had time to spend an hour looking after myself! I went in a bath and I relaxed for the first time in ages, knowing that I had been productive and that my work day was over. I felt refreshed, energised and upbeat because I achieved my task for the day!

It made me think of the 80/20 rule, the Pareto Principle, where 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.
I was probably only making progress from about 20% of the work I was doing in my very long working days. What I want to do from now on is cut back on the unnecessary, the time wasting, get that 20% done then clock out for the day and do it each and every day.

From now on I am going to work 6 hours a day, I will be productive, and then I can live! And update my Steemit blog!

Sadly this month is going to be a tough one. I haven't quite made enough for all my rent and bills yet. Leaving my part time job was a risky decision but since doing so I have generally been a lot happier. I won't give in, I will keep working hard and I will push myself to work as best as I can to get my business going . I'll do what it takes because there's nothing else that I want.

I hope you make time for the career you love, but then stop, and do other stuff too. :-) <3

The best discussions happen in the comments! I would love to know how other Steemians feel about this. Are you truly efficient when you work? Can you relate to having to learn life lessons through experience?

Love,

Trixie Kiddo